The Vancouver Sun has published excerpts from Question Period today when the allegations of bribery of Chuck Cadman were raised by the opposition:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=2a01a5bb-1b7a-4474-86b2-074ef191ef21
The government line is plainly "there were no offers." Nothing to see here, move along. Peters Politics has a post from May, 2005 that includes the following quote from the Guelph Mercury of May 4, 2005:
"The tense atmosphere was underscored when the Conservatives made a public overture Tuesday to Independent MP Chuck Cadman.
The onetime B.C. Conservative is being guaranteed a nomination in the next election if he rejoins his former party now, said Tory election co-chair John Reynolds.
Cadman has not yet responded to the offer. His vote could be decisive in toppling the Liberal-NDP alliance."
I guess John Reynolds, according to Harper's pathetic denials today, was also a bald faced liar. There was at least some sort of offer. The only question now is what was the full deal offered? Does anyone really believe this gang wouldn't up the ante to toss in a million-dollar insurance policy if that would make the difference to toppling the Martin government?
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=2a01a5bb-1b7a-4474-86b2-074ef191ef21
The government line is plainly "there were no offers." Nothing to see here, move along. Peters Politics has a post from May, 2005 that includes the following quote from the Guelph Mercury of May 4, 2005:
"The tense atmosphere was underscored when the Conservatives made a public overture Tuesday to Independent MP Chuck Cadman.
The onetime B.C. Conservative is being guaranteed a nomination in the next election if he rejoins his former party now, said Tory election co-chair John Reynolds.
Cadman has not yet responded to the offer. His vote could be decisive in toppling the Liberal-NDP alliance."
I guess John Reynolds, according to Harper's pathetic denials today, was also a bald faced liar. There was at least some sort of offer. The only question now is what was the full deal offered? Does anyone really believe this gang wouldn't up the ante to toss in a million-dollar insurance policy if that would make the difference to toppling the Martin government?
So, let's get this straight. According to Reynolds himself, the Tories were already making offers to Cadman by May 4th. That was two weeks prior to the critical vote of May 19th during which Chuck Cadman showed all the integrity his former colleagues lacked. Two weeks. But we're supposed to believe there were no further offers? Yeah, right.
Then there's Reynold's bizarre account of offering Cadman a guaranteed nomination if he played ball. The guy was two months away from his death. An offer could not have been more pointless. C'mon Reynolds, get real, what did you really offer Chuck Cadman? Reynolds, as you may recall, was instrumental in getting Emerson to defect from the Libs before he was even able to take his seat in parliament. Neat trick. No offer there either. Of course not.
Why would Dona Cadman make this allegation if it was groundless? After all, she's supposedly intending to run as a Conservative candidate. It makes absolutely no sense that she would lie to bring this down on her head for absolutely no good end. There are plenty of people with plenty of reasons to lie about this but that doesn't include Dona Cadman. I believe her - absolutely. You should too.
7 comments:
So you have revealed the link as to who made the offer to Cadman two days before the vote. I had suspected somebody else initially, but in the end it all went to this prominent fixer from the west coast.
One of the consolation is that the Harper machine is not that solid in the Left Coast. A lot of his preferred candidates have bit the dust, losing to more shallow characters from the Gerry St. Germain and the Focus on Family factions.
If I were to guess the identity of the second fixer I would guess his initials are JH.
Frank,
JH shared a house with CC and had Reform roots. JH may be a thug but not a sly one. He will not do something like this to the friend.
MOS,
There are many who thought the two officials are Finley and Flanagan. I doubt it personally, since this conversation took place two days before the vote and in Surrey according to the author of the book.
Didn't know they were that close, Mushroom. Thanks for that info. Does leave a couple other possibilities within the BC caucus.
Finley & Flanagan? Nah, I agree. If they met Cadman on May 19th it would have been a last minute pitch and not with an offer such as Dona Cadman has claimed. It's just being thrown out there by the CPC as a diversion, create confusion.
There aren't many who could come up with a "million dollar insurance policy" whether that be a ginned up policy through a legitimate insurer or simply some sort of trust. That person would have to be very well connected with the money people in Vancouver and perhaps also Toronto. Ideologues like Flanagan don't seem to fit. Who knows?
New info, thanks to knb at Liberal Arts and Minds:
"Today we learned that MP's are entitled to transfer their insurance policy's to a private one through Industrial Alliance Insurance. It's very expensive however and the premiums go up while benefits are reduced. Is it possible that the Con's arranged to take of that for Cadman and that was the deal?"
This may be what the Cadmans are referring to. A simple gift for returning to the CPC fold. Something the Con party hierarchy can do.
Go to the Toronto Star and listen to Harper on tape. There was obviously more to it than that and Harper knew about it well in advance. When you hear Harper's account in his own words it's plain as day.
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