Gomery inquiry blames Chretien, clears Martin

Reuters ^ | November 1, 2005 | Randall Palmer and David Ljunggren

[West Coast Conservative]

Former prime minister Jean Chretien shares the blame for a government scandal laced by greed, incompetence, carelessness and venality, but Prime Minister Paul Martin, a fellow Liberal, is off the hook, an official report said on Tuesday.

The report of an inquiry into a deeply flawed government advertising program to promote Canadian unity also said senior Liberal officials in French-speaking Quebec had engaged in an elaborate kickback scheme and in illegal campaign financing.

In all, about C$100 million was funneled from the program to pro-Liberal advertising firms.

Opposition politicians responded to the report with outrage, and Martin, whose government has only a minority in Parliament, immediately asked police to investigate.

Martin could face a confidence vote in Parliament as early as November 14, but opposition parties expressed some reluctance about the idea, saying that if they win the vote it would trigger an election campaign during the December holiday season.

Even if Martin does survive the immediate threat, he still faces an election next year in which he will find it hard to win back enough Liberal seats in Quebec to give him a majority government. The party's fortunes in the province plummeted last year after the scandal broke.

Stephen Harper, leader of the official opposition Conservatives, said Martin -- who was finance minister at the time of the scandal -- had no option but to resign.

"I can't think of any other parliamentary democracy where a scandal of this magnitude and of this nature ... could pass without the fall of the government," he said.

[The Electrician]

"I can't think of any other parliamentary democracy where a scandal of this magnitude and of this nature ... could pass without the fall of the government," he said.

Is it possible that that is because the Canadian government has evolved into something quite different, which, while retaining the outward appearance of a parliamentary democracy, has been corrupted into a self-perpetuating, one-party-rule, banana republic? Isn't it true that the primary reason that the government did not fall was that Martin in effect bribed a member of the "opposition" to cross the aisle, in much the same manner that US Senator Jim Jeffords was bribed into betraying his party and the country in return for a short-lived chance to wield power in the service of Hillary and others of America's enemies?

[Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...]

All true and let's not forget the role of the media in this sorry state.

[JudyinCanada]

How about putting some blame on the Canadians who vote these people into power no matter how corrupt. Look at their poll numbers and you'll see that we get exactly what we collectively ask for.

[r9etb]

A Gomery inquiry?.

[SunkenCiv]

Canadian probe blames former PM, clears Martin
Reuters | Nov 1, 2005 | Randall Palmer and David Ljunggren
Posted on 11/01/2005 8:59:54 AM PST by Antonello
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1513382/posts

[pyx]

Gomery inquiry blames Chretien, clears Martin

Paul Martin was Jean Chretien's minister of finance and looked after the federal bookkeeping during Jean Chretien's reign.

Why should the official bookkeeper (minister of finance) be given a pass if he was the one managing the public books ?

Or is there a different rule of law in Canukia for the ruling class as opposed to the rule of law used for her majesty's SUBJECTS ?

Does the prime minister, Paul Martin, have absolute and unbridled power in Canukia ?
Be prepared to back up you answer with source.