"this Is Unacceptable."

Michael Hardner · February 10, 2004

The news conference just ended. PM Paul Martin didn't stay long enough to answer more than a few questions from reporters.

The PM announced a set of measures to retrieve lost funds, and set new oversight practises such as a commission of inquiry, a new accounts committee, and a bill to protect whistle-blowers.

Three questions for you:

Q1:Will PM's actions satisfy the opposition ?

A1:No.

Q2:Will PM's actions satisfy Canadians ?

Q3:Will PM's actions satisfy you ?

maplesyrup · February 10, 2004

It appears that every single issue that might cause the Martin Liberals grief, during the forecast upcoming election, is being put out of sight, either through a public/judicial inquiry, or a referral to the Supreme Court, including the A-G's report.

Initially I was in favour of having an election right away, but now I'm beginning to wonder if Canadians would be better served by holding off on the election until we get some answers.

My answers to your questons are no to all by-the-way.

The problem is that presently most Canadians don't see a credible alternative to our governing Liberals. There is a feeling of helplessness permeating our country, I believe.

PM Martin was Finance Minister during this entire period. Either he knew and is lying about what he knew, or he didn't know, and if he didn't know, then he is incompetent.

This is a Liberal party scandal. How can the RCMP investigate the criminal aspect to this abuse of $250,000,000 when they are named in the report?

Michael Hardner · February 10, 2004

I concur with your comments. The time is ripe for the CPC to step forward and show it's mettle.

Whoever wins the CPC leadership will either have to capitalize on this chance or resign. If the new leader can't sell Canadians on the party against the Liberals, there's no hope.

The Baron of Banality · February 10, 2004

- For Paul Martin, the second most important figure in the government for almost ten years, the senior minister from Quebec, and the minister supposedly most concerned with battling the deficit including rooting out government bumph, burglary, boondoggles and bungling, to claim that he knew nothing about this minimum $100 million money laundering scheme right out of the Mafia manual is about as credible as Goering claiming he knew nothing about the halocaust (in fairness to Goering, he accepted responsbility, something Martin and Liberals generally never do).

- You will well recall my opinion - supported by ample evidence long before this latest scandal and corroborated by U of O Professor Gilles Pacquet who is an expert on government operations and scandals - that the Chretien government was the crookedest administration in the post WWII history of Canada and made Mulroney and his gang seem as pure as Mother Theresa and the Nuns of Calcutta by comparison. Hopefully, the picture is becoming clearer to all by now.

- What is Martin doing about it? All the right things - he's fired Gagliano, he's called for an indepedendent public inquiry, he's got Treasury Board's Reg Alcock and Supply's David Owen on the case as well as the Public Accounts Committee and the RCMP. He has pledged that they will get to the bottom of what happened, how it happened, who was involved, how to tighten up reviews including putting controllers back into each department, and he has pledged also that heads will role and cells will beckon.

- What will the political fallout be? Probably almost nothing since the election will be over before the reports and changes and disciplining and criminal charges are actually laid. Don't forget - the HRDC scandal was TEN TIMES as costly (a billion unaccounted for not a crummy $100 million) and the public, per usual, got mad for a day, then yawned, rolled over and went back to sleep.

- Will the changes to come prevent this sort of scandalous boondoggle and burglary from happening again? Probably not. The only really effective way to increase probity in government is to have an effective opposition ready and electable to replace scoundrels who screw up and to have a fearless media as an arm of said opposition. We don't have either one in our present Benign Dictatorship. I'm hoping we will no later than the election of 2008/9.

SirRiff · February 11, 2004

usually i dont give a rats ass about the particular politicians in canada. namely becaause they are all crooks anyways, and individials dont seem to be so influencial like in the states. that being said, i usually go for Liberal because i figure they are the least extremist and most productive of the bad list of alternatives.

but my outrage is equal opportunity for al parties.

this report that basically says the entire federal goverment for several years was corrupt and secretly funnelling money to its supporters, means that the Liberal party needs to suffer for this. suffer badly. i dont care which party it is, people that do this should be first publicly humiliated, then voted/kicked out of office, then face criminal prosecution and real hard time. i dont care if its cabinet ministers or PMs too.

but alas, no chance of real punishment. i would classify this crime as a "Crime against Society", that is, so large in scale and such a violation of the entire populations trust that nothing less then harsh crimnal prosecution can restore some faith.

what can i say, i'm a liberal thinking person who votes Liberal because its the best of the worst.

but i'm a canadian before a liberal, certainly before a Liberal, and every person who ever touched this money knowing it was wrong needs to DO TIME IN JAIL.

god i hate corruption. in other nations they would just take them behind the building and shoot them. i got no problem with shooting the top few guys on tv.

sirriff