Following the RCMP raid on Conservative Party headquarters and the revelations contained in both the affidavit and media reports, Mr. LeBlanc demanded the Conservative government:
1) Publicly release all ads and details of where and when the ads ran for the 67 candidates named by Elections Canada as participants in the “in-and-out” scheme. The Liberal Opposition has only been able to identify 38 that actually had an ad produced with their tagline on it.
2) In order to maintain public confidence while investigations are pending, suspend all political officials alleged to be connected to this scheme from their government duties, including Conservative MP Lawrence Cannon, Harper’s Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Muttart, and Michael Donison, Senior Policy Advisor to Government House Leader Peter Van Loan.
3) Call in the RCMP to review all matters of this scheme that may involve the Criminal Code – in particular, to examine concerns by Elections Canada of document altering – and ensure that all Conservatives fully cooperate by disclosing all relevant facts and documentation.
4) Direct the 67 candidates and order them to cooperate fully with Elections Canada, and encourage any other candidates not named in the probe to come forward with any information that may assist Elections Canada in their investigation. Of the 18 interviews Elections Canada asked for, only two candidates obliged.
5) Let the Procedure and House Affairs Committee meet – without any Conservative filibustering – and conduct hearings on this matter.
This would be a great opportunity to clear the air, put this witchhunt to an end. The Committee itself would provide an excellent opportunity for Canadians to see how Elections Canada over-stepped their bounds, behaved badly, singling out the poor Conservatives, we could all see how "everybody does it".
Get all the candidates on record, release the media buy details, let the RCMP investigate I say. When they find nothing, everything done properly, then we will see who has egg on their face, who has "co-operated" from the beginning. The Liberals have provided the Conservatives with a gift, a path to expose the real story here, clear their good names.
I will update this post when the Conservatives release their statement, agreeing to these small, reasonable demands. Should be any minute.
UPDATE:
Nothing yet, I'm sure it's just a faulty fax machine or something.
UPDATE 2:
Probably just letting the Liberals wait, they're strategic and crafty you know.
5 comments:
This is a rather laughable attempt to keep the issue in the news. The reality is, the damage is done, for now. The next step is when new information is found by reading all the appendices or released in the court case, or when an actual verdict happens in court.
"This is a rather laughable attempt to keep the issue in the news."
Mark, it's guaranteed to be in the news next week when parliament reconvenes. You support stonewalling committee's? Did you feel the same when it was Gomery? Thought not.
You know what's really laughable, all the Con spinsters trying to keep the real story out of the news, with all the nonsense on the margins. Can't really blame the Liberals for trying to re-set the compass, can you?
The Conservatives are starting to sound remarkably like those they target with their "get tough on crime" initiatives. "It's all a big misunderstanding." "Everyone's doing it." "The police and the authorities are out to get me."
What's next? Employing a shady lawyer to try to persuade a "bleeding heart" judge to let them off on a technicality?
Check out this smear job, the only difference, the Liberal MP comes forward with the documentation. Then at the end, this little fact the Cons don't seem to get:
"Elections Canada spokesman John Enright said Jennings' 2004 campaign expense report was reviewed and approved by the agency.
"Elections Canada's review of the return is completed and we see no reason to reopen it at this time," he said.
Indeed, the agency has reviewed the vast majority of the candidates listed in the Tory affidavit as having indulged in similar financial transactions
"(If) we've reviewed it, it's good to go," Enright said."
By golly Steve I certainly hope you are not holding your breath. You may do yourself an injury.
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