A reader wrote a few days ago asking what this passage alludes to. On Tape 1 about half way through the 2d conversation between Grewal and Kalia (Monday morning), we find this exchange:
Kalia – You (GG) review, this is their need, why would they (PM and UD) deceive.
GG – Ok I will call you and tell you (my decision) later on,ok.
SK – I don’t think they will, he told me again and again. He (PM) promised Dr. (Gulzar) Cheema (consulate in Chandigarh, India) and he’ll meet that commitment after the legal problems are resolved. Cheema also told me that he can not discuss this more than this, he (Cheema) says every thing is OK with him.
I’ve uploaded a jpg file of a longer exerpt that places this portion in context in the extended entry.
There is this news item from the Tribune (India) on an upcoming appointment of former Liberal provincial MLA and federal candidate Cheema to Consul-General of the Canadian Consulate in Chandigarh. I wonder what he knows about this.
Phantom Observer wonders, too.
Kate- Have ANY media interviewed Cheema or followed up on this.
The tape would indicate that Paul Martin was already making the arrangements.
So much for didn’t know anything.
Also, what does it mean by “the legal problems”?
And, when were these discussions made for Cheema – before they approached Grewal? After? During?
Very interesting. More questions and information ommitted/ignored/kept out of the public domain by the media.
Why is that do you think?
Oh sorry Kate – I see that there was talk of the appointment of Cheema in Dec. 2004.
So, it would look like they were telling Grewal that THIS particular bribe as consulate was already committed to someone else.
This Cheema (Liberal) may have been asked to step aside for the Liberal individual that Grewal says was Volpe’s friend.
So was Cheema bribed or wink wink offered a reward to not run in the riding?
There is NO position in the government, including the 425 most recent Liberal patronage appointments that is not suspect as a bribe or a cover up.
All faith and trust in our democracy is shattered that merit even counts anymore for anything.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050604/TAPE04/National/Idx
Lets say that this was the only story you had read about the Grewal tapes, you would come away saying the Tories are lying through their teeth.
Only the Globe. By the way the above link is from Bourque
From (705) Blue
http://705blue.blogspot.com/
LIBERALS CONSENTED TO GREWAL TAPINGS
On May 4 , CTV reported in a story entitled, “Grits trying to lure MPs away, Tories charge” that Conservative MP Inky Mark said he had been offered favours in return for his budget vote by Liberals.
Liberal Treasury Board President Reg Alcock disputed Mark’s account saying…
“There has been no offer made, no offer contemplated,” said Treasury Board President Reg Alcock. “I unequivocally, unreservedly deny that there’s been any action (of) that sort.”
Alcock went on to say,
“If the Conservatives have any evidence of Liberal ministers offering appointments, they should present it”.
If Canadians have any qualms about MP Grewal taping conversations, they should fret no longer.
Reg Alcock gave his implicit permission to tape on May 4, 2005
posted by BLUE705 at 7:59 AM 0 comments
Reg- be careful what you ask for big guy…..
The legal problem is that in 2003 Chretien appointed Bhupinder Liddar to be Consul General of Canada at the new Consulate General in Chandigarh, the capital of the Indian state of Punjab.
Liddar was publisher and editor of “Diplomat & International Canada” magazine, Ottawa, from 1989-2003.
Chretien announced the appointment, in an effort obviously aimed at the Sikh vote (Sikhs come from the Punjab); but Liddar has never received a security clearance and still sits in Ottawa receiving the Consul General’s substantial salary.
The legal problem is that until Liddar is finally de-appointed (and he will no doubt sue for damages) no-one can be named to replace him.
Mark
Ottawa
Sue for damages???!!!
Goodness these are always “at the pleasure of” apointments, they dont have to apply and you cant sue saying you should have got the job….these things, like gagliano in Denmark, should be what they always were…take the job and if the next guy doesnt like you too eff’ing bad. We al know they are patronage so treat them as such.
Happydaze….thats wonderful. You are bang on, da proof is da proof…
Reg Alcock is wishing you to have your computer shut down right now, Happydaze !! “Why did you have to bring that up?? How high are you on the gene pool? What would make you keep your yap shut”??
Now watch the likes of Newman and Duffy (who do read these blogs, proof, they use the one liners bloggers use, usually out of context – eg. Newman’ s the “dog that didn’t bark” line yesterday was created at Captain’s Quarters for something else)will pick up on this and have Reg Alcock on the ‘hotseat’ to question him about Inky Mark. They will ask him flat out if Inky had been approached. If not , they will ask him why he told the whining Opposition people to prove (tape) him wrong. Watch them go!! That is their job and taxpayers pay them to do that. Let us never think that we cannot trust our public owned media.
‘Only on Western Standard or Fox’ you say? Don’t be foolish those outfits are run by ‘rich people’ not poor tattered men from the prolatariate like the rough, tough, stright- shooting Alcock!!
Hooray for CBC and CTV and Global TV – those incredible savvy investigative reporters who NEVER let their bias get in the way of the truth.
They know that our entire democracy, everything we believe in and trust comes out of the mouths of about 3 or 4 thousand diligent reporters who chase down the bad guys for us and let us know the truth.
We ARE a democracy. We DO have freedom of the press. And, the press have freedom from the owners of the press. And the owners of the press have freedom from the Liberal spin masters and…
….Oh, sorry, just woke up and I was having such a nice dream about the democratic country I want to leave for my children. The one my grandfather fought for and my uncles gave their lives for.
Sigh – one can dream.
Here’s a link to Tribune On-line edition, based in India, to provide background info on relationships between PM, UD, & GC , all Liberals.
On Martin’s visit to India, it seemed that even at those early stages, Martin had been going out of his way to consolidate his grasp at power. It seems that there is an underlying reason for a state visit to India other than representing Canadian interests and concerns.
Excerpts were taken from :
” Canadian PM to pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib
on Jan 15
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service ”
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041218/punjab1.htm
“In fact, there is a clear political motive behind Mr Martin�s visit to India. By visiting Darbar Sahib he wanted to win over the Punjabis settled in Canada, where elections for the House of Commons are expected to be held next year. Martin�s minority government can fall any time next year because it is facing political problems.”
And guess what Sikhs were and were not in the entourage:
“Talking to The Tribune on the phone from Canada, the member said that Mr Gurbax Singh Malhi, Mr Ujjal Dosanj, Dr Ruby Dhala, Mr Navdeep Bains, all Punjabi Members of the Canadian Parliament, would be accompanying Mr Martin to India.
However, two other Punjabi MPs, Mr Gurwant Grewal and his wife Mrs Neena Grewal, who belonged the opposition party, have not been included in the delegation. Mr Martin, who became the Prime Minister in December, 2003, has close relations with Punjabis, who have significant presence in his home constituency. In fact, his two family members have close relatives in Sikh families and one of them belongs to the City Beautiful.”
Furthermore, there is a sub-story on Cheema written at the same time :
Cheema may head Canadian consulate in Chandigarh
Mr Paul Martin is expected to announce the appointment of Dr Gulzar Singh Cheema as Consul-General of the Canadian Consulate in Chandigarh. Earlier, Mr Bhupinder Singh Lidhra was appointed but he could not take over charge here because of certain technical reasons. Sources said that the office of the Canadian Prime Minister had approved the name of Dr Cheema for posting at Chandigarh but no official announcement has been made yet. Dr Cheema belongs to Bariah village in Gurdaspur and is an active politician in Canada for the past some years. He is an MBBS doctor by profession. ”
Who directly approves Ambassadorial appointments, is it the PM himself or the Chief of Staff in the PMO ? I am just curious to see if there is a trace of Tim Murphy’s hand print in the selection of Cheema and the arms length power of Chief of staff to be able to redirect any ambassadorial appointments to suit their schemes ..
Ron,
A consul general is not quite an ambassador, although the post is a senior appointment (by international convention staff members of consulates or consulates general do not have formal diplomatic status, but one close thereto). The PM has personal authority to make such senior foreign service appointments.
Stephen,
Though such appointments are “at pleasure” in today’s world suits are always possible–why do you think Liddar is still being paid? Gagliano himself has sued.
Mark,
Ottawa
It is important not to get discouraged. On May 19, we did lose the battle. But the tide is turning very fast now, as it has for a month now. As the U.S Presidential campain proves… the media\blogshpere is win or lose, and made up stories about audio tampering, who approached who, sexism, racism, falsified medical records, the Bloq… are losers all the way. Is there any real TRUTH to find in any of it? Where’s the msm at Inky’s? murphy’s, asking about his involvment? Why the hell are the media and more importantly, members of the B.S riding, not demanding answers to the same questions? Who cares. SDA is here to stay.
HappyDaze: As America is proving to the world right now, a new generation of American Patriots is stepping to the cause of freedon…u.n bedamed. The Canadian Bloqsphere WILL influence the upcoming election in the same way is is turning public opinion right now. Freedom from this nightmare will be a reality in due time. It really hurts me that we are not in a campaign right now. Not because of the wait, but the way the liberals retained power. But never lose hope, that retention is as trivial as it is deadly. They will fall harder than Mulroney, and he fell HARD!
Much of what is going on in these conversations has to do with politics in the Indo-Canadian community. There have been some pretty heated inter-party procedural conflicts regarding nominations and so forth, and in this commendably politically active community the activity seems to run both ways: according to some of the background Kate has given us here, Martin headed a large delegation including “industrialists, businessmen, (academics) and journalists” on a trip to the Punjab which included the paying of obeisance at the Golden Temple.
Included in that delegation were Liberal MP’s Gurbax Singh Malhi, Ujal Dosanjh, Ruby Dhala, and Navdeep Bains. Excluded from this family honor-enlarging official trip to their homeland were Conservative MP’s Neena and Gurmant Grewal. The message to them and the community over there was perhaps that if you want to become Canadian, it’s best to be Liberal.
One gets a sneaking suspicion that Martin and the Liberals giveth and taketh away as a tool for partisan political advantage not only consulate postings and senate appointments but also honours.
If you want to get, get Liberal.
It’s not surprising that Conservative Grewal feels unrewardable. On the tapes, when he expresses cynicism about whether the things being dangled will really come to fruition, Kalia (BC Liberal organizer) indicates that when a trade is made, the PM doesn’t renege, but that there must necessarily be a delay of sorts for the sake of optics. He says, to make the point, that the PM’s promise to Gulzar Singh Cheema (a former immigration minister in BC) of a consular post in India would be made good after “legal problems” are dealt with. (Which may be referring to the fact the Bhupinder Singh Lidhra had already been given the post. The Tribune explanation was that he “could not take over charge here because of certain technical reasons”).
It is interesting that late last year Cheema, after he won the Liberal nomination in Fleetwood-Port Kells, lost a close election race against none other than Nina Grewal. It would appear that he has been doing some sterling work for the Liberals since then. It’s nice to get to hear some of it on tape.
One should not discount the possibility that there is a wee bit of Liberal organizing going on overseas, with a view to future immigration in key ridings.
Or is that rude to notice, er, suggest?
EBD
Grewals entire demeanor throughout the entire transcript was one of hesitation and curiosity. And yet, after it was all said and done, Good Mr Iron Man truly was unrewardable. If suspisions about his early intentions are in doubt… remember that in the end… he did what was right. Canadians in the year 2105 will not remember the B.S “legacy”, but “rather”, will hear the tapes as an example of politics gone wrong. Good Mr Iron Man took a huge risk doing what he did, and he cannot ever take his decision back. If the R.C.M.P decide the originals are not “dan rather” type fabrications, what will the Libs say then? I don’t think the RCMP will hold anybody responsible for this… so it only matters what happens now in the House.
I agree, Dustin. In the end, what he did was right. Inky Mark didn’t have a tape, and look how he was treated.
Coyne wrote in the Post on June 4: “Seeking to expose alleged corruption, even by improper means, is surely higher on the moral scale than corruption itself…”
We’d all better hope so.