John Baird & the Mayor of Ottawa

[August1991]

What's this all about?

The OPP have charged the Mayor of Ottawa (Larry O'Brien) with attempting to bribe an opponent (Terry Kilrea) in the 2006 mayoralty race to drop out - with the reward of an appointment to the Federal Parole Board. Who makes appointments to the Federal Parole Board? John Baird.

The OPP also obtained a search warrant to seize e-mail correspondence from 2006 between Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Kilrea, and John Baird, the member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean and the federal minister of the environment in the Stephen Harper cabinet. Mr. Baird also handles federal appointments for Eastern Ontario. The police detectives got that warrant after some of the e-mail correspondence was featured on the front page of the Citizen.

On Friday, Mr. O'Brien dared the OPP to charge him issuing this denial. "These alleged allegations and rumours are simply false," he said. "I have never offered Mr.Kilrea a position on the parole board in exchange for his dropping out of the mayoralty race." the mayor said and he went on to address a rumour that Mr. Baird was involved.

"I have never had any discussion with Minister John Baird on the issue of an appointment with the parole board for Mr. Kilrea in exchange for him dropping out of the mayoralty race," Mr. O'Brien said.

OPP detectives have executed a production order at Hy's Steakhouse with the hopes of placing Mr. Baird and Mr. O'Brien together.

Mr. Baird told the Citizen that he has never talked about any appointment for Mr. Kilrea, and never even entertained it.

Mr. Baird also said he checked his appointment book and it showed no meeting with Mr. O'Brien. But the Conservative cabinet minister said he goes to Hy's Steakhouse often and could have bumped into Mr. O'Brien at the establishment.

Ottawa Citizen

If the OPP has charged this guy, then presumably there must be some evidence that he has some connection to Baird. And if Baird's involved, then this is far more serious than silly municipal shenanigans.

Is the OPP as incompetent as the RCMP?

[jdobbin]

If the OPP has charged this guy, then presumably there must be some evidence that he has some connection to Baird. And if Baird's involved, then this is far more serious than silly municipal shenanigans.

Is the OPP as incompetent as the RCMP?

We'll have to see how the investigation goes. It could be the mayor was making promises without Baird's knowledge. The person who is making the accusations passed a lie detector test for what that is worth. It seems he believes that he was going to get money and an appointment.

Do you think that is going to be the strategy of the Tories: to call the police incompetent at the onset of these charges?

Edited December 11, 2007 by jdobbin

[guyser]

Is the OPP as incompetent as the RCMP?

Hard question....they do have Fantino at the helm, so yes , compared to Zaccardelli (retired or fired?)

they are.

As for the people who have to do the work, could be since increasingly the OPP are a political arm of the province.

[August1991]

Do you think that is going to be the strategy of the Tories: to call the police incompetent at the onset of these charges?

I somehow doubt that Dobbin.

Harper brought in Baird as the tough young partisan guy who can heavy lift the sensitive, in-the-media environment portfolio. So, if Baird gets mixed up in some amateur scandal in municipal politics, then it matters to Harper.

Baird (and Harper) better have a line prepared and it should be better than "we may have met in a restaurant".

[jdobbin]

Harper brought in Baird as the tough young partisan guy who can heavy lift the sensitive, in-the-media environment portfolio. So, if Baird gets mixed up in some amateur scandal in municipal politics, then it matters to Harper.

Baird (and Harper) better have a line prepared and it should be better than "we may have met in a restaurant".

As I said, it could be the mayor was making deals with this guy without Baird's knowledge. Baird's fate sort of rests in the mayor's hands now if he decides to flip if his case turns south.

We'll have to see how it plays out.

Why do you think the police in Ontario are incompetent?

[August1991]

As I said, it could be the mayor was making deals with this guy without Baird's knowledge. Baird's fate sort of rests in the mayor's hands now if he decides to flip if his case turns south.

Duh on both counts. Baird is going to claim ignorance and this mayor is obviously going to deny.

Now then, if the mayor (eg. Schreiber) faces jail time, then things may change. [if I were Harper, I'd do as Eisenhower: Baird must be cleaner than a hound's tooth.]

Why do you think the police in Ontario are incompetent?

I don't. But given the recent history of the RCMP, I hope the OPP manages better. Then again, I hope the OPP is not responding to a partisan provincial government master.

[jdobbin]

Duh on both counts. Baird is going to claim ignorance and this mayor is obviously going to deny.

Now then, if the mayor (eg. Schreiber) faces jail time, then things may change. [if I were Harper, I'd do as Eisenhower: Baird must be cleaner than a hound's tooth.]

I don't. But given the recent history of the RCMP, I hope the OPP manages better. Then again, I hope the OPP is not responding to a partisan provincial government master.

Sometimes ministers get caught up in things and it takes a while to extract them from the trouble even though they are not guilty of anything. Ontario's finance minister comes to mind. Sinclair Stevens is another. In Stevens' case, it took almost 18 years to declare the charges null and void.

Both the mayor and Baird are looking to continue in their jobs. We'll see if that is politically possible.

As for the police, what do you think is the answer? You've said the RCMP should be broken up. Should OPP be next? And how far should forces be broken down? Do you think they would be more competent as smaller entities?

Edited December 11, 2007 by jdobbin

[August1991]

As for the police, what do you think is the answer? You've said the RCMP should be broken up. Should OPP be next? And how far should forces be broken down? Do you think they would be more competent as smaller entities?

Dobbin, you have too many questions.

Yes, I think the RCMP should be broken up (or at least, it should concentrate on its core federal responsibilities.)

I also hope that politicians cannot use a police force (provincial or otherwise) for partisan political purposes. How to prevent this? Dunno. I suppose Crown Prosecutors play a role somehow. I kind of like the US grand jury system too.

Thread drift ahead:

Sometimes ministers get caught up in things and it takes a while to extract them from the trouble even though they are not guilty of anything. Ontario's finance minister comes to mind. Sinclair Stevens is another. In Stevens' case, it took almost 18 years to declare the charges null and void.

I have often wondered whether this was a complex way for Mulroney to rid himself of Stevens. Edited December 11, 2007 by August1991

[jdobbin]

Dobbin, you have too many questions.

Yes, I think the RCMP should be broken up (or at least, it should concentrate on its core federal responsibilities.)

I also hope that politicians cannot use a police force (provincial or otherwise) for partisan political purposes. How to prevent this? Dunno. I suppose Crown Prosecutors play a role somehow. I kind of like the US grand jury system too.

Thread drift ahead:I have often wondered whether this was a complex way for Mulroney to rid himself of Stevens.

I ask the questions because sometime statements are made that sort of beg the question of what the meaning is.

Provinces are free to start their own forces. The Tories could offload responsibility to the provinces but let's not pretend that it would be easy or that the transition would go without a hitch.

Crown prosecutors and police already share a close relationship. I don't know how a grand jury would be effective in making police less corrupt or political. Is that what happens in the States?

Mulroney got rid of a lot of ministers that ran into trouble. He had a large cabinet and there were still a lot of mouths to feed with a large caucus. Although Stevens was not guilty of anything, he would not have been able to continue politically until the situation was resolved. What I think is criminal is how long it took to clear him.