Gomery partially lifts publication ban ...

[Rosico]

Any thoughts on this? Quite a read in total. I knew snippits from friends and other blogs but wow ...

Globe and Mail:
canadians get punk'd

[asim99]

the link is not working....
the following in from toronto star

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...acodalogin=yes

Witness recalls envelopes full of cash


MIRO CERNETIG
STAFF REPORTER

MONTREAL — The Liberal Party of Canada used hundreds of thousands of dollars taken from the sponsorship program to fund its political activities in Quebec, the Gomery Commission has been told.
Former ad executive Jean Brault also said that he delivered $136,000 in cash -- often in envelopes -- to senior Liberal Party officials. That money came out of the coffers of Groupaction between 1996 and 2001, alleged Brault, the firm's former president, under testimony that can now be revealed.

Groupaction made the bulk of its profits from the $170 million in federal contracts it was given during the era of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.

Justice John Gomery, who had imposed a publication ban on some recent testimony, partially lifted that ban today. Some details are still unreportable.

In testimony that can now be revealed, Brault also said he was instructed to send $50,000 to the Quebec Liberal party, during the 1998 election. It was sent to the Liberal friendly ad firm Groupe Everest.

Senior Liberal organizer Jacques Corriveau, a long-time friend of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, also extracted almost $500,000 for the party from sponsorship contracts, Brault alleged.

The money came from $4.2 million in commissions that Groupaction charged on a series of contracts totaling $35 million that were sent to Groupe Polygone and Expour, companies that put on trade shows and published books to promote Canada. Brault testified that Corriveau’s company arranged to take more than 10 per cent of Groupaction’s commission from 1997 to 2001 for political purposes.

He did so by creating false invoices -- for $489,000 -- that Groupaction paid out of its sponsorship commission, Brault alleged.

“So...the invoices I called 'disguised' from Corriveau and the payments you made were, if the truth be told, your financial contribution to the cause and these came out of your profits for Expour and Polygone," asked Gomery Commission counsel Bernard Roy.

"Yes," replied Mr. Brault.

Brault has testified that he believed all the money he sent to Corriveau was destined to help what a top organizer called “the cause.�

But under cross-examination by the Liberal Party’s lawyer, Doug Mitchell, Brault acknowledged he did not know for sure that the money actually made it to the Liberal Party of Canada. Mitchell pointed out that donations by Corriveau, his wife and company to the Liberal Party totalled $66,000.

Asked if he knew if the rest of the money was also sent to the party, Brault said, “no idea.�

“Before you brought that fact to my attention, I always was under the impression that it was destined for the cause. I deduced the cause was the party.�

But Brault made more allegations that other of his donations to the Liberal Party were paid back, at least in part, through some of the $61 million in sponsorship money directed to Groupaction.

Brault testified that he was told in one case those expenses would be made up by a sponsorship contract that would be directed his way. He alleged that the Liberal Party’s senior official in Quebec, Benoit Corbeil, asked him for $400,000 for the party and told him that he would get a sponsorship contract soon-after.

“Mr. Corbeil came to see me, he asked me for $400,000 after the election. I didn’t answer. He came back and said a sponsorship was going to be awarded to me in April for $3 million, or something like that, of which based on my 12 per cent (commission) I would at least be able to recover my investment or outlay...

“And that’s what happened,� said Brault, adding he paid only $60,000, though could not remember who got the money.

Brault testified he was asked to put Liberals on his staff at Groupaction, with salaries that approached $8,000 a month.

Once there, they did nothing for the company, he said. One spent his time on the phone doing party work. The other was never around, though he did publish a favorable biography on Alfonso Gagliano, the former Public Works minister who ran the $250-million program.

Brault also testified that he sent $100,000, over two years, to the Parti Quebecois. He did that by having Groupaction employees make the donations and later reimbursing them. Brault said that he thought it might help protect a contract he had with the provincial liquor board.

Another $50,000 in cash was delivered for the Liberal Party to Joseph Morselli, a Liberal worker and a long-time ally of former Public Works

[devious9191]

I have a quick question. It seems to me that regardless of what comes out of this entire thing, the same group of people that always vote liberal are going to continue to do.

Doesn't it bother anyone else that you pay such a huge percentage of your hard earned income to keep these guys on the golf course?

Does it bother anyone that our military gets weaker every single year, and the current budget that's being applauded, barely keeps up with the upkeep of the relics that our nation uses to defend our freedom.

Does it bother anyone else that our relations with our #1 trading partner and ally are going to hell day by day? I'm sure the farmers in this country have an opinion on this one.

I'm not exactly sure what canada's love affair is with the liberal government, since it's not something I share. The West couldn't be happier to get rid of these guys, and the east votes them in election after election. When the West decides it's had enough, I think I'll be on the next flight over there to join them.

[d_jedi]

I have a quick question. It seems to me that regardless of what comes out of this entire thing, the same group of people that always vote liberal are going to continue to do.

Doesn't it bother anyone else that you pay such a huge percentage of your hard earned income to keep these guys on the golf course?
Yes

Does it bother anyone that our military gets weaker every single year, and the current budget that's being applauded, barely keeps up with the upkeep of the relics that our nation uses to defend our freedom.
Yes

Does it bother anyone else that our relations with our #1 trading partner and ally are going to hell day by day? I'm sure the farmers in this country have an opinion on this one.
Yes

I'm not exactly sure what canada's love affair is with the liberal government, since it's not something I share. The West couldn't be happier to get rid of these guys, and the east votes them in election after election. When the West decides it's had enough, I think I'll be on the next flight over there to join them.

Because the other parties will probably f*** up things even more? As they say, the devil you know..

[luthair]

The conservatives did similar things when they were in power. Here is the CBC's list of the top 10 scandals in history.

Note that the last conservative government (Mulroney) government took 3 out of 10 and overall conservatives 5/10.

NDP got off scott free, but then again they haven't won yet.

[Freak]

Because the other parties will probably f*** up things even more? As they say, the devil you know..

So true. So many people want to get rid of the Liberals...but what are our options? The Conservatives/Reform or the NDP? What are their track records??? Why does anyone think that either of these options will be better? It seems that being an elected official is a license to steal and plunder from the taxpayers. I hope that somehow Craptien, Dithers etc. all end up being implecated in this mess...but I am sure as usually happens this Mr. Brault guy will end up taking the fall for what numerous people are responsible for...

I will be voting NDP in the next election...or nobody...geez at least the Fiberals don't have a majority government right now!!!

Freak

[d_jedi]

So true. So many people want to get rid of the Liberals...but what are our options? The Conservatives/Reform or the NDP? What are their track records??? Why does anyone think that either of these options will be better? It seems that being an elected official is a license to steal and plunder from the taxpayers. I hope that somehow Craptien, Dithers etc. all end up being implecated in this mess...but I am sure as usually happens this Mr. Brault guy will end up taking the fall for what numerous people are responsible for...

I will be voting NDP in the next election...or nobody...geez at least the Fiberals don't have a majority government right now!!!

Freak

Personally, I'd be all for the Conservatives; I happen to agree with most of their social policy.. but their environmental policy is appalling. I cannot in good conscience vote for them. OTOH, the NDP has a good environmental policy, but I simply cannot support their social policy. And there ain't no way in hell I'm voting Liberal.

Looks like I'll be with the Green's again!

[Rosico]

The conservatives did similar things when they were in power. Here is the CBC's list of the top 10 scandals in history.

Note that the last conservative government (Mulroney) government took 3 out of 10 and overall conservatives 5/10.

NDP got off scott free, but then again they haven't won yet.

Wow, and the Chretian Liberals have 3/10 too! I think recent memory may be in play here ... Hard to think two decades have given us 6/10 of the top scandals.

As for voting, IMHO the biggest reason why the liberals reamain is that Ontario voters are not convinced that the Conservatives are yet a 'govt in waiting' and they don't even have a foothold in Quebec because their perceived social values are in such conflict with Quebecers normative values.

[guest10586]

Western canada is leaning towards Conservatives.

This scandal isn't a huge deal here imo. Harper is trying to win over Ontario, not the western provinces.

[spidermoore]

Voters need to keep politicians accountable. Unaccountability is why these things happen in the first place. The Liberals felt indestructable because the voters in Ontario kept voting them in regardless of how poorly they robbed us.

Congratulations Liberal voters, you've screwed us again.

Also, for those of you that say Mulrouney blah blah blah, how many candidates (of any party) were in the Mulrouney government? None as far as I can tell. It is extremely unfair that some people are so down on the current Conservative party because of things none of them did.

I never understood why so many people think that socon values will be dictated to the country if the Conservatives get in, when the socon values are not even shared by the entire party, let alone mandated as policy.

[luthair]

Voters need to keep politicians accountable. Unaccountability is why these things happen in the first place. The Liberals felt indestructable because the voters in Ontario kept voting them in regardless of how poorly they robbed us.

Congratulations Liberal voters, you've screwed us again.

I disagree, scandals happen because people don't really think about what they're doing. Very few are MPs by day and Dr Evil by night, that goes for any party.

Also, for those of you that say Mulrouney blah blah blah, how many candidates (of any party) were in the Mulrouney government? None as far as I can tell. It is extremely unfair that some people are so down on the current Conservative party because of things none of them did.

The same could be said of the people linked to the sponsership scandal, all, or nearly all are no longer members.

I never understood why so many people think that socon values will be dictated to the country if the Conservatives get in, when the socon values are not even shared by the entire party, let alone mandated as policy.

A lot of it is associated with party leaders, Joe Clark might have had a chance (well, if he hadn't blown it once) but the string of leaders from reform don't; most eastern provinces see them as Americanized politicians. The PC party has also taken anti-gay marriage and pro privatized heathcare stances.

[Prometheus]

The PC party has also taken anti-gay marriage and pro privatized heathcare stances.

I think you meant to say, the Conservative party has taken pro-traditional marriage stance. They also figured out the existing health care system is unsustainable and looking for ways to reduce cost.

On the other hand, Liberals want to fix health care by introducing Health Care Premium (tax)...

[canrocks]

Personally, I'd be all for the Conservatives; I happen to agree with most of their social policy.. but their environmental policy is appalling. I cannot in good conscience vote for them. OTOH, the NDP has a good environmental policy, but I simply cannot support their social policy. And there ain't no way in hell I'm voting Liberal.

Looks like I'll be with the Green's again!

Good decision! They're not nearly as fringe as they used to be. In a provincial byelection, they got 10%, versus the liberals at 16.7%.
http://main.greenparty.ca/page67.html#maximum

In the second best showing ever in an Ontario election, Green Party leader, Frank de Jong, won 10% in the March 17, 2005, Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Gray (DPWG) by-election. The NDP won 14%, the Liberals, running a local environmentalist, won 16.7%, and Conservative leader John Tory won 56.3%.

The Green Party continues to steeply climb in popularity. In the October 2003 Ontario election, the GPO ran a virtual full slate of candidates (102 of 103 ridings) winning 2.7% of the vote across the province. In the June 2004 federal election, the GPC ran in all 106 Ontario ridings winning 4.5% of the vote. An Ipsos-Reid poll put the GPO at 9% across Ontario. So in the course of just 18 months, the Party’s support has more than tripled in Ontario!

De Jong’s incredible showing in DPWG was all the sweeter given that the Liberal Party chose to run a local environmentalist, Bob Duncanson. Clearly the Liberals are worried by the rise of the Green Party. The Liberal vote collapsed in the Ontario provincial elections from 28.8% in October 2003 to 16.% last March. And the Liberals poured a huge amount of resources into this by-election. The Premier, and countless Liberal cabinet members, helped campaigned in the riding, and spending by the Liberals not doubt hit the maximum.

The NDP was terrified of the Green Party in this by-election because in this riding's last two elections the Green Party has placed ahead of the NDP. This time the NDP spend huge amounts of money, bussed volunteers in to campaign and just managed to move up to third place.

Despite the concerted efforts by the Liberals and NDP, the Green Party’s vote still went up!

“We won by stealth�, said Richard Procter, a Green Party member and former candidate for the riding, “because at all candidates debates the other parties were presenting Green Party ideas�.

The campaign ran on a slogan of “a breath of fresh air� and had numerous amazing sound bites, including:

* “Stop talking about family values and start valuing families!�
* “It took us 20 years to become an overnight success.�
* “We’re not into finger pointing and laying blame.�
* “Instead of getting people to the office, let’s get the office to the people.�
* “Don’t panic, go organic!�
* “No farmer wants to make a living by walking to the mailbox to pick up a cheque.�


The strong showing of the Green Party is built on a long record of fantastic candidates and results in the area:

* In the 2004 federal election, Ted Alexander won almost 4 000 votes (8.8%) in the neighbouring riding of Dufferin Caledon—the highest in Ontario—beating the NDP;
* In the provincial election on October 2, 2003 Frank de Jong running in DPWG won 6.13 per cent of the vote beating the NDP’s 6.1;
* In the 2002 by-election Richard Procter running for the Green Party won 6.2 per cent of the vote in DPWG;
* Rob Strang ran in the riding as the first Green Party candidate and in November 2003 was elected as a municipal councillor for the Town of Orangeville.

I think you meant to say, the PC party has taken pro-traditional marriage stance. They also figured out the existing health care system is unsustainable and looking for ways to reduce cost.

On the other hand, Liberals want to fix health care by introducing Health Care Premium (tax)...

I think you meant to say "I think you meant to say the Conservative Party. . . "

The PCs dropped the progressive from their name and with cause. I invite all the red tories to read the (extensive) Green Party platform. You might like the mix of social responsibility, and efficient budgeting.
http://www.greenparty.ca/platform2004/en/policies.php

[Prometheus]

The PCs dropped the progressive from their name

You're right. Thanks for pointing that out. Better update my earlier message.

[Prometheus]

Because the other parties will probably f*** up things even more?

So how many billions of Liberal wasted tax dollars need to be exposed before you think of electing another party?

You know it's YOUR money that's being wasted (fine dined) away...

I noticed you used "probably". You don't sound very confident.