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Michael Ignatieff’s campaign aide, Warren Kinsella, is threatening to sue me for writing about his involvement in Adscam. You can see a copy of his libel notice here. Justice John Gomery, who chaired the Judicial Inquiry into that scandal, named Kinsella more than a dozen times in his report. You can read the whole thing here – or just search for the word “Kinsella” to get to the point. On page 160 of the report, in a chapter called “Who is responsible?” Justice Gomery noted that Kinsella, then chief of staff to Public Works Minister David Dingwall, tried to steer...

Harper appointee under fire from Dion Andrew Mayeda, CanWest News Service Published: Thursday, April 12, 2007 OTTAWA - The Harper government was accused yesterday of launching a political "witch hunt" against the Liberals after naming a former separatist politician to investigate the federal government's past use of public opinion polling. Daniel Paille was a Cabinet minister under the Parti Quebecois government of former Quebec premier Jacques Parizeau in the mid-1990s. In his new capacity as "independent advisor," Mr. Paille will probe the federal government's polling practices from 1990 to March 31, 2003. In announcing the appointment, Public Works Minister...

Lafleur to remain behind bars cnews.canoe.ca April 6, 2007 MONTREAL (CP) - Ad man Jean Lafleur will remain incarcerated until at least next Thursday on 35 fraud charges related to the federal sponsorship scandal. Lafleur's bail proceeding was postponed Friday until next Thursday to give his lawyer time to get copies of statements from hundreds of potential witnesses in the case. "We don't have all the information necessary to proceed," his lawyer, Jean-Claude Hebert, told the judge. Jean Lafleur, former owner of Lafleur Communicationand Marketing, prepares to start his last day of testimony at the Gomery commission in Montreal,...

Police probing Liberal 'network of corruption' Daniel LeBlanc Toronto Globe and Mail Wednesday, April 4, 2007 OTTAWA — The police probe into the sponsorship scandal is focusing increasingly on the shadowy world of political organizers who siphoned federal funds from advertising firms on behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada, sources said yesterday. In police parlance, the probes are now looking into the "network of corruption" involving Liberal fundraisers and organizers who were continuously asking advertising firms for kickbacks. A source who has been interviewed by the RCMP said that police are asking more and more questions about Jacques...

Dion's party crashers Unlikely win a victory for new guard -- and possibly Harper Ottawa Sun Sunday, December 3, 2006 By Greg Weston MONTREAL -- And the winner is? Stephen Harper. The prime minister should be laughing all the way to the polls after the federal Liberals crowned Stephane Dion their new leader in a wildly unpredictable upset here yesterday. In choosing the professorial Quebec MP to lead the Grits into the next election, the Liberal party has taken a turn for the bland, if not towards an electoral abyss. While all of the four frontrunners in the race...

The secret caller who exposed Adscam DANIEL LEBLANC reveals how an anonymous tipster helped him break the federal sponsorship scandal Toronto Globe and Mail Saturday, October 21, 2006 DANIEL LEBLANC OTTAWA -- The phone call came on June 1, 2000. The woman had a quiet voice, and she wanted our conversation, and her identity, to remain a secret. She had read my recent story on the sponsorship program in The Globe and Mail, and urged me to dig further. The call couldn't have come at a more opportune time. I had been interested in Ottawa's aggressive advertising campaign in...

Harper to probe phantom jobs Move comes after revelation ministerial aides won free ride into public service Kathryn May The Ottawa Citizen Tuesday, October 17, 2006 The Harper government wants to investigate how former Liberal ministerial aides landed jobs in the public service over the past decade. A senior official confirmed yesterday that the Treasury Board and the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency are examining the issue following recent revelations that two former Liberal aides landed "phantom" jobs that gave them free rides into the public service after they lost their political jobs in the January election. The...

Prosecutors poring over more sponsorship files Further charges could be laid as police submit reports on ad work TU THANH HA Toronto Globe and Mail Wednesday, June 28, 2006 MONTREAL -- Crown attorneys have in their hands more files from police investigations into the federal sponsorship scandal and are studying them, says the prosecutor who handled the fraud trial that led to the conviction and jailing of former bureaucrat Chuck Guité. "There are files that have been forwarded," prosecutor Jacques Dagenais told reporters yesterday. "Other files will be coming. I'm quite sure of that. We are examining some of...

No more 'entitlements' PM: Bill aims to 'change way business done in Ottawa' Allan Woods CanWest News Service Wednesday, April 12, 2006 OTTAWA - Stephen Harper introduced his government's first piece of legislation -- the Federal Accountability Act -- yesterday in an attempt to position his party as an agent of change and close the ethical loopholes that sank the previous Liberal government. The bill, which the Tories outlined during the election campaign, bans corporate and union donations to federal parties, cracks down on lobbyists, protects whistle-blowers and gives more power to officers of Parliament, such as the ethics...

Charges laid in DND computer billing case Ex- bureaucrat, two businessmen charged in $100M scam Glen McGregor The Ottawa Citizen Tuesday, January 31, 2006 A former Department of National Defence bureaucrat and two Ottawa area businessmen were charged yesterday after a lengthy investigation into what the RCMP alleges was a complex billing scheme that cost the federal government more than $100 million. Paul Champagne, a former DND contracts manager, was charged with seven counts, including fraud, breach of trust by a public officer and money laundering. The RCMP accuse him of obtaining more than $105 million from the government...

ACCORDING TO his opponent, Canadian Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper exposed "an agenda really drawn from the extreme right in the United States." He favored the Iraq war, opposed the Kyoto treaty on global warming, and is a social conservative to boot. He might just become -- heaven forbid -- "the most pro-American leader in the Western world." His victory would -- O, Canada! -- "put a smile on George W. Bush's face." Despite all those scary warnings, Mr. Harper and his party won Canada's election on Monday. That put an end to 12 years of increasingly incoherent and corrupt...

After 12 years, we at the Sun think it's self-evident that the Liberals have to go, and polls show most Canadians agree. But just in case you're still not sure, we've compiled a list of the lowlights of Liberal rule since 1993. There's plenty more where these came from, but we've narrowed it to 218 reasons not to vote Liberal. Take your pick: You really only need one. THIS ELECTION -- WE DID NOT MAKE THIS UP 1 Pre-election spending: $22.2 billion, according to Canadian Taxpayers Federation. 2 Pre-election tax relief: $30 billion -- about $323 per taxpayer; up from...

Tory lead firm: poll Harper's party ahead by 12 points, NDP poised to boost seats Norma Greenaway CanWest News Service Saturday, January 21, 2006 OTTAWA - The Conservative party is poised to form a minority government, while the NDP is likely to significantly increase its representation in the House of Commons, according to a new national survey. The Ipsos Reid survey, conducted for the National Post, CanWest News Service and Global National, also says the Liberals and the Bloc Quebecois are in a tight race to become the Official Opposition. Darrell Bricker, president of the polling firm, says the...

The Ceaucescu moment in Paul Martin's short, disgraceful career as prime minister, the instant it was clear the jig was well and truly up, occurred not this year but last; not during the long, slow humiliation of the present election campaign, but in his hour of maximum triumph, perhaps the finest achievement of his premiership: the luring of Belinda Stronach, by means of a Cabinet bauble or two, into the Liberal fold. You remember: the press conference, a nervous Ms. Stronach, a beaming prime minister. Someone asks about the political impact of her defection, just days before that crucial vote...

Tory support recedes slightly Martin O'Hanlon Global National with files from Canadian Press Tuesday, January 17, 2006 OTTAWA (CP) - The polls they are a-changin' but not enough to make a dispirited Liberal sing. Three new public-opinion surveys suggest the recent Conservative wave of momentum may have crested or even receded a bit just days ahead of Monday's election. A Decima Research poll, conducted Jan. 12-15 for The Canadian Press, put the Conservatives at 37 per cent support compared with 27 per cent for the Liberals. The NDP stood at 18 per cent and the Bloc Quebecois at 11....

Editorial: Three reasons why it's time for a change Toronto Globe and Mail Saturday, January 14, 2006 Canada has been well served by 12-plus years of Liberal rule. Despite what the opposition parties would have us believe, it has not been all scandal and nest-feathering. Ask yourself a simple multiple of Ronald Reagan's famous electoral question: Are you better off today than you were 12 years ago? Unemployment then stood at 11.2 per cent. Today, it is 6.5 per cent. An average mortgage rate was 8.78 per cent. Now it is 5.99 per cent, making home ownership affordable for...

RCMP proving to be Martin's undeclared but powerful campaign rival MICHELLE MACAFEE Fri Jan 6, 6:27 PM ET OTTAWA (CP) - Paul Martin could be forgiven for feeling these days as though he's running against an undeclared but powerful rival: the RCMP. The Liberal leader's campaign promise of a $500-million package to help the elderly, the disabled and family caregivers was obscured Friday by word police were looking into more allegations of mismanaged tax dollars in Quebec. While Conservative rival Stephen Harper was detailing plans for child care and Jack Layton described the NDP version of a gun-crime crackdown,...

Toronto Sun Fri, January 6, 2006 Canadians want change By PETER WORTHINGTON With 17 days to go before the Jan. 23 election, Stephen Harper's Conservatives have taken a positive lead in the polls over the Liberals. It's a first for the Conservatives in this campaign, and there's a giddy feeling of momentum building -- unless Harper commits a gaffe (always a possibility). While it is as pleasant as it is unusual for Conservatives to be leading in opinion polls, the most significant poll in this campaign may be that 59% of Canadians feel it's time for change, as do 53%...

Tories take the lead: poll Harper ahead even in vote-rich Ontario Eric Beauchesne CanWest News Service Monday, January 02, 2006 OTTAWA -- The Conservatives have edged ahead of the Liberals in support, according to poll results released today that also put Stephen Harper's party in the lead in the crucial Ontario region. If an election were held today, 33% of voters would cast their ballots for the Conservatives, up a percentage point from a week ago, while 32% would vote Liberal, down a point, according to the poll by Ipsos Reid for the National Post, CanWest News Service and...

Well, they got away with it. Paul Martin wants to make it absolutely clear that he takes the Gomery report very very seriously, so he’s hiring 300 new federal auditors. Wow! Three hundred new auditors! Let Paul Martin be perfectly clear on this: this isn’t the old Liberal party culture of corruption, no sir. It’s the all-new Liberal party culture of corruption, now with full supporting cast! Granted, the sponsorship program that got him in this mess in the first place did, in fact, go through four separate federal audits, all of which “raised red flags.” Presumably, the red flags...