Posted on 04/02/2005 4:57:54 PM PST by Pikamax
A political scandal involving the Public Works Ministry, a government effort called the Sponsorship Program, and allegations of corruption in the ruling Liberal Party has Canada abuzz with rumors of payoffs, Mob ties, and snap elections. For the last two years, Canadian politics has been gripped by the so-called “sponsorship scandal” – tens of millions of dollars in government contracts which were funneled into advertizing firms closely connected with the Liberal government for little or no work, but with shadowy rumours that much of the money found its way back into Liberal coffers. Prime Minister Paul Martin, himself a Liberal, appointed the Gomery Commission to investigate these charges and determine whether to bring charges against government officials for corruption and malfeasance. (See the blog Small Dead Animals for some excellent background on the case.)
Most of the testimony heard by the Commission has been public, but Judge Gomery has decided to create a publication ban on the testimony of three key witnesses: John Brault, president of the ad agency Groupaction, Charles Guité, an officer of the Public Works ministry who worked on the Sponsorship Program, and Paul Coffin, president of the ad agency Coffin Communications. The potential damage of their testimony has so unnerved the Liberal Party that they have reportedly started working towards a snap election so that they will not have to face the voters once the facts surface from the record.
And well they might, if Brault's testimony gives any indication of what they will face. Thanks to a friend of mine, CQ readers can get a taste of what Brault has already told the Gomery Commission. For obvious reasons, I cannot reveal this person's name or position, but this person is in a position to have the information. Bear in mind that this comes from a single source, so while I have confidence in the information, you should consider the sourcing carefully.
Payoffs And Kickbacks
On Thursday, Jean Brault began his testimony – subject to the publication ban – and revealed a massive pattern of corruption going to the highest levels of the Liberal party and government. Brault testified to hundreds of thousands of dollars of bogus transactions designed to benefit the Liberal Party of Canada over a period from 1994 to 2002.
Most of the illegal campaign contributions involved Brault either hiring “employees” -– who were in fact working full time on Liberal Party activities –- or paying invoices for Liberal Party campaign expenses (which were never declared as such) or making untraceable cash donations to Liberal officials. In exchange for helping the federal Liberals in Quebec, Brault received millions of dollars in federal advertising contracts.
Brault said he met with Jean Carle, a key aide to then Prime Minister Jean Chretien to propose a more direct way of ensuring that Groupaction got a large share of federal advertising dollars in Quebec. Carle referred Brault to federal bureaucrat Charles (“Chuck”) Guité and told him that “there was room for everybody.” Guité later put together the sponsorship program, in which five Liberal connected firms –- including Groupaction -– were guaranteed a monopoly on government “sponsorship” advertising (e.g. federal
advertising at sporting or cultural events) and related work. The sponsorship program eventually became a huge slush fund into which over $250 million was poured, over $100 million of which was paid in fees and commissions to these five advertising firms, with little or any evidence of work done or value for money.
In exchange for these large contracts for little or no work, Brault kicked back generously to the Liberal Party, putting Liberal organizers on his payroll while they continued to perform party work (including, at one point, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s brother, Gaby Chrétien), paying invoices to other companies for work actually done for the Liberal Party, and giving large donations -– in cash -– to the Liberal Party through Renaud or Liberal Party organizer (and close associate of Public Works Minister Alfonso Gagliano) Joe Morselli.
Protection Racket?
Towards the later part of the sponsorship program, the friends and associates of former Public Works ministry official and ambassador to Denmark Alfonso Gagliano, some of whom have been linked to organized crime, played a larger role in the schemes.
At one point, Gagliano associate Tony Mignacca told Brault that if he didn’t rehire Renaud (who had left Groupaction to start a new company), he would lose his newly acquired contract with Via Rail – Canada’s state-run passenger rail service. Brault broke down in tears after he recounted this testimony. At a meeting in 2001 with Joe Morselli, Brault said that he arranged to have the meeting in an overheated room in a restaurant – so that Brault could ask Morselli to take off his coat and ensure that he wasn’t carrying a body pack.
This is just the beginning of Brault's testimony. If the Gomery Commission can corroborate Brault, then the reek of corruption goes through all levels of the Liberal party and may explain their ability to out-campaign the Conservatives. After all, they've siphoned off hundreds of millions of government dollars to promote their own party and to guarantee their monopoly on power. They hijacked the Canadian tax base to fund their own campaigns and hide the financial trail.
More will be forthcoming, but it isn't difficult to understand why Liberal politicians have begun to panic already.
Hopefully this will open the eyes of the majority of Canadians,who consistently vote this scum in, time after time. God, I hope so.
I guess the question to our Canadian readers is how to get this information widely disseminated in Canada.
Even if the majority of Canadians finally open their eyes, it will not change much.
What do you think, why Canada allows massive immigration but provides no skilled jobs for immigrants but settle them mostly in Toronto on social assistance?
Methinks it is creation of Liberal voting machine. The voting system by ridings will provide enough votes to re-elect this scum over and over again.
Post a link. It will be out in Canada now within 48 hours.
the gigs up. These Liberals in name only (they are adherents of the socialist religion that is preached and practiced in Europe all in the belief that it will make them "less american")are very similar to the revoluntionary party in mexico that ran as a amjority gov't for 70 odd years. Well we have a bit of the same here._
Canadians passively vote the same criminals back in every time. "What can you do?" they will say with a sigh. Just give them their lollipops or promise them that you'll take them away from the neighbours so nobody will have anything -- and bash the Americans -- and they're happy.
I've lived up here for 6 years and I can't believe how passive they are, but it's true.
Who is that DORK in the picture?
It is illegal to spread this info in Canada. The judge in charge of the inquiry has imposed a gag order. There is talk the BQ will raise the issue in the House of Commons which will for all intent and purposes break the gag.
Corruption? Liberals? No way!
Pathetic what passes for politicians in Canada!
>>Canadians passively vote the same criminals back in every time. "What can you do?" they will say with a sigh.<<
Americans do exactly the same thing.
I have the incredible urge to spread it
If you are an American in America nothing is stopping you.
"Well gawlly, we looked an' looked but we didn't find a dang thang.
"
In the U.S., this phase would be equivalent to a grand jury hearing -- which is a closed hearing and it is illegal to divulge the testimony.
The difference is that Canada is holding these hearings in public, but banning publication of their contents. The same effect, more awkwardly achieved.
You are so right.
Why did they even bother to ban anything?
Canadians don't care.
They know the liberals are a corrupt bunch of mobsters. They don't care....just pay for my day-care and health-care and give me a GST rebate and I'm all yours.
And don't forget the formula up here.
IMMIGRANTS = LIBERALS for at least ten generations. Don't learn the language and don't ask questions. Just pay your taxes and keep voting us in. That way you will be guaranteed your whole family entrance into our country.
Ping to Allan.
Canadians:
not human
nor even
sub-human
and
neither animal
nor vegetable
but rather
walking blobs
of lifeless
formless
brainless protoplasm
That was all about the Fiberals trying to buy votes in Quebec (where the opposition was concentrated, the rest of Canada was actually slightly in favor of BMD)
Sadly, that seems to be right. I have no idea why, because they are the party that treats them the worst...
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
That would be a dream come true, but it would have one interesting side effect: how would you want the NDP as the official opposition, since they'd probably snare votes off the left wing...it would also create a gaping hole among the 'progressives' and at center-left, since their choices would be the right-wing Conservatives, the left-wing NDP, a fringe party or staying home...
That Saskatchewan PC Party implosion may have had a silver lining - it opened the door for the new Saskatchewan Party, which is really their version of the Conservative Party - without the word 'progressive' and mostly pure conservatives...
Anybody know what a snap election is in Canada, and what benefit it gives the liberal government?
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Snap election - when the governing party (in this case the Liberals) calls an election suddenly and early because they are very high in the polls. That is an undemocratic tactic that should not be allowed; terms should be fixed at 4 years (if a government falls on a vote of non-confidence, the individual MP's, but not the Prime Minister, should be put back up for by-elections - in which case Paul Martin could theoretically be leading a house with a Conservative majority)
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
British Columbia also has fixed election dates.
I think the fixed date should be nationally set and used for all levels of government; my preferred date would be the 2nd Monday in May (to allow for a fresh fall session) or the 3rd Monday in November (to allow a fall of campaigning before returning in January, and to keep it off the US election week and Remembrance Day)
Yeah that's correct, and often that is what happens (while definitely left-leaning - although not as far left as the federal NDP which is definitely socialist, the Manitoba NDP government has been pretty much free of scandal and corruption) - of course, that does not take into account the British Columbia NDP scandals of the 1990s - however, that happened to the right-wing Social Credit party (now pretty much defunct) as well...
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Canada is mostly useless space with most of the people stretched across the border. They call themselves a country so they can get away without paying our government any taxes.
[To be spoken w/sad, puppy-dog eyes & lip a-quivering]:
"But, but, but, but, I thought Canada was a crime-free Socialist paradise!"
When the PM wishes to, or is forced to, disolve his government he goes to the Governor General and announces his intention to do so. The GG then asks the leader of the opposition if he can form a government. If he can do so and choses to do so there is no election. The opposition leader forms a government. This is actually possible here as the Tories and Bloc together would have a majority of seats in the house. While this is unlikely it is still a possiblity. Most people think the opposition parties will go for an election hoping to pick up seats but they may choose to form a coalition government instead. All the parties are holding emergency meetings this weekend to decide what to do.
All: Thanks for the responses/descriptions. I have my fingers crossed that the leftist Canadian government will fall, just like the Clinton one did in this country.
Canada: Where even the Conservatives are liberal
The Liberals are scared because they know very well how easy it is to spread rumors - a whispering campaign to spread lies about their political opponents is one of their most effective campaign tools. It would be poetic justice if they were hung with their own rope.
RE: Canada's Corruption Scandal Breaks Wide Open: I believe, over decades, Canadians have been quietly socialized to become, more complacent, more apathetic, government dependent, uninvolved, blind followers, towards a more leftist-leaning, socialist-style, government/society. In fact, I believe, Canadian "Progressive Conservatives" or "Conservatives" generally, are further to "the left" in Canada, than U.S. Democrats. There are consistently, publication bans on very significant social/political/legal matters, in Canada; under the guise of, protecting the "innocent until proven guilty" and/or not tainting potential evidence for pending, civil, criminal, or other trials. I believe, the Sponsorship Scandal "Adscam" is one scandal among many, which have been suppressed from public scrutiny....something many are trying to do in the U.S.
The occassional, motivated journalist, who does try to Access Information, is blacklisted and ostracized. Laymen and professionals, who fight for disclosure are similarly blacklisted, suppressed, ostracized and/or ruined. In addition, I believe most Canadians are placated and patronized/lulled into false-security, by politicians for specific self-serving gains. I believe Canadians think they are, so-called, more polite, courteous and possess higher, more positive morals or more considerate, passionate and caring values than most people, especially U.S. citizens. The point here is, CANADIANS do not get involved because they are kept in the dark, they have been conditioned to react passively and are afraid or punished, when they do express dissenting opinions...thus, secrecy and corruption prevails. Leading news media stations/programs, are more interested in surviving and in many cases, are in part or in whole funded directly or indirectly, by Government funding. Journalists and money are limited; nepotism, favouritism and protectionism, is rampant in the news media business, government offices and especially in the public sector business; without scrutiny, let alone inquiry. The aforementioned, follow the "interpreted" rule-of-the-day, without question. BUT NOW, BLOGGERS have ruined the day...the truth is seeping to the surface....and...of course, disclosure has been initiated, via a vehicle located in the U.S. Canadians began to ask questions about issues and the pear-heads in Canada, again, gagged disclosure. My opinion is, if you are guilty, you are guilty; the Canadian government is not interested in protecting the rule of law or civil/criminal procedure, as they represent to be doing; they are really interested in hiding the truth and hiding the process in which they have and will continue to corrupt the law, the process and misrepresent the facts. Thank God for the BLOGGERS and the courage they instill in others!! However, believe me, related politician's, public servants and their cronies, will desperately try to shut the bloggers down, BY ANY MEANS AVAILABLE!!! In fact, recent reports disclose this posting by me, could get me charged. GO FIGURE!!!
Yes, my experience is that the general reply of most canadians, when Canadian society/government is questioned is;..why don't you go live there or you American's are ignorant....In fact, ignorance is bliss, isn't it. Signed: An Informed Canadian
Seems to me you can have the same experience with the US . Usually followed by a reference to a door hitting you on the ass .
As a politically active conservative Canadian, it has never "baffled" me why our country mostly votes Liberal. It has disgusted me, but never "baffled" me. Most analysis above is correct - Canada is the bastion of corrupt elitists that buy the electorate with their own money. If this doesn't snap everyone out of their collective psychosis, nothing will.
By the way, for anyone who has followed Sir Paul Martin over his career, is anyone now unsure why he has been such a "ditherer" lately? He knew what was coming, and it has rattled his nerves completely.
amen
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