Bruce Carson

[Keepitsimple]

I'm surprised that I found this article in The Star.....but even a broken clock is right twice a day. It really does look like there's nothing much to see....other than what may amount to a huge invasion of privacy:

OTTAWA—A former adviser to the Prime Minister accused of influence peddling was an unpaid Good Samaritan who freely shared his insider advice to a struggling company, an official with the firm has told the Toronto Star.

........

But the young woman’s mother, Christine McPherson, denied that Carson, 66, was “lobbying.”

He didn’t stand to profit from any of the deals H2O Global Group was trying to secure for installing water filtration systems on native reserves, she said in an interview.

Instead, McPherson said Carson is a “wonderful person” who advised the company while supporting his fiancée’s return to a straight and narrow path.

“We respect him tremendously and he’s been hugely supportive of Michele doing different things in her life,” she said.

The political furor that has engulfed pre-election Ottawa since reports about Carson first emerged last week have shocked and shaken the company and the individuals at the heart of the matter.

.............

Federal laws prevent political staff from lobbying the government for five years after leaving their job, though this can be circumvented if the responsibilities take up less than 20 per cent of an individual’s time and there is no payment.

Carson has said that his work for the company took up less than one tenth of one per cent of his time.

Reports of a deal the company struck to pay Carson’s fiancée 20 per cent of the gross revenues from water filter sales are also a bust, McPherson said. The contract was cancelled last month and all employees, including Michele McPherson, are now paid based on performance measures.

Christine McPherson is concerned this whole matter is a misunderstanding that calls for a public relations firm, not the police.

“He’s never actually lobbied for us,” she said by telephone. “He was never compensated in any capacity … Bruce doesn’t have any form of contract with us, or agreement. He assisted us by advising us.”

She added: “We’re very happy (the RCMP) is doing an investigation. We don’t believe there has been any wrongdoing and we’re very much looking forward to the outcome of their investigation. We certainly hope it will be swift.”

...............

Journalists with APTN approached the company to do a story on the poor quality of water on native reserves and spent a week interviewing employees and touring their facilities. Now she believes the veteran Conservative operative was their target all along.

“We ended up really deceived by the end of the week finding out this was really about Bruce Carson and not about First Nations water and not about our work,” McPherson said.

Harder still is the McPherson family’s pain having Michele’s past life as a paid escort dragged through the media with pictures broadcast across the country and the satisfied comments of her former customers rehashed in the press.

“Michele, like many other teenagers, got caught up in something as a young girl and it’s been a huge battle for her, it’s been a huge battle for our family,” McPherson said.

Link: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/959311--fiancee-s-mother-defends-ex-pmo-aide-carson

[scribblet]

There are always two sides, what people see and learn is often dictated by the media, along with the opposition pushing their own agendas.

[Shakeyhands]

oh yes... he's very wholesome.

[Wild Bill]

I'm surprised that I found this article in The Star.....but even a broken clock is right twice a day. It really does look like there's nothing much to see....other than what may amount to a huge invasion of privacy:

Keeps, let's not waste our time with the idea that there are two sides and that Carson might not actually be that bad!

We have the closest thing to a political sex scandal that we Canadians ever get! For once, politicians are providing us with some adult entertainment. It may be salacious and racy but at least that's a change from 3 Stooges slapstick!

Don't dig up some FACTS that might ruin everything! :angry:

[Jack Weber]

Hookers...Cosy politicians...Money...

In the words of the late Howard Cosell...

"We've got the excitement here that we look for!!!"

Edited March 24, 2011 by Jack Weber

[Wild Bill]

Hookers...Cosy politicians...Money...

In the words of the late Howard Cosell...

"We've got the excitement here that we look for!!!"

Right arm, Jack! Farm out!

Sorry! I'm still an old hippy with old hippy expressions but sometimes I get 'senior's moments" with my memory and the words don't come out right...

Edited March 24, 2011 by Wild Bill

[Jack Weber]

Right arm, Jack! Farm out!

Sorry! I'm still an old hippy with old hippy expressions but sometimes I get 'senior's moments" with my memory and the words don't come out right...

It's OK...

My Dad has the same problem...

1:05 for Howard's salient quote...

[madmax]

Reports of a deal the company struck to pay Carson’s fiancée 20 per cent of the gross revenues from water filter sales are also a bust, McPherson said. The contract was cancelled last month and all employees, including Michele McPherson, are now paid based on performance measures.

LMAO!!! This sounds really bad.

[Jack Weber]

LMAO!!! This sounds really bad.

Can we assume that this includes the "performance" of his fiance??

[Shwa]

Facts. OK, let's see if we can sort this out:

Carson got clearance from low- to mid-level official

OTTAWA—Bruce Carson was cleared by a low- to mid-level bureaucrat to work in Stephen Harper’s office, without the involvement of senior security officials or anyone in the Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s entourage, according to an official in the Privy Council Office.

The PCO also says it’s now conducting a review of its security-screening procedures in the wake of controversy over Carson’s criminal record.

The Privy Council is now conducting a "review" of it's security-screening procedures. OK, by why should they - don't they come under the Financial Administration Act?

Security Clearance Form

The information collected ... may be disclosed to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police... and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service...

Here's the Government Security Policy

2. Application 2.1 This policy applies to:

All departments within the meaning of Schedules I, I.1, II, IV and V of the Financial Administration Act (FAA), unless excluded by specific acts, regulations or Orders in Council.

Here is Schedule 1.1:

Privy Council Office

Bureau du Conseil privé

Back to the Star story:

Carson told The Canadian Press earlier this week he disclosed his entire criminal record when he applied for security clearance in 2006 and also discussed the matter with Ian Brodie, then Harper’s chief of staff.

Harper and Brodie have both said they knew nothing about the 1990 convictions and weren’t involved in granting clearance, which is generally handled by the dozens of staffers in the PCO security office.

Ironically, it seems like Bruce Carson is telling the truth at this point...

[GWiz]

Ironically, it seems like Bruce Carson is telling the truth at this point...

Meaning of course that Harper and Brodie aren't! Surprise, surprise, NOT!

Since the RCMP have simply become Harper's "handmaidens" don't expect anything much from that side either...

[Wild Bill]

Meaning of course that Harper and Brodie aren't! Surprise, surprise, NOT!

Since the RCMP have simply become Harper's "handmaidens" don't expect anything much from that side either...

So now the RCMP are the TORY "handmaidens"? Oh dear! Trudeau must be rolling in his grave!

As witness his sending the RCMP into the Toronto Sun offices to ransack the place for imaginary evidence, knocking a pregnant worker down in the process.

Obviously, PET believed that they were HIS "handmaidens"!

Or maybe just in both cases the RCMP, being human beings, made some mistakes making a distinction between obeying the letter of the law and the authority of the sitting PM. No need for assuming some illogical amount of partisanship.

[Shwa]

Or maybe just in both cases the RCMP, being human beings, made some mistakes making a distinction between obeying the letter of the law and the authority of the sitting PM. No need for assuming some illogical amount of partisanship.

So are you saying that the Prime Minister directed the RCMP to ignore the security clearance of Bruce Carson?

[Wild Bill]

So are you saying that the Prime Minister directed the RCMP to ignore the security clearance of Bruce Carson?

Nope! I guess the context got a bit confused. Gwiz was referring to how the RCMP had been acting like the PM's personal bouncers at the rally where they barred those two girls. I equated this with PET's actions, but only to show that they were both isolated mistakes, not an official declaration of the entire RCMP being ANYBODY'S "handmaiden"!

[GWiz]

Nope! I guess the context got a bit confused. Gwiz was referring to how the RCMP had been acting like the PM's personal bouncers at the rally where they barred those two girls. I equated this with PET's actions, but only to show that they were both isolated mistakes, not an official declaration of the entire RCMP being ANYBODY'S "handmaiden"!

RCMP boss OK'd ex-PM aide Carson's security clearance

- CBC News has learned William Elliott, who was serving as national security adviser in the Privy Council Office in January 2006, was the official responsible for giving the green light to Bruce Carson working in the Prime Minister's Office. The RCMP is currently probing allegations that Carson was involved in illegal lobbying.

Elliott, who was hand-picked by Harper to become the Mounties' first civilian commissioner in 2007, is stepping down in the summer after a controversial reign and public battles with senior RCMP brass over his management style.

The Canadian Press reported earlier this week that Carson was convicted on five counts of fraud — three more than previously known — and received court-ordered psychiatric treatment prior to his hiring as an adviser to Harper.

Carson worked in the Prime Minister's Office until 2008. An investigation into Carson's business dealings by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network led the PMO to call in the RCMP in March. -

I rest my case...

[Shwa]

RCMP boss OK'd ex-PM aide Carson's security clearance

- CBC News has learned William Elliott, who was serving as national security adviser in the Privy Council Office in January 2006, was the official responsible for giving the green light to Bruce Carson working in the Prime Minister's Office. The RCMP is currently probing allegations that Carson was involved in illegal lobbying.

Elliott, who was hand-picked by Harper to become the Mounties' first civilian commissioner in 2007, is stepping down in the summer after a controversial reign and public battles with senior RCMP brass over his management style.

The Canadian Press reported earlier this week that Carson was convicted on five counts of fraud — three more than previously known — and received court-ordered psychiatric treatment prior to his hiring as an adviser to Harper.

Carson worked in the Prime Minister's Office until 2008. An investigation into Carson's business dealings by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network led the PMO to call in the RCMP in March. -

I rest my case...

So... let me get this straight...

The plot thickens!

[Jack Weber]

So... let me get this straight...

The plot thickens!

Someone wwwwwaaaayyy up top is telling a whopper!!!