tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post5535884744583002408..comments2024-03-22T05:20:44.167-07:00Comments on The Disaffected Lib: Jeffrey Oliphant's Herculean ChoreThe Mound of Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-30818231264276739332009-05-20T08:47:46.551-07:002009-05-20T08:47:46.551-07:00Ken, I'm sorry to say it but you're absolutely rig...Ken, I'm sorry to say it but you're absolutely right and it's always been that way. The very best lawyers, those who consistently get the best results, are very expensive. Just like the guy who scores the most goals or hits the most homers.<br /><br />There are some excellent lawyers who work for poor people but they're the exception. As a general rule, the mall lawyer doesn't practice at the same level as the guy in the high-powered firm on the 35th floor of the downtown tower.<br /><br />And Penlan, I just tuned in. You're right about Auge's voice and his delivery!The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-22214744972256322942009-05-20T08:06:08.701-07:002009-05-20T08:06:08.701-07:00Auge's voice is grating on my nerves. Between ...Auge's voice is grating on my nerves. Between him & Mulroney I just may have to tune out for awhile...penlanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07830912393649649485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-87314165686560287622009-05-20T07:42:07.861-07:002009-05-20T07:42:07.861-07:00Mulroney's tax lawyers negotiated a sweetheart of ...Mulroney's tax lawyers negotiated a sweetheart of a deal, without naming him prior to these negotiations. Maybe it's time the CRA publicly start making the same anonymous disclosures for all Canadians to see. Will Quicktax be offering the Mulroney exemption in future versions of their tax software? <br /><br />Forget about a two-tiered medical system, Canada has a two-tiered legal and tax regime. One for a select few with the means and the the rest of us! <br /><br />I'm starting to see how the citizens of France felt in 1789!!Ken S from Ramarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16983894655094943569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-40570546129248885942009-05-20T06:48:44.490-07:002009-05-20T06:48:44.490-07:00Mound, you have more faith in our justice system t...Mound, you have more faith in our justice system than I do. Nothing wrong with that. I have known certain political appointees to the judiciary. Scares the dickens out of me.LeDarohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12526776746689708239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-61400760688183471972009-05-20T06:48:20.048-07:002009-05-20T06:48:20.048-07:00Oh,and Penlan, the fact that Mulroney got a "sweet...Oh,and Penlan, the fact that Mulroney got a "sweet deal" on his tax disclosure isn't all that surprising or that unusual. It's just that it's the sort of thing that rarely comes to the public's attention.<br /><br />Had it been an ordinary guy who didn't have the bucks to hire a big gun tax lawyer and the revenuers caught him it would have been payment in full plus interest plus penalties and the prospect of a criminal conviction and fine to boot.<br /><br />It's a sad reality in Canada (and most Western states) that you, as a citizen, usually get all the justice you can afford.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-70379232202159448482009-05-20T06:42:46.084-07:002009-05-20T06:42:46.084-07:00Actually LD I had some knowledge of Oliphant's app...Actually LD I had some knowledge of Oliphant's appointment and elevation on the bench. There were only two choices, someone appointed by a Liberal or someone else appointed by a Tory.<br /><br />Fortunately in Canada, judicial appointments haven't been as crass as they so blatantly are in the United States. In Canada our justice department has made a practice of consulting the provincial law societies and bar associations for their recommendations on candidates and it's worked fairly well. At least well enough that Oliphant should be given the benefit of the doubt unless and until you see anything that's blatantly partisan from him and I haven't yet.<br /><br />Oliphant knows he's been handed a hot potato and all eyes are on him. I doubt he wants his legacy to be that he shilled for Mulroney. Remember, BMPM doesn't have much political capital these days and his performance so far won't earn him a ticket back into the good graces of today's Tories either.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-88100388637446660722009-05-20T05:06:45.970-07:002009-05-20T05:06:45.970-07:00LeDaro,
No, I wasn't.LeDaro,<br />No, I wasn't.penlanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07830912393649649485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-60271004261375392592009-05-20T04:50:48.284-07:002009-05-20T04:50:48.284-07:00"Justice Jeffrey Oliphant, presently the Associate..."Justice Jeffrey Oliphant, presently the Associate Chief Justice of the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench was appointed in 1985. The Prime Minister at the time was the Right Honorable Brian Mulroney. Prime Minister Mulroney was still in power when Oliphant received a promotion from the federal cabinet in 1990 to become the Associate Chief Justice." Were you aware of this?LeDarohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12526776746689708239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-33597072272647921962009-05-20T03:35:48.244-07:002009-05-20T03:35:48.244-07:00"I think Mulroney has tripped himself up over..."I think Mulroney has tripped himself up over his account of how he treated the cash, or at least as much of it as he admits having received from Schreiber."<br /><br />And also by it now being known that he paid taxes on only 1/2 of it. If the amount of $275,000 is correct. Who knows. The whole damn thing stinks. Mulroney is nothing but a scam artist, a charlatan of the highest order. His greed knows no bounds.<br /><br />Playing the sympathy card over & over & over by bringing his family into it & the effect on them from the Airbus scandal & this now is driving me nuts. It pushes me even further away as I'm sure it does many others. Crocodile tears never play well.<br /><br />I have no idea what kind of person Oliphant is but at times it feels like he is being very sympathetic towards Mulroney & other times not so much. As much as Mulroney drives me crazy with his long-winded monologues, repeating over & over, etc., I just can't tear myself away from watching/listening to this damn liar.penlanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07830912393649649485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-87494789593106272492009-05-19T18:50:15.630-07:002009-05-19T18:50:15.630-07:00I'm not sure that Oliphant is supposed to be 'hard...I'm not sure that Oliphant is supposed to be 'hard hitting.' He's a commissioner, assigned to take evidence adduced by counsel, evaluate it and report on his findings. His role isn't adversarial.<br /><br />Oliphant has got plenty of hard hitting in front of him among the ranks of counsel present. I'd be concerned if he wasn't maintaining a good distance between himself and the witnesses.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-79533870352560658072009-05-19T18:33:46.006-07:002009-05-19T18:33:46.006-07:00"..Mulroney and Schreiber to be birds of a feather..."..Mulroney and Schreiber to be birds of a feather." Mound, I do not disagree. All I am saying is that Mulroney is playing the game, "whom are you going to believe?" I haven’t found Oliphant particularly hard-hitting. You’re right about his mandate. <br />Tomorrow indeed will be interesting.LeDarohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12526776746689708239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-1064369850029202002009-05-19T17:09:26.166-07:002009-05-19T17:09:26.166-07:00I disagree. I don't think Mulroney is succeeding ...I disagree. I don't think Mulroney is succeeding at all except on the most cursory level. He's not been able to talk his way out of some serious inconsistencies and contradictions. Significant portions of his inquiry evidence do not square with established facts. This drove him back onto some pretty obvious talking points again and again whenever he was confronted with awkward questions.<br /><br />Don't forget, this is not a criminal trial, merely a commission of inquiry. Oliphant is sitting as a commissioner, not a superior court judge. Oliphant is not obliged to rule whether Mulroney is culpable of anything nor is he obliged to ignore the testimony and absolve him if he can't reach specific conclusions.<br /><br />From what I've seen I think it's entirely open for Oliphant to find Mulroney and Schreiber to be birds of a feather.<br /><br />Hold your conclusions until Schreiber's lawyer has his chance at Mulroney tomorrow. He's in a much different position vis a vis Mulroney than Wolson. I see all sorts of openings in Mulroney's testimony so far that Schreiber's counsel can exploit.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-62833638815189703642009-05-19T16:52:11.714-07:002009-05-19T16:52:11.714-07:00I think what Mulroney is saying is that, “ Who are...I think what Mulroney is saying is that, “ Who are you going to believe? Me, the former PM or the shady character who is sitting in jail. Schreiber who was going to be deported and cooked up the story to avoid deportation and succeeding” and Mulroney is succeeding in that strategy. General public may not buy his excuses but legally he may not be found culpable. No smoking-gun so far.LeDarohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12526776746689708239noreply@blogger.com