I see retired Judge Gomery, the man who headed the investigation into the sponsorship scandal, is musing about Mr. Harper's commitment to convening the promised inquiry into the Mulroney-Schreiber affair.
Harper promised the inquiry last November and has found excuses to delay taking action. The time for excuses is past according to Gomery.
Gomery was also not amused that the Prime Minister delegated the determination of the scope of such an inquiry to a private citizen when it is the central role of good government to determine such things. Paul Martin had the strength of character to call a broadly based sponsorship inquiry. Many will suggest the inquiry results cost Martin his political career, for sure his place as Prime Minister.
Harper's firing of Bernier this week was justified and the right thing to do. It also helped Harper solve the problem that was about Bernier's proven incompetence. But he was Harper's most popular Quebec minister and the Cons need Quebec to win the next election. Bernier's prervious blunders were minor compared to his five month long Cabinet security breach.
That one instance aside, there is no indication Mr. Harper is made of the same stuff and Mr. Martin when it comes to his mentor Mulroney and the cloak and dagger dealing of Mr. Schreiber.
Harper's insouciance on this ethical issue is further evidence that it is time for him and his government to go. That looks like it will not happen until the next fixed election date comes up in November 2009. Too bad!
If it is so bad, why doesn't Dion force an election before more damage is done? It just doesn't make sense and Dion is losing credibility each day he allows the government to survive.
ReplyDeleteNovember 2009 will be the date of the next election - which will satisfy Harper's promise of fixed elections, a longstanding issue for the reformers (at the same time he has been attempting to reform the unelected and unaccountable liberal senate).
To categorize the Mulroney Schreiber scandal along side the sponsorship scandal is laughable at best. Mulroney Schreiber is decades old and has already cost Canadians $2mm because nothing was found the first time. I watched the Schreiber testimony and we should have deported him after the first hour. Mr. Martin deserves respect for his many years as finance minister but you are giving him too much credit for calling the inquiry. He had no other choice. Mulroney Schreiber is nothing more than liberal mud slinging.
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