May 31 - Nice, pointed Question Period in Parliament yesterday with especial note to the Spin Team the taxpayers provide for the Martin Libranos, courtesy of this post at Newsbeat1.

(Question: does anyone else have trouble loading the Parliament webpages? I'm not sure how I'd feel if it was just me ...)

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May 31 - This is all speculation just yet and, despite what we may want to believe, it is probably best to wait until the tapes are fully translated and made available to the public,. Nevertheless, this is intriguing: but according to CTV,

CTV News' Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reports that the Prime Minister knew of the negotiations.

According to Fife, the full four hours of transcripts of Grewal's taped conversations with a top Martin aide and Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh show:

- Martin was ready to talk to Grewal about defecting like he did with Belinda Stronach
- Grewal was offered a government position two weeks after the vote

The transcripts could be released Tuesday. Conservative House Leader Jay Hill has said the party will be turning the tapes over to the RCMP soon.

The federal ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro is also expected to announce Tuesday whether he will conduct an investigation into the alleged Liberal deal-making.

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May 31 - Editorial in yesterday's Toronto Sun on MP Gurmant Grewel's allegations that the Liberals tried to induce him to abstain on the budget vote - Liberals protest too much - brings up the impropriety of their leaking to the media that Immigration Minister Joe Volpe had asked the RCMP to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by Grewal:

Grewal has denied this allegation and what's more, it was sleazy of the Liberals to smear him this way. This wasn't a case of revealing that Grewal had been charged with anything, merely that the government had requested the Mounties look into it.

Indeed, this incident has become yet another subject of controversy in this affair, with Grewal denying Liberal claims that he wanted the investigation dropped in return for abstaining on the non-confidence vote.

The tapes reveal Grewal and Murphy discussing Volpe's actions, although the Liberals insist this was only about the possibility of having Volpe say something positive about Grewal, to lessen the sting of the immigration controversy for him.

Even if that's true, if the Grits really believed Grewal had committed immigration improprieties, why did they talk to him at all in the first place? Why didn't they just say "no"?

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May 30 - Are you tired of people saying "they all do it" whenever you talk about corruption in government? Kate has a good reply and exposes the fallacy of that particular argument in They Are Not The Same:

... The argument that "all polititians are the same" is not only a falsehood - it is a falsehood with a hidden intent. Manufactured in an attempt to pull all those in the public service down to a lowest common denominator, it sustains the apologist's rationale to endorse "The Devil You Know". That particular devil just happens to be the soil in which corrupt governments take root.

Buying into the canard is not a product of cynicism, but an admission that one's own moral compass should be sent in for a rebuild. If we truly believes that "all politiicans are the same", then we must also concede that all citizens are "the same", held to no particular standard of honesty or integrity, and that with such low expectations of government, undeserving of better.

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May 29 - Ben Macintyre writes tongue in cheek for the London Times on the Canadian-American and French-British rivalries in Everybody needs bad neighbours:

In our thoroughly globalised world, the US and Canada, France and Britain, cling anachronistically to their singular, ancient rivalries. Australia and New Zealand look further afield than each other for economic comparisons; Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan do not expend energy anxiously surveying their respective sex lives. But the English Channel and the US border with Canada remain the distorting, two-way mirrors through which these neighbours perceive themselves.

Americans and Canadians will, at the drop of a hat, bring up the War of 1812 and work backward to 1776 to present our list of grievances, but that list seems downright contemporary compared to two countries who can begin theirs in 1066.

Macintyre is looking at a bigger picture set in European terms and his conclusions are interesting but he doesn't address (or perhaps even know about) the impact of Adscam on Canadian thinking and sensibilities.

The family nature of U.S. and Canadian relations is one that we tend to rush past and it has been made easier by the wholesale re-write of history which de-emphasizes British rule and influence up here in order to side-step the end of French rule at the Plains of Abraham (Canada's Culloden, if you will) which brought a reluctant step-brother into the family.

The current scandel proves the point that we can re-write history but we can't undo it. Adscam is directly related to (if only because it formed the pretext for) anglo- and franco-Canadian relations, and many of us are re-examining our former attitudes to the cause of Quebec sovereignty and recognizing that the exposure of how basely that issue was manipulated by the Liberal Party in their pursuit of one-party rule justifies Quebec outrage and, further, may have irreparably damaged prospects for a truly united Canada.

The divide-and-conquer strategy of the Libranos is being exposed, and some are beginning to realize that the implications go far beyond Quebec and permeate the very weave of today's Canada.

Every time Bombardier is granted a contract there are grumblings in Ontario, but which profit most when the contracts are awarded to Quebec: Quebeckers or those who own Bombardier? It's past time to get deeply suspicious of the quasi-Socialist pretentions of the Libranos and look closer at who gains from these contracts. If it is done in the name of national, or family, unity, then why are the kids bickering?

Once the Libranos decided that they were the natural governing party of Canada and set about to do whatever they could to assert their rule they forgot the danger that the kids might get together and compare notes. Some are noticing that one family analogy which may fit is that of a parent who purposefully incites quarrels between the adult children in order keep them bitterly divided and, in the case of a wealthy family with sizeable assets, ensures they will continue to pander to the parent in order to get what they perceive to be their rightful shares.

But Quebec and the West have had enough and, within their own families, are seriously thinking of getting out of the family business and setting up their own. Ontario is the "good eldest child" -- compliant and obediently determined to uphold the patriarch's dominance (although it privately feels that it should get more for its loyalty than the parent is alloting) and is so invested in the family business that it tends to dismiss the mutterings of those who wonder if the price of unity is worth the cost of their dignity.

Like many parents, the Libranos shrug aside the signs of rebellion, thinking that "kids will be kids," and forgetting that the blind love of children for the parent is replaced by a more critical view once the kids grow up. Should the judgement be that the parental unit makes decisions more for its own benefit than that of the family as a whole then the justification for maintaining family unity is lost.

They played a good hand when they projected Paul Martin in the role of the sympathetic "other" parent and, by seeming to overthrew Chretien's iron rule, he gained some traction by apologizing to the kids for taking them and their contributions for granted and promising to address their concerns and to treat them with more respect, fix the democratic deficit, and distribute more of the profits from the family business.

But then the family quarrel was aired in the Commons, and the Libranos retained power by marrying both the NDP and Belinda Stronach and pre-emptively gave a larger share of the profits to the kids. Martin thus, to all appearances, retained control as this placated some of them, but there is a limit to how often that strategy can be successfully employed.

He will likely take the opportunity at the next family gathering (which would be the next election) to praise the children profusely and humbly, and this will work only to the extent that the kids are denied a thorough understanding of the business accounts for the family in part because foundations which receive federal money are not accountable for how they spend that money.

There is another who wishes to be made head of the family, and some of the siblings use their distrust or dislike of Harper as a pretext for their continued support for the Libranos, but I am genuinely perplexed that, by inference, Joe Clark is somehow be seen as more likeable and charismatic than Harper.

[In contrast, President Bush has many qualities I admire but even I wouldn't call him charismatic. My support for him stems from support for his policies, so his personal appeal is not even a factor. The same can be said for Australian PM Howard.]

I also fail to see how anyone can pretend that Paul Martin has personal appeal, and I am stunned that people still worry about the "hidden agenda" of the Conservative Party when, should the allegations at the Gomery Inquiry be proven, it would seem that it is the Libranos who had the hidden agenda and it was to enrich themselves and their friends at public expense rather than anything that resembled governance.

Oddly enough, it may be the experience of living under Liberal despotism that causes fears about the Conservatives; people may believe that the CPC is as capable of forcing unpopular legislation through Parliament as the Liberals.

I hope the Conservatives use the next period to craft and state their policies. Their failure to do so is probably due more to being a new party and needing to have those kind of discussions among their members but Eastern voters are not likely to buy another pig in a poke.

Canadians are facing a dilemma of another sort though when the media projects the value of personal appeal over policies. Is it possible to maintain illusions once the blinkers are off? The polls seem to say yes, and that is the challenge for both the Libranos and the opposition parties - everywhere except Quebec, that is. They, at least, had the grace to feel insulted by the bribery, and rightly wonder how much the rest of the family truly values them when the others don't share in that outrage.

And that's the real pity.

(Links via Neale News.)

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May 29 - Emergency at work - I was called in this evening* and just got home.

Maz2 and Tony kept the ball rolling these last few days (thanks!) and Andrew Coyne has a post has with a great title: It's a vast right-wing punditocracy! (of course it is) The post has some interesting links on the allegations that members of the Conservative Party were offered inducements to abstain or be absent for the Real and Official Non-Confidence Vote last week.

I particularly like the first one from the Vancouver Sun (link no good unless you have a subscription) in which Arthur Schafer, director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics, scores a grand-slam by making what to my mind is the critical point about using patronage appointments as a form of bribery:

"In my view, the latter is every bit as serious as the former. Perhaps more serious, since the harm to Canada may last longer and be more serious than the 'mere' loss of public money."

Mark the calandar on this: we learned that Man of Culture Jacques Corriveau is into making Noble Gestures which is why he put 4 volunteers for the Liberal Party on his payroll even though they did no work for him:

Corriveau said he hired Serge Gosselin at his firm Pluridesign in 1999 and paid him $55,000 -- half of that for Liberal-related work.

Pluridesign's financial statements show Corriveau put three other Liberal staffers on his payroll after the 1997 election, paying them $86,509 from 1998 to 2000.

He said he made the backdoor donations to the Grits at the request of ex-Quebec party head Michel Beliveau, adding he felt obliged to after billing $1 million for printing election signs.

I am so very happy that the medical condition which had prevented him from recollecting certain things has improved and am hopeful he will be able to remember even more things.

*Make that yesterday evening, i.e, Saturday evening.

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May 27 - Darcey has some updates on the Poundmaker protest: a press release from the Poundmaker Working Group and organizing a grocery run.

Ian Lance is making that grocery run Saturday (tomorrow) and is collecting funds through his Pay-Pal account.

Look, we've complained on this site (as well as others) as to how the outrage over corruption in Ottawa has been largely limited to sighs and laments, but members of the Poundmaker Working Group are not content to wring their hands and wish somebody (else) would do something about corruption in their own community -- they have engaged in an act of civil disobedience because, having already reached their tipping point, they have taken the initiative to push their point home.

Ian has issued a compelling call to support this action in Fighting Corruption Our Way. Is their struggle really that separate from what we've been so angry about? I don't think so.

May 29 - 2:36: Lance reports and writes of something fundamental that he found at the protest and in the Poundmaker Working Group. Great post.

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1 Thanks, Debbye! Just one correction - it's actually Lance, who lives much closer than I do to Poundmaker, that is doing the actual grocery run So far, we've collected about $500.00 or so. Which seems like a lot, but groceries for at least 30 people.. that will last for only a couple of days.

Posted by: Ian Scott at May 27, 2005 06:05 PM (KiTgm)

2 I support your adventure and wish you al well but am on Vancouver Island so out of reach. Anyway only one comment here and I know that's not allowed so food for thought... Do you really think Auditor General Fraser is a hero? With cautious respect. Is the Auditor General office and staff functioning properly? How come it took over ten years to get these blatant excesses looked at? And on that huge budget too. I don’t see how the Auditor General could have contained knowledge of this sprawling mess. This is just a measure of Liberal repentance and timely damage control. Lets get something constructive done, we have to demand Whistle Blower Protection law with real TEETH. Not wishy-washy ‘should dos’ as Fraser suggests. Allan Cutler blew the whistle on Guite over ten years ago. That should have saved us millions. Instead, Cutler was sacked. What knuckle dragging stupidity. Martin promised to enact independent Ministry and department Account & Audit. He's an expert on how to stop pilfering. Trouble is he has to be forced to keep any promise he makes. He made that promise during his CBCTV Grovel speech. It will cut off the Liberal’s mad money somewhat, but any sacrifice is ok to hold onto power. Yet, I suggest Martin will hope we apathetics forget the promise he made about account and audit. Let’s get hard law enacted now! Then, no matter who is in power, our National Revenues will remain fairly secure. 73s TonyGuitar at bendgovernment.blogspot.com This whole farce has gone on long enough, don’t you think. When are real Canadians going to organize and do something concrete about this mess?

Posted by: TonyGuitar at May 28, 2005 05:02 PM (rmMzv)

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May 25 - PMO staffer says sponsorship firm paid him $25,000 for Liberal work:

An aide in Prime Minister Paul Martin's office told the sponsorship inquiry Wednesday he was paid $28,000 under the table to work for the Liberals in the late 1990s.

Gaetano Manganiello, who is on a paid leave of absence from his job as a media officer in the PMO, said he worked off the books as a party logistics specialist in 1998 and 1999. He said the then-boss of the party's Quebec wing, Benoit Corbeil, approached him at the Montreal headquarters and said the party was in dire financial straights.

Corbeil said the party could no longer afford his salary but explained the Pluri Design graphic firm, owned by Jean Chretien's friend Jacques Corriveau, could step in to pay him, Manganiello testified.

"I was informed by Mr. Corbeil that Pluri Design would pay my salary but I would continue working at the Liberal party," Manganiello told the inquiry, saying he was on the firm's payroll for nine months.

"He (Corbeil) didn't tell me why, but in all fairness, I didn't ask why either."

(Via Neale News.)

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May 25 - Master Meriadoc could lecture us well on the virtues of being unnoticed ... at least for a short period of time.

Was Canada Just Too Good to Be True?.

Actually, it's a pretty good article but either he doesn't know about or chooses to ignore some troubling questions about the procrastination of the Liberal Party in allowing the non-confidence vote or the thoughts in the minds of some Westeners and Quebeckers.

Or maybe he just hadn't read the opening paragraphs of this.

Or, more significantly, this Lorrie Goldstein column that takes a pretty close look at the Grewal-Murphy tape and Insta!Stronach Cabinet post.

May 29 - Today's editorial in the Toronto Sun, Can't we take a little criticism? says that Canadians should be thanking Krauss; it seems that Clifford Krauss has been slammed for his article in the NY Times for puncturing some of Canada's illusions about itself.

We hope Clifford Krauss is reading this, because after the week he's had, he deserves a thank-you.

The New York Times' Canadian correspondent filed a stinging dispatch from Toronto last week that predictably riled many Canucks -- because, we submit, it was true.

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1 An excellent article, especially this quote; "Of course, quite a few nations have an embellished sense of righteousness, not least among them, many would say, Canada's southern neighbor."

Posted by: Flanstein at May 25, 2005 04:17 PM (XYwW8)

2 For an alternative view, there's the latest eruption from Mt. Simpson. Seems there's this rogue opposition MP running around trapping innocent chiefs of staff into exquisitely prudent abstractions. For four hours. Or, equally plausible to an outsider, that he was indeed sniffing around, visiting cabinet ministers, opening up lines of communication for a switch, hoping to secure something then or later for himself and/or his wife. http://www.andrewcoyne.com *********************************************** His latest column is up; link provided; an excellent political essay. Compare it to Mr. Simpson (G&M spavined-hackneyed nag; his best cliche is "thin gruel". He has not written an original thought since his last thank-you card to Santy Claus 68 years ago). Support Andre Coyne vs. the Liberals who want us to forget the tapes of four hours long. Bloggers, please keep it up top. AC Coyne is a worthy. Bravo.

Posted by: maz2 at May 25, 2005 06:37 PM (2+PY/)

3 Flanstein, Krauss was writing in American, not Canadian, and there is a difference. There is no U.S. parallel to the gossipy nature of the Canadian media about American national issues because we such to be inpolite and properly falls under the "none of our business" category. Ask yourself: how often do mainstream U.S. publications criticize or air the dirty laundry of other countries? Krauss's article contains absolutely no international affairs content; that's a clue. I too noticed that Krauss inserted some "even-handed treatment" in his article but again, you'd have to read it in American to pick up on what was not said and thus implicitly communicated. As I said: better when Canada was unnoticed (but that too should be read in American.) Maz2, fear not! Read the Goldstein article and go "hmmm."

Posted by: Debbye at May 25, 2005 08:51 PM (ynrmu)

4 Hmmm. BTW, if you were wondering why Murphy isn't going after CTV or the Globe and Mail, the following may be of interest: Step 1: Google: "ivan fecan" ctv globe Step 2: Google: "ivan fecan" "paul martin" Step 3: Pour very large darnk. Just a thought

Posted by: Tony at May 25, 2005 09:51 PM (tjFjH)

5 I caught this one two - Back last November after the election the NYT was praising Canada. Now this. The stabbing buggers!

Posted by: Darcey at May 26, 2005 12:52 AM (lcgli)

6 "There is no U.S. parallel to the gossipy nature of the Canadian media about American national issues because we such to be inpolite and properly falls under the "none of our business" category." Ahem, most American media don't comment on foreign affairs because they don't believe that anything that happens outside their country is important (unless America is involved in which case it becomes VERY important)- not because they are polite.

Posted by: Flanstein at May 26, 2005 08:16 AM (XYwW8)

7 Once again more ammunition that "ought" to be used by the RCMP in investigating the levels of corruption and to what levels the Liberals will go to hold onto their power. The question that remains to be answered is, will the RCMP actually investigate? Who has the authority to order/ask the RCMP to investigate these charges? Will that person/persons please step forward and demand an investigation? I really don't care what the outcome of the investigation is (VBEG), lets get the thing started!

Posted by: crabby mr bill at May 26, 2005 11:42 AM (rp6r3)

8 "Who has the authority to order/ask the RCMP to investigate these charges?" Don;t forget "Who has the ability to order the RCMP to forget the afore-mentioned investigation or cover up the results?

Posted by: Jay at May 26, 2005 01:06 PM (PuNh2)

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May 25 - I've had some things on my mind today, like the dissolution of Confederation and moronic pilots, so I needed a really good laugh.

Ask, and it shall be given: Parrish ponders return to Liberal party:

Independent MP Carolyn Parrish says Prime Minister Paul Martin has left the door open for her to return to the Liberal fold.

The Toronto Star reports that the suggestion came from the prime minister himself last Thursday, after she voted in favour of passing the government's budget in a crucial confidence vote.

"He gave me a big hug and a kiss," Parrish told the Star.

She says a colleague asked if it wasn't time for Parrish to return to caucus, and Martin said: "Whenever, you're ready," according to Parrish.

(Via Neale News.)

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May 24 - 11:29: The spirit of Tom Paine is alive and well in Canada. Walsingham has written forcefully and eloquently that The Tipping Point has been reached in Canada and concluded that the only option remaining is to dissolve this confederation.

Will a “spirit of ‘05” now arise here? I believe it is already stirring. The Liberals, with much of Ontario in dumb connivance, have sown the seeds. They do not understand what they have set irretrievably in motion. It is far beyond their sphere of recognition to see that far from saving Canada, they have destroyed it. A Canada worth preserving might just have been revived had this government fallen. But the very factors and forces that prevented that fall have now pointed the future in a very different direction. And I say: so be it. The chasm has been crossed. The tipping point has been reached.

"The Tipping Point" may well take its rightful place beside the pamphlet "Common Sense" and ought to be spread from browser to browser by all who believe in liberty.

(Via Keith, who adds some thoughts in his post.)

May 25 - 7:55 - Despite the bravado in my posted words above, I still feel as though I am in mourning. I felt this way once before: on Sept. 11 (it's an American-sourced feeling.) The logic of Walsingham's post is inescapable, though, and I am somewhat comforted by these words from Occam's Carbuncle if only because he too sees the abyss:

There comes a time, however, when you realize that the apparent complexities of life, while important to our understanding of events, are not what should ultimately speak to us, are not matters upon which to base our fundamental ideas about right and wrong, about what is good or ill for ourselves and our society. The simplest of notions, ones like liberty, democracy, pride, dignity, loyalty, are the ones that must shape our actions. It is precisely these simple ideas that increasingly become meaningless as this party and that interest work to obscure them to their own profit. Are we utterly lost, as Walsingham suggests? Is this the time when Canada, like a reluctant phoenix, immolates itself, and we are left to await whatever incarnation may rise from the ashes? I can't bring myself to say yes. I've urged others to say no. I want to say no. I can't say that either. If you think this is all rather silly and overwrought, then I am sorry for you. Things matter, or they do not.

Oh Canada, how much I grieve for thee.

I'm bumping this post up. Walsingham must be read (and Maz2's comment.) I'm even adding a quote of my own:

These are the times that try men's souls. (It's a quote and I refuse to de-gender it.)

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May 24 - The Kroll Report (from the Adscam auditors) can be viewed here.

May 25 - 06:50 - There's a discussion about the future of the Maritime provinces should confederation collapse in the comments well worth reading. Feel free to join in.

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May 24 - Angry in the Great White North has a breakdown of some of the numbers that came out of today's session of the Gomery Inquiry and has a Sample of how the government manages our money:

Out of a total of $46.32 million:
$460,000, or 1%, went to sponsorship
$8.34 million, or 18%, went to actual work done
$26 million, or 56%, went to "unrelated or unknown parties"
$11.52 million, or 25%, was unspent or the invoices were not found

"Not found." Went to "unrelated or unknown parties."

I have no words.

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May 24 - From Darcey of Dust My Broom with an update on the the protest by the Poundmaker Working Group who are remaining in the offices of Chief Ted Antoine and the Council until new elections are called. Also he's got more background here and a request for support here which asks for letters of support, supplies and phone cards.

If you're not aware of what has been happening, you can read all Darcey's posts on the Poundmaker protest by going here and scrolling down.

Maybe you think it's none of our business? Publius puts it well: "Functioning along roughly the same mental lines that allowed generations of wife beaters to remain protected under the guise "family unity," so the new imperialists have been allowed to get away with their crimes." (Read the post.)

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May 24 - The session of the Gomery Inquiry currently being aired on CPAC is (at least partially - it's not over yet) in English ... transcript should be available tonight here.

From Newsbeat 1:

Sponsorship loss may be an additional $100 million (CTV says it would now total $355 million)

Groupaction Marketing, which allegedly funded the federal Liberals under the table for years, issued $406,000 in cheques that could have been converted to cash, says a report tabled at the Gomery inquiry Tuesday and,

Kroll also attached a dollar figure to all contributions to the Liberals - registered and unregistered - heard during testimony at the inquiry.

The auditors said $768,000 was donated above board to the party and added, "if the amounts identified by Mr. Brault as payments for a political purpose are included, this amount rises to $2.5 million."

[...]

Documents previously tabled at the inquiry indicate Brault paid the $430,000 to the Pluri Design firm owned by graphic designer Jacques Corriveau, a friend of former prime minister Jean Chretien. Brault has said Corriveau told him the money was destined for the Liberals.

Kroll, while not backing the claim, said "the available documentation does not indicate what services, if any, were provided by PluriDesign to Groupaction for the $430,370 it received."

The auditors said they requested Corriveau's bank statements from 1994 to 1999, along with other financial data, but that the information was "not available for our review."

Coffin may plead guilty.

Gagliano loses suit - Gomery stays. As for Chretien,

If Chretien wins a favourable court ruling, it could block Gomery from delivering two reports planned for the end of the year.

During the break, you might want to read today's editorial in the Toronto Sun.

Unrelated to Adscam but good nonetheless, Paul Jackson gives some good advice to the "spoiled brats of the entertainment world."

15:55 - Session is back on.

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May 24 - If you read Bill Strong's post on the Royal Commonwealth Society of Toronto yesterday you might want to make a return visit. Looks as though whoever is behind bloc-Harper.com might be trying to cover some tracks ... lucky thing Kate grabbed a screenshot yesterday.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Private gripe: deleted. I just won't sleep. Ever.

16:45 Neale News is linking to Bill's site and has before and after screenshots of the Whois page for blocharper.com. The first shows the Royal Commonwealth Society of Toronto Foundation as owners of the blocharper.com domain name, and the second shows the Freedom International Association as the owner. Both versions have the same Newmarket address, phone and fax numbers and show Sinclair Stevens as the webmaster and technical contact but the second has different email addresses for him.

Bill has a new post up here.

I don't know that anything illegal is going on, but the overnight change of who is listed as owning the domain name seems to imply that somebody else thinks it is, to say the least, indiscreet for the Royal Commonwealth Society of Toronto Foundation to own a domain name which makes clear it's intention to remove the leader of the Official - and Loyal - Opposition.

This is the website for Freedom International (link from the post on this issue at Colbert's Comments.)

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May 24 - The weight of the Liberal Party's notion of how to best protect their own interests good governance daily becomes more unbearable. The latest: Taxpayers foot $1M bill for Liberals' sponsorship 'war room' for a secret team that monitors the Gomery Inquiry and preps the Prime Minister for questions that might be raised in the House of Commons:

Documents obtained by the Citizen through the Access to Information Act reveal that the rapid-response war room, which is in almost daily contact with the Prime Minister's Office and the government's top bureaucrat, Alex Himelfarb, operates out of the Privy Council Office.

The cost of the strategic office, which does everything from preparing answers for question period in the House of Commons to keeping the Prime Minister's Office abreast of testimony at the inquiry, covers the salaries of staff and expenses.

The war room and its cost came to light on the heels of last week's complaints from Justice John Gomery about officials exaggerating the cost of his inquiry.

Officials at the commission looking into the sponsorship scandal say the total cost of the actual inquiry will come in under $32 million. Judge Gomery said government officials have "leaked" to the media that it is costing departments another $40 million to cover costs at four key departments, including the Privy Council Office. "It's an exaggeration and it's twisting reality," Judge Gomery said last week.

Revelations from the inquiry, which is digging into the $250-million sponsorship scheme, forced the Liberals to set aside $750,000 in a trust fund to pay back money improperly obtained by the party.

One memo to Mr. Himelfarb indicates the strategy office was set up almost immediately after the Martin government launched the inquiry in February 2004 upon the release of Auditor General Sheila Fraser's damning report on the sponsorship program.

Dated Feb. 18, 2004, the memo describes "the intergovernmental co-ordination group" being set up in the PCO, the nerve centre of the federal government, under the proposed direction of bureaucrat Guy McKenzie. However, the summary and attachments are mostly blanked out, under section 23 of the Access to Information Act, due to "solicitor/client privilege."

The office's operating budget now totals $1,068,000 after its first-year budget of $534,000 in 2004-05 was renewed for a second year, according to Hali Gernon of the PCO.

Ms. Gernon said the office has a small staff of about "four or five" employees and since June 2004 has been under the direction of lawyer Ursula Menke, the former deputy commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard and inspector general of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Judge Gomery has made it clear he doesn't appreciate the Martin government adding its hidden costs to his overall budget. In an exchange with an ad executive, the judge said: "What they did was ... put together the fees of everyone in the Justice Department that worked on the file, the photocopies they made at the PCO and God knows what other expenses that were totally beyond the commission's control."

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May 24 - Their numbers are growing: Harper liberals

(Thanks, maz2.)

Oh, and bonus points for those who get the reference in the post title.)

Posted by: Debbye at 08:27 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Zahra Kazemi

May 24 - The fruitlessness of soft power has come to be symbolized by one outstanding example: the failure to achieve justice for Montreal photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who was murdered on or about July 11, 2003, in an Iranian prison for the unspeakable crime of photographing a vigil outside Evin Prison - the very prison in which she would later be tortured and killed.

Those of us who recognized immediately that Kazemi's death was linked to the struggle for democracy in Iran hoped - briefly - that the Canadian government would, by pressing Iran for answers to Kazemi's death, be able to assist their struggle. We were disappointed, because the Canadian government seemed to do more to protect the Iranian mullocracy than a Canadian citizen.

Their calumny was further revealed by later reports that she was defiant in prison and was subjected to unspeakable torture, but we did not get this information from the government which should have pressed the investigation but from British, American and Canadian news sources.

The lethargic response by the Canadian government, first by accepting the dubious explanation of the Iranian government and then by dithering, delaying, and finally mildly protesting was sharply challenged by the news media in Canada, which did not allow the story to die, and by Kazemi's son, Stephan Hachemi.

Coincidentally, 2 months after Jean Chretien stepped down as PM Khazakhstan News reported that he had been named special adviser to the board of directors of Calgary-based PetroKazakhstan, and the same item mentions a lucrative swap arrangement with Iranian oil refineries (read relevant excerpts here.)

Kazemi's son wrote a scathing letter to the National Post which can be read here.

And then there is this: The Canadian ambassador to Iran has been recalled twice as a response to Iran's failure to achieve justice for Kazemi, but relations with Iran are not only friendly but downright cozy - so cozy that the Canadian government planned to give an official from Iran - a known state sponsor of terror and a member of the Axis of Evil - a look at the workings of the Advance Passenger Information database in August, 2003, little over a month since Kazemi's death had been confirmed as due to torture (more information under extended entry.) (Link from lfg.)

Stephan Hachemi has been steadfast in his quest to achieve justice for his mother and again renewed his call for Canada to take action against Iran.

Canada's record is dismal, though. Thus far it is Iran 5, Canada 0.

CBC has provided their timeline, and I have a slightly different (and admittedly incomplete) one in the extended entry. more...

Posted by: Debbye at 04:38 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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May 23 - Oh course there's more about the attempt to bribe Grewal (Grewal says he wanted to show Grits were dirty) and the contention that Grewal sought the bribe (Grewal wouldn't take no for an answer in today's news.

I tend to deal with unwanted advances from persistent types a bit more decisively than Chief-of-staff Tim Murphy and Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh: I refuse to meet with them or talk to them. Nothing says "No" like, well, "No!"

Having beer and pizza together says "Maybe," not "No" (but then I haven't dated in over 30 years, so maybe the rules have changed.)

I've lost track a bit: exactly where did the conversation(s) between Grewal and Murphy take place? I seem to remember that it was in Grewal's office, but can't find confirmation.

The refusal to release the tape raises some awkward questions; now, I can understand why there might be some hesitancy to turn the tape over to the RCMP (that's surely the saddest thing I ever wrote) but I should think it would be appropriate to turn over a copy of that tape or even (heh!) release it on the internet.

(Links via Neale News.)

13:08 - Keith has confirmed that eight minutes of the tape are available here for those who wish to hear the portion for themselves. [Note: every time I've tried to access it my computer crashes and thus I can't vouch for it personally but there are some, like Andrew Coyne and Keith, with whom I am more than willing to to on faith.]

Keith raises some interesting questions here about Grewal and a possible Liberian connection, and yes, I think it best if we simply go after the truth.

17:28 The Globe and Mail is also urging the tapes be released, and Kate has an interesting conjecture here as to why letting them dribble out slowly is a good strategy.

Posted by: Debbye at 11:30 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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1 the tape is on the internet, i think, try ctv's site, i think that is where I listened to it. or maybe london fog. imho, the tape is too equivocal to prove who approached who. both of the principals come out looking bad, in my books.

Posted by: keith at May 23, 2005 12:30 PM (xfdnu)

2 My mistake Debbye, only the 8 minutes of the tapes are available for download, at the following URL. http://gopinion.com/breaking/ Apparently there are hours of tapes. I wish this story would go away.

Posted by: keith at May 23, 2005 12:42 PM (xfdnu)

3 Thanks for the clarification, Keith; I had trouble downloading the darned thing (computer kept crashing) so was going on what others said about there being only 8 minutes available online. But I think I will post the link and hope other have better luck. I'm not sure it can go away; were Grewal a law enforcement official he would look bad, but I'm not sure he can be charged for entrapment as he was acting as a, um, not law enforcement official. By the way, I loved a comment you made on another blog about anger management, and hope you failed the course ;-)

Posted by: Debbye at May 23, 2005 01:06 PM (3qqx5)

4 paulmartintime.ca is frozen with no new activity since May 2004. The host was threatened with a lawsuit by Martin. The fear is working. andrewcoyne.com has suffered the same fate. Posting a few words which seem stilted/fearful even. The Dark Side controls Canada's people. RIP, Canada.

Posted by: maz2 at May 23, 2005 01:31 PM (F2mGL)

5 George Orwell: 1984 "... imagine a boot stamping on a human face-- for ever." In Zimbabwe: Posted by Clive On 05/23/2005 8:30:09 AM PDT · 6 replies · 198+ views Sun Media (Canada) ^ | 2005-05-23 | Michael Hartnack HARARE, Zimbabwe (A) - Paramilitary units armed with batons, riot shields and tear gas patrolled main roads in Harare Monday as police warned they would not tolerate protests against their crackdown on street trading - the only livelihood for thousands of poor township dwellers. Police Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka said 9,653 people were arrested in the five-day blitz on street vendors, flea market stalls and other informal businesses. He said people were preparing to demonstrate but that police were ready and commuter minibuses were prevented from entering the city centre. Angry demonstrators clashed with police over the weekend in the... In Canada: The boot on the blogger's face: andrewcoyne.com paulmartintime.ca Who is next?

Posted by: maz2 at May 23, 2005 02:04 PM (aK7lm)

6 My oldest son has often complained that the problem with Americans is that we often communicate by what we don't say. Maybe he's right; it's one of those things that I can't see because I'm too close. So, maz2, maybe you're looking at this thing too squarely: if Coyne is relying on readers to read between the lines then so be it - personally, I found his recent post title to speak volumes more than the post itself. We're going to see people - like the folks at Paul Martin Times - buckle under, but what of it? We.Keep.Fighting. For all the talk about "tipping points" I have yet to see anyone actually recognize one until after it happens ... those of us in the trenches just stick it out, with steely determination, and see the job through (yeah, and then the twitty analysts come after and irritate the heck out of us. Sigh. We ignore them.) If someone stuck in Toronto can say that, so can you. Keep the faith. The most serious accusation against the Libranos may well be that they lost the faith -- faith in the people, in the decency and intregrity of the Canadian people, but that doesn't mean you have to do so also. Hang in there. I would really miss your comments here, at Kate's, and at the Shotgun. Really.

Posted by: Debbye at May 23, 2005 02:36 PM (3qqx5)

7 I would like to believe that AC's position & reputation, and the need to maintain them, have played a part in his decision to remove comments. That being said, I will miss that as I learned a great deal from the exchange of ideas. But I can't see where Kate's business (which appears to be custom paint jobs and breeding dogs) could be threatened by the libs (although I hope her tax records are well-kept as a 'surprise' audit could be in the cards). Debbye I have no idea whether your professional position could be damaged either. I guess what I'm saying is we need to count on people that are as immune as possible to keep up the good work. Two days after crying "the sky is falling" re AC's site, I find it interesting that (a) I'm not even VAGUELY embarassed by my immediate assumption of the worst and (b) neither is anyone giving me grief over same. In fact, debbye you even made a similar remark in your posting of yesterday. We are in trying times and it's hard to maintain hope when doors seem to close around us. I'm holding out hope for a surprise in Labrador - go check out the comments from bic at CQ, very encouraging.

Posted by: Candace at May 23, 2005 03:35 PM (R7nd+)

8 CTV likely got the original recording from Daddy; Bell Canada.. Not that CTV doesn't do what it is told.. protect Bell's stock price.. protect Bell's stock price.. force Quebec to stay in Canada.. force Quebec to stay in Canada.. make those suckers in Ontario pay.. make those suckers in Ontario pay..

Posted by: Brian Walsh at May 23, 2005 05:12 PM (vAI+5)

9 Candace, I too referenced Chicken Little in my emails when I was trying to figure out what was up with Coyne! But now that, in Coyne's words, there are no rules, how can we not assume the worst? Hang in there. There will be setbacks and victories, and only time will sort out which is which. But a forum such as Coyne offered is definitely needed. Brian, slow down a bit. CTV could also have gotten the tape (or at least the 8 minutes) at the same place many of you heard it.

Posted by: Debbye at May 23, 2005 05:53 PM (3qqx5)

10 It is pretty apparent from looking at A.Coyne's reporting that he has not been intimidated by the Liberal juggernaut which seems to have taken most of his fellow professionals hostage. He has, however, been sued, and so has his newspaper. That means that he has some short-term legal responsibilities which none of the people who have posted at his site share with him, encouraging words aside. It was nice of him to let people use his cachet and his reputation to enjoy themselves, but pretty soon the heady rum of self-pleasure becomes a non-cooperative stink. It's like a house party that's open to anybody; eventually, nobody has a clue who the host is, and illegal acts start to take place, and you have to put down the carrot sticks and become a bouncer. Which brings me to the thread which he referred to as being odious to him, and which he felt he needed to edit out: No sensible person who has observed the deteriorating political scene vis-a-vis Gomery and, oh, say, lawsuits against journalists and such should discount the possibility that Liberal insiders might find that it benefits their cause to drop in on AC's open web sit and post things which are actionable. Would anyone here be suprised? At it's best his comments sections was a chance for Canadians to learn from and understand each other, and it was nice of AC to have allowed such interesting discourse to go on under the banner of his name. But the deterioration in tone and the repeated posting of cryptic inane slandererous thread-deaf comments every two minutes by the same people were beginning to predominate. I don't really blame him for putting down the carrot sticks and picking up the hose. And besides, when you consider the times we live in, and his legacy as a journalist, he's got some important work to do.

Posted by: EBDresen at May 23, 2005 07:32 PM (XwstS)

11 debbye, the Liberia reference is actually from a commenter on my Thin Grewal post. Thanks for the link too, by the way! Always helpful, in order to get back into Marsupia. (I slipped back into Rodentia recently in the TTLB ecosytem ) Cheers.

Posted by: keith at May 23, 2005 09:07 PM (HRjgG)

12 Yes, I thought that very same thing EB . It would seem fitting, given the character of at least some Martinites, to post smut and then threaten lawyer persuit. You can back track email by using properties on the header, but posts don't leave much in the way of fingerprints. Damn those sneaky l.. gentlemen of the commons. TonyGuitar

Posted by: TonyGuitar at May 23, 2005 10:58 PM (rmMzv)

13 Debbye, I have emailed you a copy of the Grewal tape.

Posted by: Ed Minchau at May 24, 2005 12:59 AM (pPVQ0)

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