He's as slick as ever. After listening to his brief testimony, about the most important aspect of today's hearing was the emergence of discrepancies between the evidence of Schreiber and Mulroney. The more discrepancies in this sort of case the better. It gives greater opportunity for credible third parties to be brought in to corroborate or discredit one side or the other. Now the committee needs to find people who don't have a dog in this fight.
Was Brian Mulroney evasive? On the narrative behind his voluntary disclosure he sure was. Mulroney raised the sanctity of what passes between a Canadian taxpayer and the revenue department as allowing him to dodge questions on what he did. Now, Revenue Canada, as it then was, is under an obligation of confidentiality but that doesn't shield the taxpayer. Every day in this country spouses embroiled in matrimonial disputes are compelled to produce their income tax returns going back years. They would be laughed out of court and likely left to cool their heels in a jail cell if they refused to disclose their tax records on the basis of some sacred relationship with the revenuers. Mulroney is in exactly the same position on his tax situation.
So we heard all about Mulroney's suffering and the pain inflicted on Mila and the kids. He read Schreiber letters and various press clippings. What he didn't do was get himself off the hook, not even close.
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