For several years, an exasperated Abbotsford businessman has been getting misdirected e- mails containing inside information about the Liberal government. Bill Sadar has seen details of planned political machinations, draft press releases, an e-mail containing racial epithets and references to sex acts. He’s even received such sensitive data as credit card numbers.
But the final straw, he said, was a recent e-mail outlining a scheme aimed at discrediting two of Conservative leader Stephen Harper’s star candidates.
The message was from Ruth Thorkelson, a long-time senior Paul Martin adviser who recently left as deputy chief of staff, and who says she is now helping MPs and candidates as a volunteer.
Her message, to Liberal MP Judi Longfield, outlined plans to leak to “a friendly media outlet” accusations that Tory candidates Jim Flaherty and John Baird are violating the Canada Elections Act.
[…]
Among the e-mails Sadar shared with The Sun:
– On May 10, Jean Collins, of the federal Western Economic Diversification Canada’s Saskatoon office, sent Sadar a news release on a pending announcement, along with a draft copy of possible media questions and answers. It was intended for Gerry Maffre, assistant deputy minister at Infrastructure Canada.
– In June, the Liberal party’s Quebec wing sent Sadar an invitation to a Quebec Young Liberals “mega happy hour” gathering at a bar. It also sent him an e-mail around the same time outlining Liberal party defence of ethics of party volunteers at the Gomery Inquiry into the sponsorship scandal.
– An e-mail from Liberal-connected Vancouver lobbyist John Paul Fraser urges political staffers from Industry Canada, Transport Canada, and Infrastructure Canada to help arrange a meeting with the Fraser River Port Authority and a handful of top bureaucrats. The subject was the port’s demand for funds for dredging in order to prevent flooding.
– Sadar provided the racist and lewd e-mail to The Sun on condition that no details were published that would identify the government employees involved. However, it referred to sexual boasts by government employees and a reference to the sexual predilections of a person from a certain ethnic group.
Very nice.
While others concentrate on the leak of a planned smear campaign by the “Entitlement Liberals” using Government of Canada assets, I have different question – just who is this “friendly media outlet” Ruth Thorkelson refers to?
More, thanks to “Shaken” in the comments. Hansard;
Mr. Bill Casey (Cumberland/Colchester, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Ruth Thorkelson worked in the Prime Minister’s Office for 10 straight years. She left only long enough to negotiate a $17 million grant from international trade to the Forest Products Association of Canada. Then a staffer in the office of the Minister of International Trade, Andre Albinati, followed that grant money to Earnscliffe which received $800,000 of the $17 million grant.
What is the point in having post-employment rules when the Prime Minister allows this abuse to go on?
[…]
When the Forest Products Association of Canada received the $17 million grant, it first gave $800,000 to Earnscliffe advertising, untendered. Then it gave approximately $8 million to the Burson-Marsteller agency. Now Burson-Marsteller is buying Earnscliffe.
Under the terms of the grant, they were required to produce four reports on how they spent the money. Will the minister make public the four required reports so we will know for sure that the grant money is not funding the purchase of Earnscliffe?
The “friendly media outlet” was probably the Globe and Mail or the Toronto Star.
Seriously, is there anything BUT “friendly” media outlets in Canada? Even The National Post prints op-eds from the likes of John Duffy and Scott Reid offering “advice” to Stephen Harper.
Kate:
I think any except the Sun chain qualify.
Well, it’s fairly obvious that my question is tongue in cheek. But it’s not often you catch a political operative acknowledging the fact, and it’s unheard of for media outlets to admit it.
Someone really does need to make more of that statement and demand to know who she was referring to.
And Kate, what of the fact that private Liberal Party business appears to have been conducted using the IT infrastructure of the Government of Canada?
Do the Liberals think they are entitled to everything in this country? That the assets of the Government of Canada belong to their party? They need to be sent out into the political wilderness just to be certain they understand that they serve us, not the other way around. They have forgotten that. We need to remind them.
Electronic Hansard is marvelous indeed. Here is an excerpt demonstrating the point:
What a splendid instrument of democracy is this web/Hansard combination!
this doesnt even get a mention in Pravda the left hand of the Liberal party. or is that Layton.
notice how the latest polls havent made CBC either.
Maybe this is pure coincidence? Is the Ruth mentioned previously the same one mentioned here?
Forgive me, this is the last comment post here from me today. It’s just that the Google cache regurgitated something else interesting while using the web in an attempt to answer the question you posed, Kate.
Maybe it means nothing at all, absolutely nothing, but since Brison has raised the whole topic of lobbying and so forth, maybe it’s worth rereading what was posted here. If the link does not function… here is an excerpt…
Beware the National Post, or more correctly, it’s owners.
Compiling a list of ‘Non-Librano-friendly’ media outlets would be a very short list.
I don’t even think the CBC, CTV or the Red Star would deny being a part of the Librano slander machine.
That documentary that was done on the final days of the last election pretty much showed that the MSM’s talking points originate in the PMO.
Jack-O-Layton is pulling the pin!!!
I found this comment in the original article telling:
“Thorkelson said she doesn’t share Sadar’s perception that her tactics are underhanded.
“I can’t really comment on what this guy thinks of it, but civilians have a different view of politics than we do.”
You can almost hear the sneering contempt coming through with the word “civilians”. Sort of a, “We’re the pros, we run this show, don’t ask unqualified rubes to comment on what we do,” attitude. More Librano arrogance (as if there’s any shortage of it).
Yea Jackie pulled the pin but the maximum wait is 1 year and determined by the PM. My guess is January. I think Stephen will give up his oposition day to Jackie on Nov 14 to bring down the govt. Harper would prefer the NDP actually doing the deed.
if Harper promises an Inquiry into Martin /Earnscliffe/ illegal activity/unregistered lobbyists/ their expense accounts a lot of Liberals would vote CPC.
At least all the Cretin cronies 🙂
Fred, what a deliciously insidiously evil idea…..I LIKE IT!!!
Harper puts forth a motion (thats not a confidence measure) and just before it gets voted on, the Bloc makes a point of order that because it could be construed as a measure of confidence the motinon should be made such.
Due to the lack of liberals and NDP in the house, the amendment is carried and the vote goes through as a motion of confidence.
“if Harper promises an Inquiry into Martin /Earnscliffe/ illegal activity/unregistered lobbyists/ their expense accounts a lot of Liberals would vote CPC.”
I agree. And Kinsella will be leading them or at least cheering them on from the sidelines.
If the CPC wins the next election and sets up this inquiry, as well as others, I predict the end of the Liberal Party in federal politics for many years. I can actually see a CPC government, perhaps even a majority, with an NDP-led opposition. Notice the NDP gains in the latest polls, for instance in BC. If that does happen, then perhaps Canadians will finally be given a clear choice on policies going forward.
Martin loan syndicate runs surveillance on Gomery
A detail overlooked by the mainline media in the Gomery Report: Raymond Garneau, special investor in the CAI Private Equity Group–the loan syndicate behind Paul Martin�s family takeover of Canada Steamship Lines (�CSL�)–who has been running surveillance on Mr. Justice John H. Gomery since June 22, 2005. (Canada Free Press)
http://www.primetimecrime.com/ >>> more
Librano$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Martin loan syndicate runs surveillance on Justice John Gomery
By David Hawkins & Judi McLeod
Monday, November 7, 2005
A detail overlooked by the mainline media in the Gomery Report: Raymond Garneau, special investor in the CAI Private Equity Group–the loan syndicate behind Paul Martin�s family takeover of Canada Steamship Lines (�CSL�)–who has been running surveillance on Mr. Justice John H. Gomery since June 22, 2005.
Another special investor in the loan syndicate is Paul Martin�s former co-owner of CSL, Laurence Pathy, who sponsored the $182 million loan used to finance Martin�s 100% takeover of CSL�s assets–and its liabilities–in 1990.
http://www.caifunds.com/investors.html
A history of the Paul Martin and CSL relationship with �off-book� lender-sponsors such as Garneau, appears to undermine the independence of Justice Gomery.
On June 22, 2005, Gomery announced that, “� an Advisory Committee of distinguished Canadians [would] provide guidance for Phase II .. to prevent mismanagement of sponsorship programs .. in the future.” “The Committee will be chaired by Raymond Garneau, [Special investor in CSL loan syndicate with Laurence Pathy, Chairman, CSL Equity Investments] .. as advisors to [Justice Gomery] but will also participate in the research program and consultations.” >>> more
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/cover110705h.htm
The Tories will immediately begin audits into UI/EI, Native Affairs, plus any and all other high price programmes that are open for abuse, not to mention those private foundations. That roar you’re hearing is the sound of shredders being revved up. So many lies, so much to shred.
Next we’ll be hearing from Mr. Sadar is that he’s being audited.
Shaken, Thanks for making my point of July/05 when I said the house of commons was for the advancement of Canada’s business and not for sorting out Liberal Party problems with Grewal’s authenticated recordings of Liberal vote buying and influence peddaling.
That’s what the Supreme court of Canada is well and properly equipped to do. TG
“Stephen Harper asks lawyer to look at Scott Brison comments on lobbying”, Nov. 7
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20051107/ca_pr_on_na/harper_brison
Opposition Leader Stephen Harper has asked his lawyer to look at comments by Public Works Minister Scott Brison.
A spokesman says Harper does not consider a letter Brison sent last week to be a full apology and is asking for legal advice on what to do next.
At issue is Brison’s response to Conservative party anti-corruption proposals in which he said Harper engaged in illegal lobbying as president of the National Citizens’ Coalition and that the coalition had been convicted under the Elections Act.
Brison later withdrew the accusations in an e-mail to coalition vice-president Gerry Nicholls and in a letter to Harper.
But Nicholls says Brison has offered a half-baked apology and he wants him to withdraw his accusations in the Commons.
He says the coalition is not a lobby group nor has it been convicted of any crime and he’ll consider a lawsuit unless Brison makes a full and public apology.”
Want to bet this is buried by the print and TV media in election speculation?
Libelerano has a certain operatic ring to it.
Mark
Ottawa
Rafe Mair, asked by Gomery for Input:
This is the last paragraph, and makes the point!
‘Scandal secondary’
“The sponsorship scandals and all your work, with respect, will just be matters to airbrush from the scene too, once enough time passes, if this commission doesn’t recognize that the scandal itself is secondary to the public cynicism it fuels and doesn’t see clearly that for all the sins committed, the greater sins may be the system itself and the passiveness of the national media.”
“You can have, Mr. Commissioner, the best access to information laws and procedures in the world, but if neither our elected members nor the national media have both the means and the motive to use that access vigorously and often, we might just as well not have it.”
“If we the people cannot have a constant bright light looking into the goings on of the government, there is no democracy. Since there’s little enough democracy in the system itself we are in grave danger of losing our country unless those we vote into power, and the free press, so essential to a free people, start doing their jobs properly.”
“That, sir, is how important your deliberations and recommendations are to all who love their country and want to revive it and keep it.”
Rafe Mair has a regular column on The Tyee on Mondays.
Rafe said he was regarded as a wild eyed ….
Many of us who express the unvarnished truth get a lot of that. ..eh Duke? TG
It’s typical, Mark. A Liberal smear against a Conservative gets flown like a flag, while the follow-up apology/retraction gets buried at sea without notice.
“Libel-erano” is a libel-o-matic slam-dunk.
Canadian journalism at its best:
“This country is turning into half a dozen cities and a whole lot of bush in between.”
A direct quote from the inimitable John Ibbitson of the Globe in an interview May 7 on CFRA, Ottawa.
The Ibbitson quote as audio is available at the end of this clip:
“Monday, November 07, 2005: The Polite Revolution – Part 2
http://www.cfra.com/interviews/index.asp
Must still be a few good people out there grubbing about in the bush. Urban, post-national, diverse, multicultural Ibbitson at his arrogant apex.
One wonders what they would think of his view in Gravenhurst, Ontario, where he was born.
And this from Jim Travers, “A depressing case of d�j� vu: Time hasn’t eased dilemmas for voters”, Toronto Star, Nov. 8:
“So the ballot question in those pivotal southern Ontario ridings again becomes: How scary is Harper? Is he too angry, doctrinaire and cold even to be trusted with a minority government controlled by parties to the Conservative left?”
Mark
Ottawa
I raised the exact same concern about the “friendly media outlet” on my own blog. I think this is something that should raise some serious concerns about the way our political press does business in ‘Canada the democracy’.
I also found it interesting that on the same day the Sun’s Maria McKlintock is pegged to jump ship over to Team Liberal Belinda.
Liberals keep winning elections. The media keeps bolting over to them. Something’s not right with this picture.