Well it looks like the Harper Tories have a full blown scandal on their hands.
Did they try to bribe Chuck Cadman with a million dollar life insurance policy in exchange for his vote in the House of Commons?
Sure doesn't look good.
Here's what Cadman's wife told the media: "Chuck was really insulted. He was quite mad about it, thinking they could bribe him with that.”
The only person who looks good in this story is the late Cadman, who was clearly a man of great character.
And that's really what caused the problem for Stephen Harper and his inner circle: they don't understand people who stand up for principle.
Did they try to bribe Chuck Cadman with a million dollar life insurance policy in exchange for his vote in the House of Commons?
ReplyDeleteRight, name one insurance company that would have insured Cadman, if you can do that, then you can say there is a scandal here, if not, then all you have is a reporter trying to sell a book.
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Puzzled:
ReplyDeleteDona, the biography and Chuck himself (on CTV) said that he did not know how he was going to vote until minutes before the event.
It's in print and on tape.
Duffy said he knew Chuck was going to support the Martin govt, because of insurance concerns, days before the vote.
PMSH is recorded saying he knew weeks before the vote that Cadman was going to support the Martin govt, he respected Cadmans decision, (there were financial conserns), and thought his guys were wasting their time trying to persuade Cadman otherwise.
Are Duffy and PMSH lying when they said they knew how and why Cadman was going to support the Martin government?
A reporter trying to sell a book and copies of the tape of his brief talk with Harper for $500.00 each(http://news.therecord.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/316097).
ReplyDeletePaul Martin writing the introduction, various versions of the book sent to numerous people.
None of this passes even the basic smell test.
name one insurance company that would have insured Cadman
ReplyDeletethat's what makes this even worse. clearly cadman wouldn't get a new policy on his death bed. this suggests that the CPC was willing to pay cadman's widow a million bucks out of their own coffers.
Interesting timing on this, almost as if on cue, for something that happened a couple of years ago..could it be that this was meant to come out in an election that was supposed to be taking place right now?
ReplyDeleteToo bad for the Liberals that things did not go according to script, and Dion sat on his hands ..
All of this smells...
Opposition leader Harper admits knowing about the bribe. PM Harper denies it.
ReplyDeleteHey platty, Prof Flanagan was one of the two Tory shysters that offered the bribe. Now he's not talking. Perhaps he can tell us who the insurer was or whether it was a self-insured policy.
Harper's lust for power has corrupted him.
Your envy of Mr. Harper continues to make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteChuck was on CTV saying nothing was offered. What did Belinda receive? A Cabinet post!!!
That doesn't count as bribery because it was a Liberal. That makes it an entitlement.
It does amaze me at times how selective Mr. Harper's memory is at times -- for example, the Atlantic Accord.
ReplyDeleteNo need to mount the defenses and denials yet, however -- I am sure that the truth on this matter will slowly emerge over time...
Given the apparent past incompetence of Canadian investigations in these matters as they relate to possible government corruption, hopefully, we will not again have to wait 15 years or more before any conclusion/closure is reached.
Anyone remember when the author of "On the Take" was also accused of sensationalism in an attempt to sell a book?
No doubt there's some truth to these allegations. The CPC would have courted Satan to get Martin out of office. But it won't stick. It's going to take more than a little bribery to enrage Canadians.
ReplyDeleteHere's another opinion on the matter from MP Bill Casey, a conservative that I would actually trust:
ReplyDeletehttp://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/9005757.html
Sincerely,
Concerned in Halifax
Right, name one insurance company that would have insured Cadman, if you can do that, then you can say there is a scandal here, if not, then all you have is a reporter trying to sell a book.
ReplyDelete__________________
Pretty simple actually. You pay a one million dollar premium. As in "Hey Chuck, we know this is a difficult time for you. We're just here to let you know that we want you back in the Conservative Caucus voting along party lines. And seeing as how we may be going into an election in the next few weeks, and since we understand what a difficult situation that would put you in, we'd be happy to help out a fellow conservative by financing a life insurance policy that will make sure that your family is properly taken care of once you're no longer able provide for them."
Maybe someone can explain why Chuck Cadman, worked his entire political career as a Reformer, Alliance, Conservative and Independant to try to unseat the LPC, whose political ideologies were polar opposite of federal Liberals, who never received any support from the federal Liberals, would as his last act of Parliament prop up a corrupt Liberal regime?
ReplyDeleteHad he voted to support the non confidence motion it would have been in complete accordance with everything he ever did or stood for as during his career as an MP.
Instead he does a complete 180, and no one raises an eyebrow?
And is it not more than just a bit ironic that as an excuse Chuck used Tim Murphys spin that Murphy was caught offering Gurmant Grewal on tape while trying to buy Gurmants vote.
Murphy said “Members (who would abstain or side with the Liberals) can do it on the basis of, well you know, look my riding doesn’t want an election, doesn’t want one now…”. ) That was Chuck Cadmans exuse almost verbatim.
As a member of Chucks riding throughout his career, one that was solidly Reform and Alliance, I can tell you that support to topple the Martin government was overwhelming.
Chucks vote did not reflect the wishes of his constituents.
The theory that makes the most sense is that had an election been called and Parliament disolved, Cadman may have stood to lose some of his benefits in the event of his impending death.
My guess is that were Cadman in remission or healthy that he would have voted in accordance with the principles and ideologies he demonstrated during his tenure as an MP.
The sad part about this is, in order to look out for his family, Cadman had to vote in a way that he did not want to to ensure they would be looked after when he died.
If he votes based on his principles his family pays a steep price.
If there was an offer of some type of insurance perhaps it was to guarantee that if, in essence, Chuck voted himself out of a job, he would not jeopardize his families future, that he would receive the same benefits that he would have if he was sitting in Parliament as an elected official at the time of his death.
Ward, I don't really know the answer to that question, but here's one possibility.
ReplyDeleteDuffy says that Cadman admitted to him that there was no way he was going to bring down the Liberal government.
I believe that one must be an MP for eight years to be entitled to the pension and insurance.
The '97 federal election was held in June. The "big vote" was in May of '05. JUST SHY of 8 years later. Now, I'm not sure when they begin counting, but it seems that to prop up the Libs just a few more weeks would serve him well wrt the financial benefits for his family.
I'm not sure I have all of my assumptions correct, but if I do, that's one possible reason why he'd prop up the Martin gov't.
"The only person who looks good in this story is the late Cadman, who was clearly a man of great character."
ReplyDeleteClearly you didn't hear the statements of Mike Duffy on what Cadman said. Essentially Cadman told Duffy that he voted for the Martin Liberals so as to keep his seat and keep his double endeminity payments of insurance and benefits should he die in office because he didn't want to face the electorate and possbly loose his compensation.
Ethics indeed. NOT!!! Cadman was out for himself and had everyone fooled.
"Nothing but the good for the dead"
jckirlan, that seems a bit harsh. My guess is that he was a very principled man. In that spot, however, I'm not sure I'd be able to choose differently. This is a man who was staring death in its very face.
ReplyDeleteNow, I'm not sure he made the "right" choice, but he made a choice that I suspect the majority would make in the same situation.
I wouldn't take the time to take potshots at him, though I do think that this holding him up by prog bloggers as the very model of selflessness is a bit much.
Anon @1:06
ReplyDeleteYou must work for MSM...it's all about the choice of your words:
Opposition leader Harper admits to the bribe:PM Harper denies it.
So you say the meeting that Harper admits to was about a bribe. I say you are putting your spin on Harper's admission.
Harper admitted to a meeting, he never admitted to a bribe.
All things brings back memories of Belinda and her perky position after she crossed the floor.
I'll call that a bribe...somebody made an offer that she couldn't refuse.
Gee Gerry, sounds like you miss all that principled so-called governing by Martin and Chretien.
ReplyDeleteIf PMSH doesn't get a chance to read this book perhaps he could read MacBeth -- particularly the quotes:
ReplyDelete"Fear not, till Birnan wood do come to Dunsinane..."
Messenger: "As I did stand my watch upon the hill, I look'd toward Birnan, and anon methought the wood began to move."
When he has finished it, perhaps he could explain what that means to that idiot, MacKay...
Open and accountable, eh?
PS... Go Ron Paul!
Obviously something was going on, though it's obviously not as cut-and-dry as the original story would have us believe. The CPC should have owned up to whatever it was because surely it's not as bad as a flat-out bribe. It's probably too late for that now, though.
ReplyDeleteAnon4:
>>Your envy of Mr. Harper continues to make me laugh.
Wouldn't Gerry be running if he were envious? Your lack of anything to do but read Gerry's blog continues to make ME laugh!
>>Chuck was on CTV saying nothing was offered.
This is true. While I don't buy that there was nothing going on, it certainly isn't as devious as the Liberals want it to be.
>>What did Belinda receive? A Cabinet post!!!
That doesn't count as bribery because it was a Liberal. That makes it an entitlement.
David Emerson suggests you don't climb too high up on that horse.
Very well put Janet.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis. Likely the 'bribe' was an offer to find some compensation for the financial losses he would incur if he voted himself out of a job (and his life insurance policy).
Chuck Cadman stated on radio that the financial compensation offered was help for his re-election campaign.
And Ms. Cadman must not think its that serious an issue.. otherwise why is she still running for the Conservatives? Why would she have agreed to become their candidate anyways? (And I'm sure having her daughter call her 'naive' in public doesn't help)
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:
ReplyDeletehttp://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! Did they sit on the letter and change the date to cover their tracks?
The original letter should be available through access to information, right?