Crimes of Office, Crimes for Office
by C. L. Cook
The Canadian Broadcast Corporation's, (CBC) flagship news program, The National revealed tonight: The Conservative Party, with a vote in the dead-locked parliament that could bring down the then-Liberal government of Paul Martin hanging in the balance, offered the terminally ill one-time Reform Party member, then sitting as an Independent, M.P. Chuck Cadman a million dollar insurance policy under the explicit caveat that he cast his deciding vote with his former colleagues.

Offering a sitting Member of Parliament a financial enticement for their vote is against the law in Canada. Lobbying? Sure; but tit for tat, money on the table? No, No.

Meanwhile, the CBC also reports: Former Tory prime minister, Brian Mulroney is defying a second appearance before the  Parliamentary Ethics Committee currently looking into allegations by former German national, Karlheinz Shreiber that he paid Mulroney hundreds of thousands of dollars, while Mulroney was still in office, ostensibly for his influence within government and business circles.

Before testifying, Mulroney denied his friendship with Shreiber, (a claim quickly proven false) then denied financial dealings with him, (again proven false). Now, Mulroney's lawyers present a statement to the committee in lieu of their client's appearance denying: Dirty dealing on his part in the infamous Airbus Affair of the 1980's involving then-State Airline, Air Canada; improprieties concerning his now-admittedly received cash from Shreiber for as yet murky expectations; any illegality surrounding his failure to claim his cash payments with the CCRA, (Canada's tax agency) contending his apology for not claiming the income with the CCRA is punishment enough for a minor 'memory lapse.'

Mulroney's lawyers expressed doubt over the value of holding a public inquiry subsequent to the Ethics Committee into the whole sordid business. Sadly for their client, the decision to hold a more formal Public Inquiry is in Stephen Harper's bailiwick. Harper can't be too happy about the timing of this.

Harper and his Tories, while getting much of everything their way for the last two years as a minority government, are hungry for a majority. They've openly mocked the opposition Liberals, daring they and their allies in the House bring down the government, confident they can return with a majority. A look now into the Tory skeleton closet of elections past, just as they're poised for triumph, could be enough to bury Harper's Spring ambitions.

Time is Harper's luxury now, (his mandate has, failing opposition, a few years to run) and so far he has successfully pushed through two contentious bills, the latest, C2, the so-called Crime Bill gaining passage through the Senate today, but issues that could trigger an election are multiplying, and with them concern on the street about the course the government has taken on a slew of policy decisions. A downturn in the economy, bad news from Afghanistan, or an ecological reminder of Harper's regressive, business first and last, anti-environmental priorities, and he and the Tories could find themselves facing a fed-up electorate.   

The Cadman revelation tonight could rattle Harper's support. The National quoted a stuttered Harper response to the thunderbolt charges against his party contained in Tom Zytaruk's just released biography of the late maverick M.P. Cadman, 'Like a Rock: The Chuck Cadman Story.'

 

While distancing himself from the million dollar offer, Harper did concede the offer made to Cadman was party policy, saying;

• "Of the offer to Chuck, it was only to replace financial considerations he might lose due to an election, okay? That's my understanding of what they were talking about."

He continues;

• "I don't know the details. I can tell you that I had told the individuals...I mean...they wanted to do it, but I told them they were wasting their time."

Before admitting;

• "They were legitimately representing the party."   

The Ethics Committee hearings are done now. Without the prime suspect, Brian Mulroney's participation there is nothing left for the body to accomplish. The bipartisan committee will almost certainly recommend for an official public inquiry, something Harper promised could happen only after the Ethics Committee concluded.

What has come to be known as the 'Mulroney/Shreiber Affair,' has provided surprisingly robust grist for the political mills so far, none of it favourable to the Conservative party. The trotting out now of evidence of further Tory sleaze in the Cadman affair, criminal behaviour regarded as "legitimate" party policy in the prime minister's description, is just the kind of turn that sinks politicians and their parties.

Harper is right in thinking the Liberals are weak; he's right too, opposition leader, Stephane Dion's performance has so far proven less than inspiring; but, where Harper and his Republican-like advisors are not right is in their assessment of the character of the Canadian voter. Canadians are not so enamored at the end of the day with slogans and sound bites.

Mr. Harper and his handlers may soon find they've lost hold of the election tiger's tail, and their time run out.