Pinging my General Interest and Canada list here.Canada: Election chatter grows amid
talk of devastating Gomery testimony
(Testimony banned)
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.
Posted on 04/01/2005 10:51:55 PM PST by Pikamax
Election chatter grows amid talk of devastating Gomery testimony
Alexander Panetta Canadian Press
April 1, 2005
Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien arrives back at his office following lunch in Ottawa Friday. New testimony at the Gomery inquiry, that cannot be revealed because of a publication ban, is considered so devastating that it has political parties discussing the possible collapse of the Liberal minority government and an election call. Chretien was Prime Minister during the time of the sponsorship scandal. (CP PHOTO/Tom Hanson)
OTTAWA (CP) - Explosive new testimony before the sponsorship inquiry had political parties banging their election drums Friday and discussing the possible collapse of the minority Liberal government.
The new testimony at the Gomery inquiry cannot be revealed because of a publication ban but is considered so devastating to the Liberal government that it has all parties looking at election scenarios.
As opposition parties eyed a possible election call with mounting enthusiasm, one Liberal MP with a safe seat said he was asked Friday to contact neighbouring ridings where the party needs help organizing local campaigns.
But officials in the Prime Minister's Office said no such instructions had gone out and insisted any election call would be the fault of the opposition.
All parties avoided speculating aloud about the likelihood of a spring campaign, and their silence was about more than just fear of violating the publication ban.
Nobody wants to appear eager for an election campaign now because once the writ is dropped, the government and opposition parties plan to blame each other for dissolving the minority Parliament.
The blame game began quietly Friday as the various actors accused each other of hankering to pull the plug.
"Our election readiness went up 20 per cent today," said one Liberal MP, who asked not to be named.
The accepted wisdom that the opposition Tories and NDP don't want an election since they're still less popular than the Liberals has been turned on its head by the steady stream of revelations before the inquiry headed by Justice John Gomery.
The Bloc Quebecois has sounded most willing to fight an election, and could easily topple the government if supported by the other parties in a confidence vote this month.
But the Liberal MP predicted the minority government would survive the spring because, he said, the parties will likely strike a deal on a critical budget vote.
Conservatives warned privately, however, that even if the budget bill passes this month, another legislative tool like a non-confidence motion could be used to trigger an election.
Nobody would say that publicly.
The Tory justice critic, well aware that the punishment for violating a publication ban includes possible jail time, had little to offer.
"All I can say is that given what was said yesterday (Thursday before Gomery) the political landscape may be changing quite rapidly," MP Vic Toews said.
That changing landscape was evident as Prime Minister Paul Martin and Conservative Leader Stephen Harper both spent the day in British Columbia, which will be a key battleground in any future election campaign.
Both men refused to be drawn into speculation when asked whether Thursday's testimony would be grounds for an election.
Before making any decision, Harper and his officials must first find out when the publication ban will be lifted on testimony delivered Thursday by Montreal ad executive Jean Brault.
The ban could theoretically be lifted at any time but depends largely on developments in Brault's own criminal-fraud trial.
Lawyers for the former Groupaction boss appeared in a Montreal courtroom asking that his trial be delayed until September. A decision is expected next Wednesday.
The NDP accused the Liberals of planning to orchestrate their own defeat in Parliament so they can rush into a campaign now, before additional revelations come before the sponsorship inquiry.
By loading the budget bill with a Kyoto accord measure sure to be opposed by the Tories, Martin is trying to force his own defeat, said an NDP strategist.
"The government is precipitating its own demise," said one NDP strategist.
"If Paul Martin had not played games with Kyoto, there would not be a problem.
"This is not the opposition parties ganging up on Paul Martin. This is Paul Martin playing funny games."
Martin and his closest aides held meetings and conference calls Friday to discuss the budget bill and sponsorship fallout, sources said.
They would not comment on speculation they might strip down the budget bill to remove the Kyoto component, which involved broadening the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
But they were preparing to blame Harper for any writ drop in the near future.
"The Canadian people do not want an election," said Martin spokesman Scott Reid.
"The government does not want an election. The only leader who has spoken about the possibility of an election is Stephen Harper."
The Liberals were also preparing to insulate their leader against attacks that will inevitably flow from the sponsorship testimony.
Any sins committed happened under Jean Chretien's administration and cannot be linked to Martin, said one strategist close to the prime minister.
"You will not see anybody identified with the Paul Martin team involved in any of the accusations put forward," he said.
"Because that's not how the Paul Martin team works."
In another rehearsal of a possible Liberal election theme, the strategist said Conservatives could end up killing the Gomery inquiry if they topple the government.
The inquiry and its daily attacks on the Liberal reputation should be suspended during an election campaign, he suggested.
But one inquiry official diputed the notion that the inquiry would automatically shut down because of a writ drop.
"Only a government decree would put an end to the commission," said Gomery spokesman Francois Perreault.
"Until that time the commission will continue - whether or not there's an election."
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=8c66f0f3-82c8-4d29-aa29-e57eb0843a25
Former ad executive weeps during Gomery testimony
MONTREAL - Former advertising executive Jean Brault broke down in tears on the witness stand at the Gomery Commission yesterday. It occurred in mid-afternoon as Mr. Brault was being grilled by the inquiry's chief counsel, Bernard Roy.
The line of questioning cannot be reported because Mr. Brault's testimony is subject to a publication ban imposed by inquiry Judge John Gomery on testimony by Mr. Brault and two other scheduled witnesses, who face criminal charges in connection with the sponsorship affair and whose trials are scheduled to begin early next month. Mr. Brault owned Groupaction, named in the affair that saw $100-million of the $250-million sponsorship program funding paid to Quebec advertising and communications firms with close ties to the Liberal party.
Mr. Brault appeared to tire under the relentless questioning as the day wore on, and at one point buried his head in his hands and began weeping. He is scheduled to resume testifying today. The incident came just before the commission's regular mid-afternoon break, which the judge then called.
After a 20-minute respite, a composed Brault returned to the stand and resumed his testimony. The publication ban was imposed because media coverage of the inquiry could make it impossible to find an unbiased jury for Brault's trial if his testimony is publicized in advance.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Friends. If you've got a ping list, we're going to need your help on this one.
If you're from the US, that is.
On Monday, the opposition is going to raise the issue on the floor of the House of Commons (where they have immunity from prosecution for what they say). We need it to be publicized by US sources.
If you've got a blog, post what they say. And here, too.
I hear the buzzing of an approaching blog swarm
Whatever we can do let us know. Bumping for the morning.
Why is there a publication ban on testimony that may topple the government? What would happen if Fox News just happened to report on the testimony and this stupid ban?
What are the Liberals afraid of? Why can't they stand up and act like men (and women) instead of hiding behind their daddy's robe?
Here's hoping the government falls and the Conservative Party makes enough inroads in Ontario to win a clear majority. It's going to be tough, though, since they'll win nothing in Quebec and little in Atlantic Canada.
Someone help out this stupid 'ol Texan. I've never comprende'd this Parliamentary Crapola as a form of government and have yet to have it explained to me just how it actually HELPS the citizens of said country.
It looks to me like all it does is allow those in the minority to rule those in the majority without their consent. For example . . . let's say the Conservatives get 49.9% of the vote, or seats, or MP's, or however in the hell these things are measured . . . and the rest of the pervert parties total 50.1%. Can't the PP's band together and form a government and leave the Conservatives out in the cold?
Then when they do something unpopular or wrong or, hell, even illegal . . . can they really just issue a "publication ban" and the info is kept from the people? Hell's fire . . . that sounds like what our Democrats do with the help of the MSM . . . see the Democrat's computer notes on stopping certain judges from being voted on for example. Instead of the Democrats being pilloried for their unconstitutional actions, it was the Republicans who were pilloried by the MSM because . . . gasp . . . they actually read the memos that were on an unprotected server.
But I'm getting off the subject . . .
Another aspect of this Parliamentary crap is it provides insulation for the weasels where, in actuality, they're accountable to no one. Our Canadian Conservative Brethren complain all the time about how difficult it is for them to make wholesale changes. Here . . . we work our asses off and every two years we can start to whittle our enemies down to size.
Why in the hell would ANY citizen or country want to be part of a Parliamentary system? I'm older'n dirt . . . and I've been asking this question my whole, stupid life. Forgive me, I just don't comprende.
Can you give us a precis of what this scandal is all about?
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Thanks.
I concur. Whenever a gag order is issued on proceedings in the USA, all the media outlets throughout the world are publishing the lurid details. Or is this another shining example of the world wide liberal press protecting their own (liberal politicians)?
Here is an interesting post that was found on 'small dead animals' with a HT to Instapundit.
Leftist Despots, Drugs, prostitution, graft, organized crime permeating this leftist scourge of North America.
Is it a surprise that Canada also gave us the first concentration camps?
http://www.infoukes.com/history/internment/gulag/
Assuming they win 80 seats in the West (out of 92 possible seats), they would likely need to win at least 60 seats in Ontario and 10 in Atlantic Canada to be within striking distance of a majority (with 150 seats, they could use a few Liberal-in-name-only backbenchers to push their agenda unless Mr. Dithers uses the heavy hammer). That means their voice needs to resonate in the suburban 905 area code around Toronto and in northern Ontario. Some Liberal seats going NDP wouldn't hurt them either...
Hi Meekie,
Could you put out a general ping for this? It's going to be a juicy week/weekend, and we may get a Consevative government up here yet! Thanks, and see post #4.
Pinging my General Interest and Canada list here.Canada: Election chatter grows amid
talk of devastating Gomery testimony
(Testimony banned)
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.
There are also a couple of interesting threads on FreeDominion.ca
Here's an assessment of the current situation... 04/ 02/ 05 1:54 pm springer,
New Gomery testimony spurs talk of election [ 1 ... 4, 5, 6 ] 04/ 01/ 05 6:09 pm Gabby Jay
Election time? [ 1, 2 ] 04/ 02/ 05 7:17 am karadjos
Hi fanfan....
I must advise all Canadian Freepers to temper any excitement or high hopes.
This bunch of arrogant, thieving, lying, crooked snakes will retain power against all odds.
They are the mob. No matter how many scandals they have chalked up against them, Canadians don't seem to mind.
It is stunning how they are continually voted into power. But then, with the entire media operation up here as pro-liberal as they are anti-conservative, it is little wonder.
Mr. Harper will immediately be painted as a right-wing, religious, fanatical nut, anxious to join America and send Canada's young people overseas to be killed in "America's" war. This was the line that went out during the two weeks prior to the last election, and it worked.
Sorry to rain on any parades, but I keep my optimism in check up here.
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