The RCMP have ended their probe into the Chuck Cadman affair and say no charges will be laid.
When this controversy first arose, the defence of the NDP position, "let the RCMP investigate first", because if the issue went to the Ethics Committee, according to Pat Martin, parliamentary privilege could be used, hindering the legal process, undercutting the RCMP investigation:
Martin had initially pushed for the parliamentary group to examine the matter but now raised concerns that any testimony heard there couldn't be used for future criminal prosecutions due to parliamentary privilege.
I've never bought the NDP position on Cadman, at least that it isn't political. I suppose a matter of opinion, but now that the RCMP has concluded its probe, with no charges to be laid, much of the past NDP rationale is mute. NDP supporters have argued that we must let the RCMP do their job, then we can discuss other avenues. Today, we have reached the next stage.
There are only a few relevant questions here for the NDP. Are they content with the response of the government on the issue of Cadman? Has Harper answered questions, to the satisfaction of the NDP? Does the NDP believe that what happened demands further review? There is no longer a conflict, there is no longer a legal route, there is no longer anywhere to hide. Will the NDP now join the other opposition parties and work together to get answers?
17 comments:
of course not, doing so in their opinion would only help the liberals.
So to hell with honesty and accountability because the NDP just wants to no longer be a third/fourth place fringe party.
Yet they are some how different than the other parties. They are, they have NO experience in running a country.
I had the very same thought Steve.
The liberals should bring this back to the committee asap. Then they can stop trying to bring it before the justice committee and I will not have to see Art Hangar whining about proper procedure as he runs away from the committee meetings anymore.
Given that the RCMP can't find sufficient evidence to charge, there isn't much that the will likely come out in committees. I would imagine that it will be up to the electorate to decide what they think of the tape and Harper's lack of response. I am pretty sure that the NDP would be perfectly happy to let the electorate decide what they think of the Cadman situation. Polls would certainly suggest that the Canadian public already has made up its mind and they don't seem to be buying Harper's line. So really I would say that this isn't really a ball that is in the NDP's court at all.
Let the electorate decide...oh wait, the LPC won't vote against the Cons. They won't let the electorate tell this secretive, duplicitous, militaristic, anti-immigrant, anti-woman Conservative govt to go to hell.
Haven't you notice that Canadians aren't buying the LPC line either? No one believes that your caucus is offering real opposition to this govt. Stop trying to blame the NDP for the cowardice of Dion and company.
Now, we will put the debate over this quote to bed:
An NDP adviser explained: "Damaging Harper and the Conservatives on ethical issues like the Cadman mess mainly helps the Grits, and that's not in our gameplan."
Doesn't the lib blogosphere complain that anonymous lib sources are not worth believing - disgruntled old timers, or people who are why down the totem poll, etc.
Strange that you are quick to quote NDP anon sources when they suit your narrative.
Sigh - actually not so strange - in fact typical...
Steve... way to pull out the 2 month old quote, that has no relevance to what the RCMP said today. Come on man, I've come to expect better from this blog than that.
Either way, now that the RCMP has done their bit, I'd be surprised if the NDP stood in the way of this going to committee. What they'll discuss in committee is questionable, but now that there is no concern about jeopardizing the criminal part of it, I say lets open this thing up and see what happened. Just because a crime wasn't committed, doesn't mean that something that was unethical didn't happen. So now that the criminal has been taken care of, lets have the committee take care of the ethical.
Why are you so obsessed with the NDP's position on this? They, along with the Conservatives, don't have enough votes to block this from being sent to the Ethics Committee. Which is why the Conservative chair has been using every trick in the book to prevent the issue from coming up.
What the hell are you talking about? The RCMP have decided that there will be no charges and you want the NDP to do what??
It seems to me that the LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA is the biggest friend that the Conservatives have - voting or abstaining consistently to keep them in power!
Your phony bleating concerning the Cadman allegations is not consistent with what is usually a very good blog with fairly logical posts. Not this one!
I would hope they would be logically consistent (I have heard Joe Comartin say flat out that the NDP would support a committee review after the RCMP investigation). What I would hope even more is for the Liberal Party to vote with the Bloc and NDP and bring down this government, now.
Interesting timing of the RCMP report isn't it?
Sorry, but I can't help being suspicious of anything relating to Harper - including Zaccarrdelli/Goodale issue.
This is a friggen joke. Picture the 1970s if Nixon hadn't been brought down by being caught on tape committing a crime! Canada has hit a new low.
The NDP can BLOCK the Ethics Committee, you are talking about Justice.
So let me get this straight, we can slag the Liberals all over the place, but don't you dare touch the NDP halo? Come on, that quote is entirely relevant, it's authenticity will be revealed, depending on what the NDP does next.
I think this Cadman issue stinks to high heaven, and Harper has largely been given a pass. If you think my criticism is partisan, that's your prerogative, but as Cam knows, I am frustrated by the NDP here, particularly because Martin first wanted to go to committee, suspicious of the RCMP, then suddenly on Monday, a complete change, after some consultations. What changed?
Anyways, the irritant has been removed. Come Monday I would expect to see Martin pushing to re-introduce it in Committee.
BTW Cam, I read your post, well said.
thanks Steve.... BTW, if you're waiting for Monday, you'll be disapointed... it's a long weekend, so that means that the House isn't sitting next week at all, let along the holiday monday :)
Opps :)
As rural sandi said, the timing of this is just oh so convenient, isn't it? On a Friday before a long weekend, no sessions for over a week.
Nice touch, RCMP.
Have a look at this. It looks like the Liberals altered the date on the RCMP letter to LeBlank before posting it to their website:
http://www.liberal.ca/pdf/forms/080516_LeBlanc_Letter.pdf
Notice how the date is sharper and darker than everything else on the page:
Its very convenient for the Liberals to release this exculpatory information late on Friday before a long weekend!
The original letter should be available through access to information, right?
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