Canada's Adscam

[wmansir]

I didn't see a thread for this, but I find it fascinating, and very underreported in the US media. Here's some background (http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/groupaction/).

For those who don't know, Adscam (aka the sponsorship scandal) is a huge corruption case involving the highest officials in the majority Liberal Party in the Canadian government. The major allegation is that the Liberal Party (who have been in power for decades) would funnel public money into the party apparatus via shell companies or just pay it out to past contributers and friends, $100 million by last count. They would do this by awarding advertising and other contracts to friends of the party, who would then give some of the funds directly to the party as cash donations (via employees), or they would put workers on the payroll, to do work for the party instead of the company, or just keep it as graft. There are several other allegations of mismanagement lumped in with the scandal too, most of them surrounding the Sponsorship Program, a program designed to raise Canada's national image after the failed Quebec sovereignty referendum in '95.

The scandal was uncovered in 2002 and is currently being prosecuted. For the last week or so witnesses have been giving testimony in semi-closed inquiry. The court is actually open to the public, but the government has barred all Canadian media from reporting on the testimony to prevent tainting of the jury pool for future trials. But a US blogger has been reporting it here (http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/), via an unnamed Canadian who is in the courtroom.

All of this took place during the previous Chrétien administration. The current PM Paul Martin denies any knowledge of the misappropriations, though he was Finance Minster at the time. No solid links have connected Martin to Adscam yet, and he has fired several officials implicated, but the recent testimony has involved those very close to Martin.

[DVD Polizei]

Oh hek, we in the US do this all the time. It's a bi-partisan effort, so that's why it's not news here. :)

[bhk]

Is that Canadian $ or US $, because if it is Canadian $, is that like $390 US?

[wmansir]

Here's one of the comments left on the blogger(Captain Ed)'s site.

My question to you "Mr. Captain" is why is any of this Gomery stuff YOUR business? Whether all of this is right or not, banned or not, whatever, my problem is that YOU are the one disrespecting "something" in Canada because of some American idiom (free speach et all) which shouldn't have anything to do with anything Canadian AND because of your location (outside of Canada). Maybe our two countries have some of the same ideals and beleifs, but the last thing I want to know is that MY Canadian government got/gets toppled because some American demonstrated his disrespect for a Canadian court order and spewed forth the details that were decided (right or wrong) at that time to be secret. Who are you to decide what happens in Canada, MY Canada? I'm sure with GeeDubYa in office that you would have more than enough crap related to your own country to sift through than to be sticking your nose somewhere it doesn't belong.
There is no question that alot of people in Canada may want to know this information, but it shouldn't be coming from you. Who should it be coming from? I don't know, all I know is it shouldn't be you. By doing this you are doing nothing more than showing your contempt and disrespect for Canadian rules/laws, etc no matter how much of a service you think you are providing by doing it.

I say no thanks. We can figure things out here in Canada without your help.

[bhk]

:lol:

[eXcentris]

The weird thing is that this has been going on for over 6 months and the US press (NY Times, Dallas Morning News) have just started reporting on it. Why? Because it suddenly gets interesting for the "freedom of the press" issue. Blah...

[bhk]

The weird thing is that this has been going on for over 6 months and the US press (NY Times, Dallas Morning News) have just started reporting on it. Why?

Because that is always the way it is with the old media.

[Shazam]

Well, at least we know the Liberals are capable of teamwork.

[drunkrob]

Is that Canadian $ or US $, because if it is Canadian $, is that like $390 US?

Careful. The British can use that against you sometime. ;)

[Delorean]

I don't know who's worse between the financially corrupt Liberals, the homophobic redneck Conservatives, the separatist PQ, and the just plain useless NDP :mad:

[OldDude]

I don't know who's worse between the financially corrupt Liberals, the homophobic redneck Conservatives, the separatist PQ, and the just plain useless NDP :mad:

As an American, I don't know either, but I'm not about to hold up either of our two as a shining example of effectiveness and dedication to the good of the people. Maybe as a counterexample.

[LorenzoL]

I don't know who's worse between the financially corrupt Liberals, the homophobic redneck Conservatives, the separatist PQ, and the just plain useless NDP :mad:

This is what you call a no win situation. BTW, I'm still betting that we will have another election forthcoming.

[LorenzoL]

The weird thing is that this has been going on for over 6 months and the US press (NY Times, Dallas Morning News) have just started reporting on it. Why? Because it suddenly gets interesting for the "freedom of the press" issue. Blah...
:up:

[eXcentris]

When a politician wrestles with his conscience, he usually wins. :)

[bhk]

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/world/11455688.htm


Canadian leader apologizes for corruption

BETH DUFF-BROWN

Associated Press


TORONTO - Prime Minister Paul Martin apologized to the nation Thursday night for a corruption scandal that has shaken his Liberal Party, delivering a rare televised address aimed at rescuing his minority government.

Acknowledging the allegations of money laundering and kickbacks have created an "unjustifiable mess," the embattled leader pledged to call an election within a month after an investigation, expected to be completed by Dec. 15.

"Those who are in power are to be held responsible, and that includes me," Martin said of the charges, which have disgusted Canadians and prompted the opposition Conservative Party to threaten a no-confidence vote that could take down the government.

"I was the minister of finance and knowing what I have learned in the past year, I am sorry that I was not more vigilant," said Martin, who held that post under then-Prime Minister Jean Chretien when the allegations that first surfaced in 2002.

"Those who have violated the public trust will be identified and will pay the consequences," he added.

Unlike American presidents, who make annual State of the Union addresses or who take to the airwaves on important occasions, it was the first such address by a Canadian leader in a decade.

Martin called on the nation to wait until the investigation headed by Justice John Gomery is finished and give his government time to pass critical legislation on such issues as health care reform, gay marriage, improved border security and the federal budget.

"Let Judge Gomery do his work," Martin said in taped speeches in English and French. "If so much as a dollar is found to have made its way into the Liberal Party for ill-gotten gains, it will be repaid to the people of Canada. I want no part of that money."

It was Chretien's national unity program, designed to bring Quebecois back into the national fold, which is at the heart of the current crisis. The scandal contributed to the Liberal Party's loss of its majority in Parliament after federal elections last June.

An auditor general's report found millions of dollars in a national unity fund went to Liberal-friendly advertising firms to promote national unity in Quebec following the narrow defeat of a separatist referendum in the French-speaking province. The firms apparently did little work in return.

Martin has not been implicated and is quick to point out that his first piece of business in office was to cancel the program, file lawsuits against 19 of the firms, and demand the inquiry.

Martin's opponents called his address a desperate, last-ditch attempt to remain in power, and demanded equal air time.

"We've all just witnessed a sad spectacle, a prime minister so burdened with corruption in his own party that he's unable to do his job and lead the country, "Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper told reporters immediately after Martin's address. ""A party leader playing for time, begging for another chance."

As each day passes, the crisis seems to get worse and front pages of the dailies run bold headlines with ugly new details.

The Globe and Mail on Thursday had an interview with Benoit Corbeil, a high-ranking Liberal organizer who told the national newspaper he received tens of thousands of dollars in cash from one of the advertising firms and funneled the money back into the hands of "fake volunteers" working on the Liberal campaign. Such laundering is a violation of federal electoral law.

Corbeil said most recipients of the cash were Liberal supporters who took unpaid leaves from their positions in ministries to work on the general election in 2000. "I liked to call them fake volunteers," he said.

Subtext:
''I know we were wrong-----to get caught--- and both you and I know we'll do something like it again just as soon as the spotlight is off of us. But reelect us anyway.
Who wants more free money and lots of nifty Liberal giveaways?''