Bourque has learned that embattled Finance Minister Ralph Goodale is being pressured to give up his Cabinet seat for an indeterminate period of time, this in light of devastating news first revealed to the nation here yesterday that the RCMP has launched a criminal investigation into leaks from his department regarding rulings relating to the growing income trust scandal. According to senior sources inside the Paul Martin Liberal Party who spoke on condition of anonymity, “the official party posture is that Ralph didn’t know anything and therefore shouldn’t have to resign, but the public perception is devastating, it’s killing us, and we need to move firmly to squelch the stink.” Incredibly, Prime Minister Paul Martin has refused to comment publicly on news of the RCMP criminal probe, though it is understood that he has had a few choice words with key staff about this file. ..
Meanwhile, Greg Staples has examined his own conduct and found no evidence of wrongdoing. (he also has the link to video of the Mansbridge interview, in case you live in Regina and missed it….)
Ralph is on local radio right now, repeating his assertions that he investigated himself to his own satisfaction. He sounds more than a little rattled. In addition to several ringing endorsements of his own integrity, he closed the interview adding that he was confident that the Liberals would return to government, with a higher number of seats in Saskatchewan.
And daffodils will poke their heads out of the snow any day now.
Flashback MK Braaten;
According to STOCKTRENDS.ca, the day before the Goodale income trust announcement, the trading volume of Medisys Income Trust was 226,500, with a value of $2,604,750, average trade was $37,750, and a total of 68 transactions. According to StockTrends.ca, this stock was listed as trading at �Unusual Volumes�. Click here for the report.
The volume of shares traded for Paul Martin linked Medisys Income Trust shares the day before the Income Trust announcement seems way to high to be a �co-incidence�. The volume increased 3400% from the prior day, and the following day, dropped back down about the same amount.
Its said that Paul Martins personal doctor started a medical company called Medisys Income Trust, a chain of private health care clinics located across Canada.
The day before the Goodale income trust announcement, the volume of Medisys shares traded for the day went from 5,714 on November 21, to 203,953 on Novemeber 22. On November 23, the shares traded dropped back down to 6,220.
“Honest Ralph” won’t quit, after all, isn’t he “entitled” to 3-4 weeks more ministerial pay and perks? He reminds one of a child, when told to go to bed says, “no, no, no, no, no, no, no!”
I was watching last night Steve Harper’s speeches in BC, (only carried on CPAC). To bad the media din’t show his releases in full on TV. He made one comment that has been edited out. Harper named Medisys, Paul Martin’s PRIVATE Doctor’s company. Man, I can not believe the balls that the media has not including this with his statement. The public has the right to know that there is a very close tie in this matter with the PM’s office. So, if it wasn’t a leak in the Finance department, the only other department is that is the likely source of a leak then would be from the PM’s office. This is just my thoughts on this mess! Also, CTV this morning mentioned that a senior in the Liberal’s party in BC and his blog site had another slip up referring to the picture of NDP leader Layton. Quote from Bourques site: “Boiled Dog’s Head Smile”
Steve Harper did an excellent job yesterday with his relases to bad it was not covered to the full extent. I thingk that there is another flat or two on the Liebral’s “wagon”. They are running on one wheel left, so sad, too bad!
Is it just me, or is there something creepy about a government embroiled in another major corruption scandal, openly boasting about taking even more seats.
Frankly I’m wondering if Martin can make it to election day before one of his inner circle tired of the daily floggings and ritual beheadings starts to sing about where the dead bodies are. Judging by the type of shinanigans they pulled to get Bucky in the big chair, how much would a individual like that have to be pushed and belittled to the point they lose any loyalty to the boss? I get the feeling that Bucky is about to suffer a defection in the ranks with no one but himself to blame.
Why do I feel this way you may ask?
Because when ever the excrement is flying around in all directions over the doings of the liberal government, Bucky is conveniently provided cover by some willing underling or ambitous staffer. At some point one of those underlings or ambitious sacrificial lambs is going to come looking for the reward for faithful service.
If at that time, Bucky doesn’t deliver or the repayment is considered more of an insult, the receptor will feel turnabout is fair play.
25 days and counting Paul.
It was reported that Goodale’s office met with investment dealers BEFORE the announcement…
The question that MUST be asked…
Of all the companies that made money on that day in November…
HOW MANY OF THOSE HAD CLOSE TIES TO THE LIBERAL PARTY?
Mervin Hollingsworth
( retired banker )
We better get the UN to come monitor our election – the Libranos may take to stuffing ballot boxes next.
taxpayer Why in the name of anything would you want the corrupt “Useless Nations” to monitor our election? That would gaurantee a lieberal win.
Paul “Hollow Man”* Martin ‘s temper tantrums: Also, known as “The Beatings” Martin.
Exhibit: “Prime Minister Paul Martin has refused to comment publicly on news of the RCMP criminal probe, though it is understood that he has had a few choice words with key staff about this file.” (Posted above)>>
Exhibit:
“During his years in Finance, Martin’s temper was legendary. His tirades were called “beatings” by members of his staff. On one occasion, an aide contradicted him by quoting the 1993 Liberal campaign platform, known as the Red Book. Martin responded by saying, “Screw the Red Book … Don’t tell me what’s in the Red Book. I wrote the goddamned thing. And I know that it’s a lot of crap.” >>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Martin
* H/T Andrew Coyne
NaNa na na na naaa Liberanos gooooodbye!!!!!
This may be hair-splitting, but i notice that CTV is now referring to the RCMP “criminal investigation” as a “probe”.
Doesnt sound nearly as bad does it?
Not living in Saskatchewan, I am curious as to whether Ralphie is expected to keep his seat or have his ass handed to him? Will the investigation hurt him locally? I have never understood the land of my father’s love of the nanny state, but they have seemed to have a pretty low tolerence for sleaze.
Consider if Harper were P.M. and a cabinet minister was under investigation, 1st a Conservative would have the integrity to step down pending the investigation but 2ndly Harper would demand it! Recall that the Liberal Finance Minister (Soberra)in Ont. was almost dragged out of office by the RCMP because of trades by his family company to Royal Technologies, with Dalton McGinty proclaiming his innocence. The slease of Liberals is disgusting
The fact that the Liberals are corrupt is a given. However I think that Harper has to choose his words carefully. His party has no-better of a history than the Liberals. Remember Mulroney. Harper himself has said that Mulroney would be part of any transition advisory team.
“His party has no-better of a history than the Liberals.”
Well Phillip, as far as I know that was a different party. But dream on, after all the Liebranos and their MSM pimps must have a few tricks left in their bag no doubt.
Harper also mentioned the Medisys connection at his newser today.
Nevertheless, I don’t think the issue is so much which securities were bought, but WHO was doing the buying. One of the news reports last night suggested that only 1/4 of securities firms were involved in the spike of trading before the announcement. If the buying were based on the speculation that had been circulating, then it should have been more firms buying.
I guess privacy laws would preclude following the IT surge/profits to the investors, and then whether or not these grateful people funnelled mega donations, likely in cash, to the LPC’s Ontario office. And hey, isn’t that run by Klander? Has the SCC legalized incest yet? No? Seems like that’s how government works.
In reference to the fact that the MSM are referring to the latest scandal (how many are there?) as a “probe” and that some coverage on CBC is being “blacked out”, send ’em an e-mail and tell ’em. What are they going to do? Cut off your cable service? Jeez? No Hockey Night in Canada. Things are looking up.
Pictoral view of Martin Goodale defensive
http://tinyurl.com/8eujs
He may go, but he’ll have to be crowbarred.
The U.S. investigative bodies have been alerted.
If the RCMP caught wind of a U.S. investigation into the matter the RCMP would have no choice but to announce an investigation of their own, hopefully before the U.S. announcement goes public.
If an international investigation is in the works, Goody would be advised to resign.
You know, a la fellow liberal criminal Moe Strong hiding out in Haiti.
Funny–on Global News this evening they stated that Goodale would be in the outback of Saskatchewan and not be available for comment for a while. Wonder if he really went to Barbados to check his bank account?
“I think that Harper has to choose his words carefully. His party has no-better of a history than the Liberals.”
Even granting that the Conservatives of today are the descendants of the PCs of yesterday, there is one problem with that analysis. Brian Mulroney would have made Goodale step down. He made all of his Ministers caught up in the appearance of possible impropriety step down. Including some who just used bad judgment. Some of them were brought back, yes, in the same way Andy Scott was, but no one stayed in the Mulroney Cabinet under a cloud of suspicion.
(Wait for it. This is when the knee-jerk Liberals jump in with the old canard “Except Mulroney”. Although I’m reasonably certain no one will go on record with his/her actual name with an accusation that Mulroney was personally corrupt. Mulroney has won every court case on that issue, to the chagrin and financial hardship of his accusers.)
In response to Mervin Hollingsworth’s post, for those interested in seeing a daily graph of Medysis Health Group Income Fund check out http://www.bigcharts.com and type in CA:MHGUN. Select a two month time interval for your graph and you can look at the daily volume of shares traded. Notice on the 14th and 16th of November there was also a relatively large amount of shares traded. I wonder who these investors are? Is the public allowed access to this information?
The Progressive Conservatives under Mulroney were just another middle of the road liberal party. They were sitting on the same fence albeit facing in opposite directions. The most obvious difference were the colours of thier ties. That’s why the Reform party became as popular as it did. It was an actual right-wing alternative that just didn’t exist at the time.
Don’t ever confuse the old PC party with the CPC.
There were 2 ways to make money on the Investment Trust caper. How many Invest Trusts were sold short prior to Goodale’s first annoucement regarding trusts and tax leakage? The second opportunity came when Goodale called off the investigation and changed the dividend rules. It would be interesting to know how far back the RCMP goes. You can bet that if there was “tipping” the same “smart Investors” would be involved. I doubt the RCMP or the OSC will lay a hand on the “Libranos”, Hear no evil, see no evil!
For those on the left coast, this won’t be on until later (and please forgive me for linking to a MSM source):
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051228/income_trust_investigation_051229/20051229?s_name=election2006
Click on the second video icon down on the right hand side.
Apparently, multiple executives on Bay Street received emails about the income trust announcement before the Goodale announcement.
THIS IS HUGE!!!!
I’m sorry to keep bitching about this, but I would really like to know which brokerage houses made these purchases for the shares of Medisys on the dates of Nov. 14, 16, and 21 as well as the names of these individual brokers and the owners or representatives of their client’s accounts. I feel that this information is vital for the public to truly understand (in a holistic sense) the nature of the Liberal party. If anybody has access to, or the ability to relinquish any relevant information, please inform us. We are citizens too!!!!