Announcing an RCMP investigation into who is responsible for the leak of contents of the Gomery ADSCAM report to the media?
Justice John Gomery will report in less than two weeks that the Quebec sponsorship scheme was a narrowly held secret with broadly dangerous implications for government integrity.
After months of conflicting testimony, the Quebec Superior Court judge will load much of the blame for the mutant $250- million program on a group of loyalists clustered around former prime minister Jean Chr�tien.
But in the first of two reports, Gomery will also conclude that controls to protect taxpayers failed under political pressure, making it child’s play for rogue civil servants to direct contracts to Liberal-friendly advertising firms.
Gomery will lay bare what many Canadians suspect: An elite few routinely and for ruling party advantage abused a system that buckled and then failed.
Of course, the inquiry was set up to achieve precisely this result. By narrowly limiting Judge Gomery to testimony about transactions involved in the Sponsorship program – and only the Sponsorship program – Paul Martin has been able to protect himself from embarrassing disclosures of how the Public Works audit that uncovered ADSCAM was triggered by events involving the rigging of an unrelated contract by the Finance Department.
None of this clumsy obfuscation would be possible in a country with a diverse and independant media. (I’ll also suggest that none of it would be likely in a country where Senators and Governors General were elected, instead of plucked from the “journalistic” whorew ranks.)
For that reason, expect the leak to be breathlessly seized upon for its disclosures and not the more curious question about who did the leaking, and who stands to gain from it.
And as you listen to the chattering classes debate the findings, remember that we would have remained forever in the dark about Gagliano and Guite and envelopes stuffed with cash, had not Public Works employee Alan Cutler blown the whistle – on Paul Martin’s desire to place his own personal Liberal party leadership team on the public payroll.
The link to the Finance Department is correct but doesn’t work. Perhaps because the target is archived? It’s viewable in the March, 2005 archive at politicswatch.com — Guit� rats out Earnscliffe, whom Martin has awarded a reported $10 million in contracts, so far.
I nominate the following quote,
“None of this clumsy obfuscation would be possible in a country with a diverse and independant media. (I’ll also suggest that none of it would be likely in a country where Senators and Governors General were elected, instead of plucked from the “journalistic” whorew ranks.)” for wisdom of the year.
One of the best comments made anywhere by anyone!
Thanks John for the heads up. I believe it should work now.
Excellent observation.
I am stunned at how many other conservatives are cheering on these findings when the fallout will be a bunch of headlines that have the net effect of exonerating Martin and his “Team”.
As you allude to…I’m sure it was designed for this result.
Nice post!
The ceo’s of the c.b.c. , ctv, global/canwest and quebecor should be arrested and charged with treason for knowingly misleading the Canadian people. No country can grow and prosper without a free and honest media . I keep remembering the lyrics to “if I had a hammer”, only I wish it was something more lethal. I’m glad that I am old and in the final chapters of my life.
Remeber it was this testimony where Dingwall was “threatened” by the PMO to try to shut down W Kinsella.
That issue never went anywhere apparently. One wonders if that has been reversed in this Dingwall Mint expense affair. In other words, PMO pay the money or we’ll talk.
Perhaps someone else knows of some other resolution.
CBC is now (3pm MDT, 18 Oct 05) reporting that the Toronto Star story, supposedly based on a leaked copy of the report, is speculation. A spokeman for Gomery says there couldn’t possibly have been a leak as security is very tight around the report and its printing.
Either this is correct, and the Star is flying a trial balloon of its own; or there has been a leak to the Star and the Gomery people are putting out a pro forma denial; or the Libranos know there’s big trouble coming for Martin, and they are leaking spurious stories to soften the blow.
Whatever happens to be the case, the spinning on release of the interim Gomery report is going to be ferocious. The Tories are trying to keep continuing corruption front and centre so Martin cannot claim that it’s all been cleaned up with Gomery.
Sadly, even if this Tory strategy succeeds in the short term, there’re several months to go before Martin has to call his promised election. By that time Ontarians will have forgotten; the final report will be spun as “nothing new, move on”; and we will have a Liberal minority, or bare majority, once again. At that point Alberta and the other Western provinces, will have to do some hard thinking and reflection on what is best for them.
Mel Wilde seems content to live out what’s left of his life on the sidelines. I would suggest to Mr. Wilde that our generation created this cesspool that our country is now. We were the ones who mortgaged our children’s future by electing crooked politicans who promised they us cradle to the grave looking after. The only ‘looking after’they did was for themselves but that is still our responsibility. What a legacy to leave our children! I, for one, don’t intend to die without trying to better that legacy.
Don’t worry Old Squid. See Greg Weston in the Toronto Sun today. Fraser Institute has released a report on the last 14 years of AG reports, and there is enough there, when coupled with Gomery, to have even die-hard Librano business types up in arms. I’m quite sure the FI planned the release for this time knowing that it would be a nice prelude to the definitive exposure of corruption at the hands of the Liberals.
http://www.torontosun.com
OT. Received some spam from a Stephen MacKinnon, Liberal party, looking for a donation. Something is up.
Iron Lady,
The problem for the Fraser Institute is that the MSM damms them with the phrase “a conservative think tank”.
To most Canadians, that makes the FI a CONSERVATIVE ” PARTY ” THINK TANK and ,as such, gives their findings no credibility whatsoever to people who vote Liberal.
Sickening, isn’t it?
Is there currently any remaining doubt in anyone’s mind that the Liberal party is indeed corrupt?
How can there be?
Their demise can’t come soon enough.
mel wilde: No country can grow and prosper without a free and honest media .
The planet’s doomed!!!!!
Canadian Sentinel
Dream on. The media has done their job well. They have too many people scared stiff of the Christian Consertavies. Heard on Sat radio talk show. “I know the liberals are crooks but I’d rather vote for someone who will steal my money than someone that will steal my freedom.” How you gonna combat that?
I honestly feel sorry for you Canadians. I’m a retired U.S. Naval Officer. I always thought the parliamentary system of government was slightly superior to ours, ie., the majority party got to govern, and, on a vote of no confidence, parliament got dissolved, and elections gave the people a chance to ‘throw the bums out’.
Reading this and other Canadian blogs the past few months, after Captain’s Quarters got me hooked on your problems, has caused me to change my mind. You certainly need a written Constitution, and all your governmental officials in the Parliament need to be required to stand for election, on a regular basis.
How did your country get to be such a mess? I admired the Canadian Navy Officers I spent time with (on a U.S. Carrier), back in the late 60’s. They seemed to be very professional, sensible people, and I based my opinion of Canadians on my observations of them, and the ex-pat Canadians I met while stationed in California in the 70’s.
Maybe, you all need to demand a do-over, and get it right this time.
It’s the Librano$ redux. >>>>
PQ membership soon expected to reach 150,000, same level as 1995 referendum
MONTREAL (CP) – When the Parti Quebecois votes for a new leader next month, the number of party members is expected to reach the same level that was attained in 1995 when the sovereignty referendum was held. >>> cnews
Sovereign Quebec would need army, spy service, Bloc chief says
JIM BRONSKILL 2 hours, 38 minutes ago
OTTAWA (CP) – An independent Quebec would have its own military forces and spy service, says Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe, taking a firm stand on a traditionally wrenching issue for separatists.
“There’ll be an army, of course,” Duceppe said Tuesday in an interview with The Canadian Press. “We have to have those organizations, I would say.” The leader of the sovereignist Bloc indicated the notion of creating a distinct security apparatus in a newly independent Quebec was no longer as controversial as it has been in the past.
“I went around Quebec saying the same thing I just said to you, and I see no opposition at all,” Duceppe said. >>> Yahoo!! News via nealenews
I think the whole “leak” is about as valid as the letter Judy Sgro got from the ethics commissioner “exonerating” her, yet when the report came out (remember “shades of grey”?) she actually WASN’T exonerated.
Something smells in Ottawa, and it isn’t cheese for Volpe’s pizza.
To say that the system buckled and then failed over adscam, is not exactly correct: it has been doing just fine for over thirty years, and is continuing as we speak. (Don’t forget: the people who abused the rules, are the same ones who wrote them. Enacted them. & Enforce them)!
My humble attempt to suggest something of an answer.
Sir PineKnot, 8:19 pm
Your first paragraph suggests that you always thought that on a vote of non confidence, parliament got dissolved, and elections gave the people a chance to *throw the bums out*.
In your first few lines, you have zeroed in, knowingly or unknowingly, on the exact crux of where things snapped. The precise moment of where our system, as you correctly understand it, was allowed, by unaware or unknowing Canadians, to go completely off the tracks. Canadians were on holiday or at the beach then.
The moment you allude to, * vote of non-confidence and dissolution of parliament*
Came about when Ms Belinda Stronach, CPC member, crossed the floor of the house and became both a Liberal Party member and a Minister of Human Industrial Relations in the Liberal government without having been voted to that post by a Liberal majority or by the Canadian people.
This moment; the moment when the spirit and purpose of the Non-confidence vote was so clearly trampled upon by obvious vote buying, is when the Governor General of Canada, Ms. Clarkson was, [my term: criminally remiss], in her sworn duty to dissolve parliament and call an election.
Ms Stronach has a vested interest in dozens of scattered Magna auto parts manufacturing plants where there is a concerted effort to convert long time employees to part time status so the employer is free from pension, and employee benefit obligations. The ministry that Prime Minister, Paul Martin handed over to Ms Belinda Stronach is the very ministry that decides legislation on those employment conditions.
There was a second opportunity and obligation for Governor General Clarkson to dissolve the house. That was when the Grewall tapes were proven by experts to be authentic and admissible proof of influence pedaling and vote-buying.
Once again Ms. Clarkson failed to carry out her sworn duty and obligation to Canadians.
The most lucrative advertising account to Canada�s Main Stream Media is the Liberal Government. This is obviously part of the reason the Canadian public was not properly alerted to this miscarriage of justice.
Also, these matters took place during the summer holiday when weather was warm and most Canadians were at the beach and in no mood for the *dirty and tiresome*, business of politics.
Your views, Sir Pine Knot, where exactly correct, but like most Canadians, time did not allow you to follow events from moment to moment and so there were pivotal moments missed, making a logical asessment difficult.
This may shed some light on what went wrong. Discussion of working towards solutions from this point involve Whistle-Blower Protection law, Bill C-11, but will be saved for another time. 73s TG
What the CPC should be asking the liberals is what have they done since the purge of the Cretin forces to allay or cure the Liberals of their systemic pediliction to entitlements, graft, etc., etc.
From all I have been able to pick up it seems as though all their lastest efforts have been to make it harder for them to be caught again. Where is just one less political appointment to deliver them from temptation. Where is one ethical watchdog with big scary teeth. Where is Belinda ‘Bimbette’ Stronach. Wasn’t this the reason for her reasoned and honourable change of alleigence?
It is apparent that they have no way of fixing this ghost in the machine of the Party apparatus. Is the only cure years in the wilderness?
Oh yeah; the idea of Jean C. in the position of cornered rat, telling tales with all the malicious, vindictive spite that this small little man can muster is just too delightful.
Tony Whitely, that’s why so many people have turned to blogging since last spring. We know it’s up to regular folk now to get the truth out there.
Uh, Pineknot, Canada *has* a written constitution, and a charter of rights and freedoms.
In Canada, Cabinet ministers are comprised of elected officials, in the U.S. they are appointed. Our bureaucrats, like U.S. bureaucrats are not elected. The one difference, albeit a significant one, is that your senate is elected and ours is not. Also, and very significantly, for whatever reason, our system of party discipline has evolved into somthing incredibly fascist (and it wasn’t always this way, one only has to look at the difficulties John A., Laurier, Borden, et al had to see this). This means that if a party has a majority in the house of commons it can pass whatever laws, regulations, etc it likes. Since the PM appoints the senators he can then ensure that what was passed in the house is passed in the senate. Unlike Congress, where party discipline is more elastic and the president often has to make concessions to ensure that representatives of his own party vote in favour of legislation (which isn’t a guarantee), Canadian PMs (and other party leaders) enforce party discipline relentlessly. See the recent example of a socialist NDP MP denied nomination by her party in her riding because she voted against legislation the party supported.
In essence, then, what I’m saying is that the problems in the Canadian system stem from the evolved absolute power of the PM’s office, fascist party discipline, and the unelectability of our senate.
There is a silver lining to all this you know?
If this “leak” is validated by the actual report, the Chretienites will scream this proves the fix was in for Chretien from the start. Then Martin will be frantically defending the fairness of the inquiry.
If the leak turns out to be just hot air by the Star, they will be guilty of misleading the public and Martin will not come out of this skin intact as the TORSTAR speculates.
Either way the liberal civil war gets a shot of adrenlin.
And liberals fighting liberals means they have no time to fight an election.
Yes one more thing.
The following quote shows that the liberally minded TORSTAR is aiding and abetting the mantra liberal values are canadian values therefore liberal beliefs are canadian beliefs…
“Gomery will lay bare what many Canadians suspect: An elite few routinely and for ruling party advantage abused a system that buckled and then failed”
Which would be presumptious for them to assume that they know what Canadians think.
This canadian, contrary to the lib taling point, doesn’t frankly care that it was a few bureaucrats or the whole liberal caucus. This is a systematic problem, not a “rougue few” one off.
It went on with those in a position to stop it (i.e.:PM, PMO, PCO, senior ministers like the finance minister and deputy ministers) willfully turning a blind eye. That is systematic corruption, malfeasence, and a breech of the publics trust.
John Lang is correct. PMPM’s crowd wasn’t getting money from Sponsorship so he awarded Finance Department polling work to Earnscliffe of which David Herle was a partner, who is now running election spin for the Lie-beral’s. When Martin was Finance Minister his staff member, Terri O’Leary, was and still is living with David Herle. By the way , that polling work done by Herle was of absolutely no value to taxpayer’s. During this same period PMPM’s CSL received over $162 million in government grants, contracts and low or no interest loans. Now that’s a SCANDAL!!!!!!!! That should be AUDITED!!!!!!!
What worries me more is the Conservatives have no vision or goal for Canada EVEN if they win. A recent interview with Mr. Harper and all he said was they want to take the GST off tampons. Then the NDP got upset because they said it was their idea to begin with and the Conservatives stole it.
God help us.
The previous statement took as much thought as any inaminate object might have!!!
Gimbol, I fully agree with you. The Gomery exercise is designed to cut losses. In civil court the Chrienites and the Martinites along with several other complicit groups would me promply marched of to the crowbar motel and still all the crooks will not have been dealt with.
Bruce , two points dead on! $162 million of government business with CSL.. AUDITS please!
The fraud of polling in Canada. Polls in Canada are sway bars,…election tools. If people would only look back after elections, they would never respet a poll again.
Polls could be very useful and helpful, but until a certification body is established, a sort of UL of polls, thinking people should regard polls as they do horoscopes. Bullshit!
US Navy Brass Pine Knot – above 18th 8:19pm
Sent me a delightful Email, can’t show you here because I havn’t asked him, but he has a great story about enemy antenna wire picked up on his wng tip… great stuff. He allready had my long winded words so this was my short reply.
The best, The most interesting Email to arrive here in Courtenay this year.
Wish you could think of someone able and daring enough to stand up and read off a short list of Librano Party revenues thefts on the Jay Leno show.
That’s the only way I can think of that busy Canadians can be made to realize the massive magnitude of these on-going rip-offs. The total concept.
The MSM couches things in such a way as to give the impression scandals are limited and isolated.
If you find the time to look at things on http://BendGovt.blog.ca I suggest you be seated.
Thanks for a delightful story. Anthony Robinson [TG]
Who do you suggest who would be respected by Canadians and could snap the Canadian audience out of their trance long enough to realize the colossal size of the total Librano rip-off campaign? Maybe Arnold?
Can you think of any venue better than J Leno suited to reaching most Canadians?
Interesting…. how whe Justice minister goes after civil servants who inadvertantly create government transparentcy through leaks but he had to be prodded by threats to go after senior civil servants that steal, defraud and commit capital crimes.
Interesting…..how the scope of Gomery’s commission allows him only to focus on the tip of the iceberg and igore what he sees below water line.
Interesting…how no senior liberal minister will take responsibility for even knowledge of a fraud this big but will accept all the credit for initiating the very limited gomery inquest.
We live in interesting times….I just want to go back to the boring old days when we didn;t have to worry about a government stealing from us lying to us and actively running criminal enterprise.
As I have said before if there are no indictments of government officials ( active or ex-officio) I regard the federal level of politics to be too corrupt and criminal to be regarded as legitimate. Its enough for one to revoke one’s consent to be governed by such criminals.