Jaffer boasted to businesses: I can get government money easily

[Argus]

The story still grows and new info still coming out. http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/04/19/snowdy-rcmp.html

Sounds like more innuendo to me. Setting up shop offshore to avoid taxes? Why, who would ever do such a thing? Other than Canada's previous Prime Minister, that is, whose mulitimillion dollar companies were set up in offshore shell companies in order to avoid paying taxes. It might not be admirable but it's still perfectly legal.

In part because Paul Martin resisted heavy pressure to change such laws, btw.

[Shakeyhands]

"but, but, but... the Liberals" they whined.

[Wild Bill]

Oh I don't know about that, how about "family values" Vic Toews, leaving his wife, for a much younger woman that he "knocked up" in Ottawa? One of his own staff if I remember correctly. That's pretty Monica Lewinski'ish?

Oh pulleeze! Small potatoes! If you want LARGE potatoes, we might consider Maxime Bernier's girl friend, Julie Couillard, I suppose.

Still, one a scale of one to ten we seem to always be about a two! A British cabinet minister might be caught with 14 year old twins in a brothel, paying for their time with defense secrets. We just made the age of majority 14 years anyway, so who would care about such twins in Canada? What's more, we don't HAVE any defense secrets!

Clinton got to play with a cigar. It could never happen here. All the offices on Parliament Hill have been declared non-smoking. Any Canadian PM would of course never dream of contravening that!

Maybe that's why I always loved Maggie Trudeau, despite my differences with her husband. She was perhaps the last and only "breath of fresh air" in Canadian politics. At least, I hear Mick Jagger thought so...

Edited April 20, 2010 by Wild Bill

[M.Dancer]

Maybe that's why I always loved Maggie Trudeau, despite my differences with her husband. She was perhaps the last and only "breath of fresh air" in Canadian politics. At least, I hear Mick Jagger thought so...

Jagger's comment on Trudeau was he wouldn't go near her with a barge pole.

[Wild Bill]

Jagger's comment on Trudeau was he wouldn't go near her with a barge pole.

Left her for "Keef", did he?

[jbg]

The trouble is, when it comes to scandals, the Tories are so boring!

Even the Helena and Rahim thing is kinda lame, when you think about it! Where are the juicy sex scandals of the British governments? Where's our equivalent of Monica Lewinski?

It would seem that in our entire history as a country all we can claim is MacKenzie King talking to his dead dog at a seance and Gerda Munsinger during the Diefenbaker years.

Who could imagine it? An entire nation of "Ned Flanders" types!

Sponsorship?

[jbg]

That's it. You've gone too far. You've adopted my father's style of humour.

That response doesn't give me no satisfaction. But time is on my side.

[Wild Bill]

Sponsorship?

Well, I might have to grant you that one. It was certainly outrageous! Still, it had more to do with forensic accountants than blond bombshells. After all, we EXPECT politicians to rob us!

Other countries have characters like "Cicciolina" in Italy:

http://www.indopedia.org/Chicholina.html

"lona Staller, better known by her stage name Cicciolina, is a politician active in Italy's libertarian Partito Radicale and former porn star.

She was born November 26, 1951 in Budapest. Her stepfather was an official in the Ministry of the Interior, her mother a midwife. She began working for a Hungarian modelling agency at the age of thirteen. She first achieved fame in Italy in the early 1970s with a radio show called "Radio Luna." For that program she adopted the name "Cicciolina".

In 1978, on the television show "C'era due Volte" her breasts were the first to be seen bared on Italian TV. In 1979 she was elected the leading candidate of the "Lista del Sole", Italy's first Green Party. In 1985 she switched to the Partito Radicale, campaigning against nuclear energy and NATO membership, for human rights, and against starvation anywhere in the world.

She was elected to the Italian parliament in 1987, representing the Lazio district of Rome. She starred in her last porno film in 1989."

Where are Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale when you need them? Still chasing Moose and Squirrel?

Edited April 20, 2010 by Wild Bill

[Topaz]

I have only one question for the PM, he said no minister, staff member, senator etc. had anything to do with Jaffer. Well, now we know some did, so the questions is which senator had talks with Jaffer?? If the PM was wrong on the other he could be wrong with the senator.

[Argus]

I have only one question for the PM, he said no minister, staff member, senator etc. had anything to do with Jaffer. Well, now we know some did, so the questions is which senator had talks with Jaffer?? If the PM was wrong on the other he could be wrong with the senator.

I have only one question for everyone pursuing this as an issue involving the government.

Given that the actual allegation here is that Jaffer didn't register as a lobbyist (a technicality) what is it you're all after?

I mean, if he'd just registered and said "Yeah I'm a lobbyist now" he'd be free to try and talk to the government and get it to try and give his clients money, right? So all the fuss is merely because he didn't sign a piece of paper?

Okay. But what's that got to do with the government? Apparently Jaffer got nothing out of the government so registered or not he didn't seem to have any influence there.

[capricorn]

I have only one question for the PM, he said no minister, staff member, senator etc. had anything to do with Jaffer.

That's not what Harper said. Here is a quote.

"Last night, my office became aware of serious allegations regarding the conduct of the Honourable Helena Guergis. These allegations relate to the conduct of Ms. Guergis and do not involve any other minister, MP, senator or federal government employee," he said. "I’ve referred the allegations to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and to the RCMP. Under the circumstances, I will not comment on them further."

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1176360.html

The reference you raise is with regard to the allegations against Guergis' conduct which were brought to his attention and transmitted to the authorities.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

That's not what Harper said. Here is a quote.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1176360.html

The reference you raise is with regard to the allegations against Guergis' conduct which were brought to his attention and transmitted to the authorities.

This is growing into a scandal and perhaps rightly so as it involved a cabinet member. So far it has not seemed to have adverse impact to the government, but only time will tell. This appears to be another stinky mess and the number of those seem to be adding up.

[Topaz]

I also think that the ministers or their secretaries should have some blame for not asking about Jaffer being a lobbyists! The Tories say, well its not our problem to ask, well maybe their KNEW he wasn`t and having friends in high places helps. I like to know when they cancelled the programs to Jaffer. Was it after his name hit the news with the drunk driving and coke?? Seven ministers departments had talks with him and I bet the eighth is the former minister of natural resources because she told them which restaurant to have the meeting at.

[scribblet]

I have only one question for everyone pursuing this as an issue involving the government.

Given that the actual allegation here is that Jaffer didn't register as a lobbyist (a technicality) what is it you're all after?

I mean, if he'd just registered and said "Yeah I'm a lobbyist now" he'd be free to try and talk to the government and get it to try and give his clients money, right? So all the fuss is merely because he didn't sign a piece of paper?

Okay. But what's that got to do with the government? Apparently Jaffer got nothing out of the government so registered or not he didn't seem to have any influence there.

You just hit the nail on the head here !! The only issue is with how far the opposition and partisan followers with go to make it another issue LOL

[madmax]

I have only one question for everyone pursuing this as an issue involving the government.

Given that the actual allegation here is that Jaffer didn't register as a lobbyist (a technicality) what is it you're all after?

I mean, if he'd just registered and said "Yeah I'm a lobbyist now" he'd be free to try and talk to the government and get it to try and give his clients money, right? So all the fuss is merely because he didn't sign a piece of paper?

Okay. But what's that got to do with the government? Apparently Jaffer got nothing out of the government so registered or not he didn't seem to have any influence there.

LOL

[madmax]

You just hit the nail on the head here !! The only issue is with how far the opposition and partisan followers with go to make it another issue LOL

Its painful to read these posts. I can only feel sorry for the people who don't know when to get off the sinking ship.

I'll order a couple extra sports jackets and a bibs.

I don't know how anyone can take you or Argus's positions seriously.

There is a reason that the CPC and the Prime Minister have cut bait.

Edited May 4, 2010 by madmax

[Keepitsimple]

LOL

Actually, it goes a bit further and shows that there is still work to do on the Lobbying Act. Indeed it appears that Jaffer was just finding out if certain projects werre eligible for funding. If any of then were a go, he could have got his partner to register as a Lobbyist....Jaffer would navigate the process, but Glemont would do the actual lobbying for funding. In fact Glemont actually said that at the hearing - that if actual requests for funds were ever to be made, he would have registered as a lobbyist. Regardless, Jaffer is breaking the spirit of the law.....but it still remains to be seen if he broke the letter of the law. Having said all that, the guy is a slippery weasel.