Old Habits Die Hard

The Libranos 9 Comments

119. (1) Every one who
(a) being the holder of a judicial office, or being a member of Parliament or of the legislature of a province, corruptly
(i) accepts or obtains,
(ii) agrees to accept, or
(iii) attempts to obtain,
any money, valuable consideration, office, place or employment for himself or another person in respect of anything done or omitted or to be done or omitted by him in his official capacity, or
(b) gives or offers, corruptly, to a person mentioned in paragraph (a) any money, valuable consideration, office, place or employment in respect of anything done or omitted or to be done or omitted by him in his official capacity for himself or another person …

….is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.

This is radioactive.

Looking For A Good Man

What He Said 5 Comments

A blogging sysadmin in the Edmonton area is looking for work.

In the meantime, if your company is looking for an experienced sysadmin with numerous technical certifications and excellent references, please drop me a line. I’m expert with Windows 2000/2003 administration, Active Directory, Exchange Server, and Windows Sharepoint Services. I also have a lot of experience with both Microsoft ISA Server and configuring PIX firewalls. I am banging the dents out of my old resume and will have it available shortly for anyone who expresses interest. Relocation is a possibility for the right position.

The Krever Play

The Libranos 7 Comments

Random Notes has an cautionary post up about the history of the Krever (tainted blood) Inquiry;

What is interesting about the Krever case is that after years of legal wrangling, which went all the way to the Supreme Court, Justice Krever’s right to assign blame was ultimately affirmed (see Mapleleafweb for a useful overview of the powers of public inquiries and a summary of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Krever case).
But what the Krever case also shows is that if misconduct is found, named parties are prone to engage in legal tactics to prevent or delay the release of an inquiry’s report. The timeline of the Krever Commission is quite revealing:

Krever’s report was finally brought down – after 4 years. With Chretien already challenging Gomery in the courts, and lawyers for those charged criminally arguing for a delay in their trials, might the Paul Martin Liberals be pulling the “Krever play” from the handbook?

Going Mainstream

Blogging 24 Comments

A NY Sun article on Pajamas Media. A heads up to readers – I’m looking seriously at signing up with Roger’s group and taking some ads. With the increase of traffic, the hosting fees are starting to creep up. I’ve never had a tip jar, because until now the monthly fees cost me less than a case of beer.
Thoughts? Which would you prefer?

  • Tip Jar (not particularly effective)
  • Advertising (and somewhat slower loading)
  • Pledge drives (ugh)

    • Where Have We Heard This Before?

    Political Animal 8 Comments

    The chatter in Question Period is starting to sound a bit like… well, you decide.

    Mr. Vic Toews (Provencher, CPC): Mr. Speaker, former Prime Minister Jean Chr�tien is going to court to shut down Justice Gomery’s commission in the same way the Liberals shut down the APEC and Somalia inquiries. The current Prime Minister claims that his government will defend Gomery, but it turns out Gomery wants his own lawyers because, as Gomery’s lawyer said, he cannot trust government lawyers to defend the commission.
    Why can Justice Gomery not trust the government’s lawyers to defend his commission?
    Hon. Scott Brison (Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has consistently supported the work of Justice Gomery. Our government has consistently supported the work of Justice Gomery. The only people I know who want Justice Gomery to fail and who want Canadians to make a rash decision based on unproven allegations and not on the truth of the Gomery report are the Conservative Party and the separatists who want this Parliament to fail because the Bloc wants Canada to fail.
    […]
    Mrs. Diane Ablonczy (Calgary–Nose Hill, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the government repeatedly promises to be open and transparent but behind closed doors it is a different ugly reality. The Prime Minister recently admitted that fellow Liberals pushed to hide the sponsorship scandal. He confessed that he had received “tons” of advice to “put it under the rug”. Who are the tons of people in the PMO and in the cabinet counselling deceit and cover-up?
    Hon. Scott Brison (Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand by a Prime Minister who is willing to do the right thing and put country before party, to put principle before partisan strategy and to put Canadians first in his support for Justice Gomery so Canadians have the truth.
    We are not as interested in partisan strategy over here. We are interested in getting to the truth for Canadians because Canadians deserve the truth.
    Mrs. Diane Ablonczy (Calgary–Nose Hill, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the inquiry came about because it was far too late for the Liberals to bury their misdeeds. The Auditor General had already sounded the alarm. The Prime Minister did the next best thing. He tied Gomery’s hands.
    The terms of reference prohibit Gomery from “expressing any conclusion or recommendation regarding the civil or criminal liability of any person or organization”.
    Why is the government hiding from Canadians the fact that Gomery is not allowed to say who the guilty parties are, as the Prime Minister promises?
    Hon. Scott Brison (Minister ofWorks and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the fact is there are criminal charges against some individuals, including Mr. Brault, their much flaunted friend over there. The fact is we have launched civil actions against 19 firms and agencies to recover $41 million from those individuals.
    Beyond that, there is a parallel process to the Gomery commission that is aimed at accomplishing two things: first, providing Canadians with an analysis of what happened in the fact finding part of his work; and, second, prescriptives to ensure it does not happen again.
    His mandate is clear and the mandate of all parliamentarians in the House is clear: to make this Parliament work…………..

    (Is Scott Brison really this lame, or have the Liberals simply decided to serve him up as cannon fodder?)

    Mr. Stockwell Day (Okanagan–Coquihalla, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Maurice Strong is the Prime Minister’s mentor, long-time intimate friend, long-time business associate at Power Corporation, and special adviser. Cordex Petroleum is now being investigated under the Iraq oil for food scandal for a $1 million injection from two agents of none other than the former dictator of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Mr. Strong has stepped aside while this investigation is going on.
    I would like to ask the Prime Minister, as Mr. Strong is his special adviser, has he ever discussed with him the possibility of any Canadian implications in the oil for food program?
    Hon. Pierre Pettigrew (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, there is an investigation that is being done on the whole oil for food program at the United Nations. I can say that Mr. Strong has absolutely denied these allegations. This country should be very proud of the role Mr. Maurice Strong has played over the years in his work in systematically making progress at the United Nations institutions. We should certainly respect Mr. Strong, who has absolutely denied these allegations and not resonate them across this country.
    Mr. Stockwell Day (Okanagan–Coquihalla, CPC): Mr. Speaker, just this weekend it has come out that Mr. Strong has failed to comply with the United Nations hiring guidelines. It has also come out that Paribas Bank, affiliated with Power Corporation, has made over 400 payments under the oil for food program to companies that are not on the United Nations approved list, including Canadian recipients.
    Will the Prime Minister, to clear Canada’s name and to fix Canada’s international reputation which is being hurt by the sponsorship scandal, ask for an investigation of any Canadian implication in the oil for food program?
    Hon. Pierre Pettigrew (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Mr. Strong has been absolutely clear. He has denied these allegations. We in this Parliament should respect an eminent Canadian who has worked very hard and very well at the United Nations.
    There, as in the sponsorship inquiry since the member raised it, we should take allegations for what they are, and that is, allegations which are not proven. Let the people at the United Nations do their investigation, as we are saying that Gomery should be doing his report on allegations here. Let us bring back some sense in this House.

    Well, that’s revealing. The UN investigation is coming apart at the seams, as it becomes more and more apparent that Paul Volcker has some conflict of interest disclosure issues of his own, and is now being openly charged with protecting the primary suspects than he is in uncovering the corruption – which makes it not so much different than what has gone on in Adscam. Of course, both investigations were set up by Canadian Liberals…

    Thanks, Monte!

    Political Animal 22 Comments

    I told you I was working on a future patronage appointment…
    Seriously, Monte Solberg is one of those politicians we should be encouraging, no matter our political leanings. He hasn’t played it “safe” in breaking into the blogosphere, and he’s a breath of fresh air in federal politics because of it.
    While not everyone is temperamentally suited to blogging, if more politicians spoke directly to their constituants in this medium, the level of cynicism that is threatening to undermine our democratic institutions might be alleviated just a little.
    (Don’t forget Laurie Hawn and Andrew Scheer, either!)

    Helprin Profile At Harvard Magazine

    What He Said 3 Comments

    A new profile of author and conservative opinion writer, Mark Helprin.
    If you have only time to read a single book this year, make it Soldier Of The Great War.

    [Alessandro and Nicolo have just been spotted by the convoy]
    “No matter what they say, don’t answer,” Allesandro told Nicolo under his breath, “and don’t move.”
    “Why? What for?” Nicolo protested.
    “To enrich their folklore.”
    One of the women began to wail. Soon it was a chorus. The truck that had left the line quickly returned, and the farmers drive away, crossing themselves.
    “In a thousand years,” Alessandro said, “this incident will be remembered. By then, of course, we will have become angels, devils, or a dragon that breathes fire — but we have given this rock a story that will be passed on.”
    “What good is that?”
    “It isn’t to our advantage, if that’s what you mean. However, it’s pleasurable to cast a line into the future, no matter how tenuously. You never know, the line may be unbroken all the way to the last judgment…. Nicolo, mischief is important….”

    My life’s motto.
    “Mischief is important.”
    (Other exerpts here.)

    Paragraph K

    Radioactive 16 Comments

    I picked up Peter Warren part way through his phone in show today, and at the end of Chuck Cadman’s interview, he mentioned “Paragraph K”(provided by a “Gordon Stamp from Edmonton”) and apparently Cadman himself is not aware of severe limitations of the Gomery terms of reference.
    Are there any Conservatives paying attention out there? You can disembowel the “wait for Gomery” talking point with those two words – “Paragraph K”.

    Hey, Chief!

    Moonbats 5 Comments

    I love Raskolnikov;

    […] In that broadcast, White Bird made the statement that he faces racism everyday, in fact, on his way in, a security guard called him “Chief” and told him he could walk by the security check.
    Then he fell silent, allowing this to settle in.
    See, calling an Indian “chief” is stereotyping and racist.
    Even when the person being called it is the “Grand Chief” of the Manitoba Assembly of First Nations.

    Psychological Disarmament

    Roadkill 5 Comments

    Two AK47s, two empty magazines and one used mortar shell.

    Despite their massively superior firepower, the UN team deem it too dangerous to chase the militiamen into the bushes.
    “Militants know the area, so you don’t see where they’re running to. If they sent us to run after them, soldiers would die,” says Rifleman Meshack Mathye, the reality of his admission in stark contrast to the “Aggressive and Fearless” T-shirt he sports to match his blue UN peacekeeper’s helmet.
    The failure of the UN troops to live up to the slogan is most painfully evident in the quantity of weapons that the confiscation programme has gleaned in this lawless corner of the Congo.
    After two raids involving more than 1,000 troops, supported by helicopter gunships and tanks, the sum total of the haul is two out-of- commission AK47s, two empty magazines and one used mortar shell.
    […]
    As long as they can keep their weapons, the murder, gang rape and pillaging will continue and the credibility of the UN peacekeeping forces is likely to remain in doubt. Most of the rogue militiamen are loyal to the UPC, or Patriotic Congolese Union, and FNI, or Nationalist and Integrationalist Force, who both defied a UN-backed order to give up all weapons by April 1.
    The FNI is believed to be responsible for the murder, beheading and mutilation of nine Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers in an ambush earlier this year, while the UPC has been accused of carrying out similar atrocities against children.
    When the mission to disarm them began last month, it was in the rare expectation that the “get tough” rhetoric might be matched with words.
    […]
    The reality is rather different. As the multi-national force approaches the target zone, the militia fighters simply run away with as much weaponry as they can carry. After a brief search of the camp, there is little for the UN team to do except get back in their helicopters and fly back to their base.
    “We just searched the camp for weapons, saw the militia men on the mountain and didn’t go after them,” says one glum private. “Most of the weapons they leave are useless or broken.”
    His commanders, meanwhile, shift the talk from “forcible” disarmament to “psychological” disarmament.
    Major Arefin, from Bangladesh, said: “Even though we don’t catch them directly, I think these operations are convincing people to disarm voluntarily. We’re forcing them to disarm psychologically by scaring them.”

    Canadian Shame Museum

    Military 51 Comments

    I think I’m going to be sick.

    One of the first images to confront visitors when they enter the new Canadian War Museum is not about war but about shame.
    The painting of a dazed Kyle Brown, the only Canadian soldier imprisoned in the 1993 fatal torturing of Somali teenager Shidane Arone, is set on the portrait wall between a drowning sailor, a laughing war bride, a decorated war hero and a soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder.
    Its prominence is a clue that this is a museum with a difference, one that doesn’t shy away from the painful, the shocking, the controversial. One that tells stories of ordinary people and turns heroism on its head.

    No, the only legitimate history today is the Revisionist, Morally Relative History.
    These people are pigs. Absolute pigs. I don’t think I’ve ever been as ashamed of my country as I am today.
    Via Neale

    Chuck Guite Testimony Ban

    The Libranos 23 Comments

    With the white noise of Liberal Party money dumps across the nation, not as much attention is being paid to the Chuck Guite testimony at the Gomery inquiry. However, what little news is trickling out hints that Guite’s testimony is as explosive as that of Jean Brault.
    So, watch for the Liberal mantra to “wait for Gomery” to intensify. This is crucial to their game plan.
    If the Liberals can survive long enough for public rage to subside, and extend his government’s life the full length of Gomery’s mandate, he’ll be in the clear – for Paul Martin is fully aware of the fact that Judge Gomery is prohibited from assigning blame under his terms of reference.
    paragraph K;

    The Commissioner be directed to perform his duties without expressing any conclusion or recommendation regarding the civil or criminal liability of any person or organization and to ensure that the conduct of the inquiry does not jeopardize any ongoing criminal investigation or criminal proceedings;

    So, with the report effectively pre-sterilized and a national media overwhelmingly in his corner, Paul Martin is virtually assured of a report he can “take to the bank” when it comes to denying civil or criminal wrongdoing on the part of the Liberal party.
    Jean Brault, Paul Coffin, Chuck Guite – it won’t matter what they testify to, or if they implicate the highest elected officials in the land – Gomery cannot lay blame. Neat, eh?

    Blogging Tory Challenge

    Political Animal 40 Comments

    May 1 Update: Challenge is now over – thankyou to everyone who pledged. Final total for SDA was $1729.00 !
    The Blogging Tories have undertaken a challenge to raise $10,000 for the Conservative Party by the end of the month.
    1. Click on over to the Conservative Party donation page
    2. Donate as much as you like
    3. Report back here the amount that you donated in this post’s comments section. (comments can remain anonymous)
    4. Vote Conservative in the next election!
    With 80 or so members, it shouldn’t take long.
    Keep this up, and I’ll have a future patronage appointment sewn up!

    Keeping The Scandal In Perspective

    The Libranos 12 Comments

    Just a reminder of where Gomery fits in the grand scheme of things…
    bar.gif
    And that doesn’t include Indian Affairs or the Crowns.
    On the topic of Crown Corporations, and converging with a Montreal Gazette article on Gagliano and Canada Lands featured by Andrew Coyne today, a couple of background items landed in my inbox this morning;

    Every two weeks between 1996 and 1998, a well-heeled Montreal businessman would breeze into the downtown offices of Canada Lands, the federal Crown corporation that sells surplus government land.

    Plus, this press release from 2002;

    The former Quebec headquarters for the Canadian Army, located at 3530 Atwater Avenue in Montreal was appraised in 1995 at $9 million, but later sold in 1999 for $4 million!� At the time of the transaction in 1999, when the land was actually sold, the market value was conservatively estimated to be worth $12 million.�

    Keep that in mind when you hear “wait for Gomery”. Concerns that Gomery will whitewash what happened are misplaced.
    Gomery is the whitewash.

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