Here we go on Day 4 of the "explosive testimony" watch. Day 3 can be found here. Quick shout outs to SmallDeadAnimals and BoundbyGravity who are all over this as well. Welcome to readers from Michelle Malkin's blog as well.
Huge Hat-Tip to Norman Spector for the next few stories.
Jane Taber of the Globe and Mail has tipped of the readers G&M who have never heard of this thing called the internets. The Canada AM interview with Jane Taber can be found here (on the right of the page and the link to Robert Fife's reaction can be found on the same page). There is even more video up at CTV. This time Rosemary Thompson shows a screenshot of the American blog that shall not be named, including actually using the name of it. I guess they are no longer worried about the publication ban. She also reports that Gille Duceppe has told the BQ members to get ready for an election (Ed: but it is not his call). Also, there is another interview with Jane Taber.
The explosive testimony given out of the public eye last week at the Gomery commission began appearing on websites yesterday, capping a weekend of frenzied rumours about snap elections and covert political meetings in Ottawa.
...could lead to criminal charges against senior Liberals.
"I have no doubt in my mind that more charges could be laid," Mr. MacKay said yesterday. "If this thing breaks loose, the ripples on the water could be felt right up to the highest levels of this government, and then it begs the question, are they going to pull the pin themselves or orchestrate their own demise to avoid all of this coming out? This goes to the No. 1 issue, which I think is going to be the defining issue in the next election, that's ethics."
...Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe, who told reporters in Montreal yesterday that he has deliberately asked his observers at the inquiry not to brief him so he can avoid accidentally divulging information.
...The publication ban does not restrict Americans from publishing or broadcasting the details of the in camera hearings. Still, the blogger joked that he isn't planning any vacations soon to Canada.
"It's an interesting story. It's fascinating," he said. "First off, I think it's a terrible thing that you guys can't publish this. This is the type of thing that a free press exists for is to hold their government accountable. . . . It should be you guys reporting this."
...Meanwhile, CBC News reported last night that the federal Liberal Party will ask today for full standing at the inquiry.
If granted, that would allow lawyers for the party to cross-examine witnesses.
Wow. Quite a bit there. You may want to read the whole thing.
Stephanie Rubec of the Ottawa Sun fortells the dangers to bloggers on this story.
..."Anyone who takes that information and diffuses it is liable to be charged with contempt of court," Perreault said. "Anybody who reproduces it is at risk."
Sun Media lawyer Alan Shanoff said publishing the name of the blog, the Canadian news site or providing the Internet address could lead to a contempt charge.
Here is David Asper of the National Post.
...One imagines that deals are being cut as you read this. And the shape of those deals could depend on what the inquiry finds out.
Those deals are called plea bargains, in which an accused person is offered an opportunity to plead guilty to lesser charges instead of going to trial on the most serious charges. Those involved may also be negotiating about who will co-operate with the authorities in the pursuit of others not yet charged.
Here is an article from the Hill
Times.
...The vast majority of governing Liberal MPs don't want a spring election, but insiders in the Prime Minister's Office are convinced the Gomery Inquiry's fall report will destroy the governing Libs and see the spring as their best chance at a run, say Liberals.
"The vast majority don't want it. The incentive to go early is coming from the inside and in their own analysis, they're saying, 'This is the best chance we're going to have for at least a year and we probably couldn't last a year.' They're convinced this Gomery stuff is going to kill us in Quebec and the bottom line is they think this is the best opportunity they're going to have and they just can't shake them off that," said one top Liberal insider who did not want to be identified.
Could it be that the rider into the Budget Implementation Bill actually was planned? Nah...the timing does make you go hmmm though.
...Another top Liberal MP, who asked not to be identified, said "nobody wants an election, aside from the Bloc, but everybody's working hard preparing for one because they know it might happen at any time."
And another Liberal MP, who did not want to be identified, confirmed that most Liberal MPs are against a spring election, and added that "there's a lot of pressure on the leadership of the party not to push for the spring election because it's not in the interest of the party, not in the interest of the country and we should stay at least until the fall."
The Liberal MP also argued that the Gomery Inquiry's damage has already been done.
Of course this Liberal thinks that, by definition, what is good for the Liberal Party is good for the country. The is a reason we are in this mess you know.
...But asked how the Liberals think they can win a majority next fall, or next year, the Liberal declared: "They're convinced that they can get past this Gomery, if the revelations are not as bad as they think. Part of the key is that it doesn't translate into kickbacks. If it's individuals doing the dog and get caught, it's one thing. But if it's an orchestrated kickback scheme or something, that's revealed then it's a whole different ballgame."
Something tells me that this article was written lsat week.
...Meanwhile, Conservative riding associations are busy making preparations to hold nomination meetings across the country.
Laurie Hawn, a former CF-18 Air Force pilot, who lost the last federal election to Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan (Edmonton Centre, Alta.) by a razor thin margin of 721 votes or 1.35 per cent of the vote, kick-started his nomination campaign last week against another candidate. The nomination meeting is likely to take place next month.
Mr. Hawn told The Hill Times last week that he's confident he will not only win the nomination, but will defeat Ms. McLellan.
I think that is a reasonable assumption.
Well, the CBC is on board now. Once todays Politics broadcast is posted (after 11:00am) I would check it out. Keith Boag makes for an interesting interview.
It looks like NealeNews is down. I hope it is because of a traffic spike. OK, it is back.
Canadian Press is reporting that:
The federal Liberals were granted full standing at the sponsorship inquiry on Monday, meaning they will be able to cross-examine witnesses.
"It's obvious that the interests of the Liberal party are clearly at stake here and the reputation of the party risks being affected by what I've heard and maybe by what I will hear," said Justice John Gomery, who is presiding the inquiry. "I think it would be unfair if the Liberal party didn't have the right to cross-examine witnesses."
Can you blame them?
This is now spreading all of blogs based in the US with some very interesting thoughts on all of this.
Well, we can finally welcome the main page of the CBC website. What took you so long?
..."I have been directed by my clients to contact the RCMP to ask that they investigate the possibility that the party itself may have been the target of fraud or other harmful acts by certain individuals," party lawyer Doug Mitchell told reporters Monday.
"Using inappropriate means to gain undeserved benefit ... is, if proven to be true, criminal action, plain and simple."
I am sure that it what is really going on here!
The Global Network (i.e. Canada.com) has this story from the Canadian Press.
...A rattled group of Liberal MPs held a conference call Monday to prepare for a political bomb about to detonate at the sponsorship inquiry.
Quebec MPs held a telephone meeting with provincial cabinet lieutenant Jean Lapierre as a first item of business after Parliament reconvened following a one-week break.
Here is the Press Release from the Liberal Party.
...Second, it is equally important to remember that when Mr. Martin inherited the Party, he found its financial condition to be precarious. In particular, the Quebec wing of the party was some $3 million in debt. This is hardly in keeping with assertions that the party was receiving substantial benefit through inappropriate means.
Brilliant!
Here is the latest from the Canadian Press:
...Pressure is mounting on Conservative Leader Stephen Harper to topple the Liberal government and fight an election campaign on an anti-corruption platform.
Stunning new testimony at the sponsorship inquiry cannot be revealed yet because of a publication ban, but it had many Tories itching Monday to pull the electoral trigger.
...Another Tory source said his party will debate at Wednesday's caucus meeting if it should join the NDP and Bloc Quebecois in voting against the Liberal budget bill later this month.
If the opposition parties vote against the Liberals on a confidence matter, the government would collapse and an election could be triggered.
One Tory strategist said the party has already found its key campaign themes, with corruption getting top billing. Accusations that the Martin government is indecisive will play a supporting role in the Tory message, he said.
"We're just looking at this and saying, 'We've got the ballot question,' " said the Conservative.
"We can go from town to town, city to city, telling people, 'These folks robbed you blind.'
"And the prime minister being called Mr. Dithers is only the cherry on top."
"It's at the top of my mind," said one top Tory MP.
...The Tories will have to answer to voters if they cause an election now - not even a year since the last one, said an aide to Prime Minister Paul Martin.
"They have said they recognize that Canadians do not want to see an election," said Martin spokesman Scott Reid.
"If, in the face of all that they break their word and contradict themselves, they'll have to explain their hypocrisy to voters.
"Canadians don't much care for politicians who put their own political interests ahead of the public's wishes."
Man, Scott Reid certainly has courage. Political interests ahead of public's wishes! That is what got us into this mess Mr. Reid.
