BBC
OTTAWA -- He plopped into an easy chair in his makeshift judge's chamber and grabbed an egg sandwich, never dreaming our chat would leave egg all over his judicial face four years later.
see Jean ChretienGomery’s Bad Judgment
It is only fair that someone who relished having the media spotlight shone upon the federal inquiry he was presiding over should now have the limelight turned on him. In a punishment that seems to fit the crime, former justice John Gomery became the very “juicy stuff” of reporters that he attempted to make the sponsorship scandal back in 2005. A court ruling by Judge Max Teitelbaum yesterday vindicated former Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his chief of staff, Jean Pelletier in their roles in the Liberal Government’s sponsorship scandal. Called a “sweet victory” by the Globe, the court decision made clear that the comments Judge Gomery made during his inquiry into the sponsorship scandal in 2005 revealed a clear personal bias against Jean Chretien. Calling Chretien a “small-town cheap” because he gave out golf balls emblazoned with his name, and accusing the Liberals of handling the sponsorship program in a “catastrophically bad way,” Gomery “trivialized the inquiry” to make fodder for the media, Teitelbaum concluded.
While yesterday’s ruling posits that all findings related to Chretien and Pelletier should be disregarded, the Post points out that some wonder whether Gomery’s bias might not discredit the entire inquiry and its findings. The Globe’s editorial board, however, sees the ruling’s implications as particularly narrow; the paper aptly states that Teitelbaum’s findings may tarnish Gomery’s image but “[they] tells us nothing about the sponsorship scandal one way or another.” At least one media source is brave enough to hint that this is an overrated victory for a prime minister whose purported role in the sponsorship scheme has long faded from public memory - indeed it was Paul Martin’s Liberal government that felt most of the sting from the sponsorship scandal. La Presse also stands apart from the rest of the Big Seven’s coverage in that it is the only news source to heap praise on Gomery in a commentary by Yves Boisvert (not available on online), calling him “an experienced judge” who did an “admirable job” when he presided over the sponsorship inquiry. At least Gomery has one supporter in the ring with him; he’ll need all the help he can get fighting off the reporters he once so eagerly courted.
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THE LEADS:
THE NATIONAL: “Judging the Judge: A court criticizes the Gomery inquiry”
CTV NEWS: “In the Clear: Victory for the former prime minister”
GLOBE AND MAIL: “Absolving Chretien, judge blasts Gomery”
TORONTO STAR: “Massive overhaul urged on foreign investment”
NATIONAL POST: “Chretien bias found in Gomery hearings”
LA PRESSE: “Federal court sides with Jean Chretien”
Gomery biased against Chrétien, court rules
The Federal Court of Canada has struck down a key finding by the 2005 Gomery commission that former ..Saturday 19 April 2008 MONTREAL: FORMER TOP FEDERAL POLITICIAN CHARGED
A former top federal Liberal Party organizer in the province of Quebec has been charged with fraud. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police made the accusations of fraud, influence-peddling and conspiracy both against the federal government and his own party against Benoît Corbeil. Mr. Corbeil was the director of the Liberals' Quebec wing between 1999 and 2001. He's accused of conspiring to defraud the party of $100,000 by authorizing payment of fake invoices. Mr. Corbeil admitted during the 2002-2004 public inquiry into a public relations scandal that he distributed envelopes containing cash to party volunteers but said they contained only $50,000. One witness admitted he had worked with Liberal Party including Mr. Corbeil to divert $1.1 million in cash to the party in return for federal PR contracts. The inquiry eventually discovered that the federal "sponsorship" program during the years of the previous Liberal government sent $150 million to agencies and other middlemen connected with the party.Saturday 15 March 2008 Former justice John Gomery—he of sponsorship scandal inquiry fame—gave the Prime Minister’s Office a staunch finger-wagging before a parliamentary committee yesterday. “It should be remembered that political staff in the Prime Minister's Office are not elected. They are not subject to any rules or laws that I am aware of, and they have the ear of the most important and powerful person in Canadian government,” Gomery said, as quoted in the Citizen. Indeed, the subject of Gomery’s latest political scrutiny is the apparent lack of a firm code of conduct in the prime minister’s hallways. The role of MPs, he argued, is fading in the expanding shadow of the PM’s appointed political aides. Gomery went on to criticize Harper’s Federal Accountability Act, saying it ignored his nineteen recommendations for rebalancing governmental power, reports the Post. Gomery’s grievances centred on the recent snafu by Harper’s chief of staff, Ian Brodie, who is accused of leaking information that may have damaged US presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s campaign.
Thursday Feb 7, 2008 Lawyers debate evidence for Gomery challenge
Justice John Gomery was under no obligation to protect the reputations of those called before him during...Friday Jan 25, 2008 Gomery lawyers urge court to stay out of inquiry issue
Former prime minister Jean Chrétien, along with his chief of staff and public works minister, cannot...2007
Thursday 09 August 2007 NATIONAL POST: “Legal system suicidal: Gomery”
Ontario announces a plan to issue green license plates to drivers of hybrid or low emissions cars; Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces that the government will add 5,400 square kilometres of land to the Nahanni National Park. Retiring Justice John Gomery declares that Canada’s legal system is on a “suicidal” path. Canadian astronaut Dave Williams is set to break records after launching into space with the Space Shuttle Endeavour yesterday. A FLAWED AND ‘SUICIDAL’ JUSTICE SYSTEM
The Post leads and the Citizen goes inside with “straight-shooting” Justice John Gomery’s criticism of Canada’s legal system, who has declared that the “cost of engaging a lawyer has to be examined.” Justice Gomery, who retires today at the age of seventy-five, told CanWest News Service that Canada’s justice system is on a “suicidal” path that cannot be reversed until lawyers cut their fees and governments increase funding for legal aid. Gomery called the rising costs of legal services an “alarming trend” which has put the justice system out of reach for most Canadians. He stressed that “it is not just the poor; it’s the great middle class” who must resort to representing themselves in court because they cannot afford legal fees. Canadian Lawyer magazine has the most recent national figures on lawyer’s fees, giving the average hourly rate for a lawyer with ten years of experience at $170 to $260, depending on the region. The Supreme Court of Canada’s Chief Justice, Beverley McLachlin, has said lawyers have a “crucial role to play” to make the justice system more accessible, but leaves it to the bar to find an appropriate solution. CanWest’s article adds that several provinces have unsuccessfully lobbied Ottawa to increase federal contributions to legal aid, and that the Canadian Bar Association has been locked in a legal challenge against the federal government, claiming that legal aid is a constitutional right.
Thursday 28 June 2007
CRIME PAYS, UNTIL IT DOESN'T
La Presse leads and the Globe fronts, while The National, CTV News, the Star, the Post and the Citizen go inside with the steepest sentence yet handed down to any player in the federal sponsorship scandal. Jean Lafleur, the ex-ad executive who pleaded guilty to twenty-eight counts of fraud for his role in the sponsorship debacle, was sentenced yesterday to forty-two months in prison (not including the several months he has already been incarcerated) and was ordered to pay back the $1.6 million he defrauded from Canadian taxpayers. Lafleur has admitted to submitting grossly inflated invoices—processed by former bureaucrat and fellow convict Chuck Guité—for the little work he did do for the government’s sponsorship program. The program, which continues to haunt the Liberals in Quebec, was meant to improve Ottawa’s image in Quebec following the 1995 sovereignty referendum.Lafleur’s sentence is the harshest of the four meted out so far in the ongoing series of prosecutions following the sponsorship scandal. Quebec Court Judge Suzanne Coupal defended the ruling yesterday, arguing that Lafleur showed no remorse for his crimes, did not offer to repay the stolen money and was uncooperative during the Gomery Commission, where he suffered from repeated “memory lapses,” the Citizen reports. Coupal also doubts Lafleur’s lawyers’ assertion that the disgraced ad exec would be hard-pressed to repay the bilked funds, due to a recent spell of financial hard luck. The Citizen has Coupal drawing attention to Lafleur’s high on the hog lifestyle—until recently he was renting two expensive apartments and could more often than not be found jet-setting around the world. The joint mysteries of Lafleur’s inexplicably dwindling funds and unusually spotty memory might both be explained by what the Globe reports to be the ad-man’s copious imbibing of fine wines and champagne during his brief stint as a fugitive in Belize. Lafleur will be up for parole in several months’ time.
Thursday Jun 28, 2007 Lafleur sentenced
Former ad man to serve 42 months, repay cash for role in sponsorship scandal
Former advertising executive Jean Lafleur was sentenced...
April 02, 2005 blogger Canada's Corruption Scandal Breaks Wide Open
find on WN [54] W-N hits on Gomery
Tuesday 03 April 2007 GLOBE AND MAIL: "Ex-adman
is now a wanted man"
TORONTO STAR: "Boom
in homemade meals" (Top non-local)
NATIONAL POST: "Lafleur
wanted, missing"
LA PRESSE: "Wanted!
Thirty-five fraud charges brought against Jean Lafleur "
OTTAWA CITIZEN: "A
memorial like no other"
THE STRAIGHT GOODS:
Jean Lafleur is a wanted man as Crown prosecutors levy new fraud
charges in the sponsorhip scandal. Iran and the UK are backing down in
their war of words over British soldiers captured in Iranian waters.
Ontario contemplates electoral reform, but the Liberals and Progressive
Conservatives remain wary of the idea while the New Democrats are
enthusiastic.
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SPONSORSHIP PROSECUTORS STILL FOLLOWING THE MONEY
The
Globe, the
Post, the
Star and La
Presse all lead, while The
National, CTV
News and the Citizen (not available online) go inside with the fraud
charges levied against Montreal advertising executive Jean Lafleur, a
major figure in the sponsorship scandal. Lafleur hasn't been seen in
Canada in almost two years, leaving a vacant apartment and expired
driver's license in his wake. CTV News surprised Lafleur's next-door
neighbours in his downtown Montreal building, who didn't even know that
the apartment was occupied. The fugitive was most recently spotted in
Costa Rica, where his loud parties angered neighbors at his luxury condo
complex. While they haven't heard a peep from his swank digs since 2005,
the Star cites the ever-reliable "rumours on the Internet" that Lafleur
hoofed it to Belize.
The Globe breaks down some of the numbers, which describe a kickbacks
machine that was as inefficient as it was complex. Lafleur's ad agency
netted $65 million in contracts from the government, and while he paid $12
million out to himself and his family in salaries, only $67,000 in
donations were channeled back into Liberal coffers. Even yesterday's
charges only deal with 35 contracts totaling $1.58 million; this portion
of the investigation had to be handed over to the Surété du Québec, as it
involves a contract for RCMP anniversary celebrations. Even this small
piece of the broader scandal had to be painstakingly assembled by the SQ,
who recommended that Montreal's Crown attorney lay charges last spring.
It's taken a full year to review the evidence and assemble enough
information to issue a warrant, which bodes for an even more complex trial
if and when Lafleur is tracked down and brought back to Canada. Meanwhile,
Conservative MP Jason Kenney trotted out to invoke the now-obligatory
refrain that this was the latest fruit of the "Liberal scandal." While the
Conservatives made their Quebec breakthrough over the sponsorship scandal,
their Quebec messaging has moved to attacks on Stéphane Dion and promises
of additional provincial autonomy—leaving a Calgary MP to evoke
whatever residual scandal-weariness remains in the hearts of voters in
English Canada.
Friday 09 February 2007
 |
MPs went behind closed doors Wednesday night to decide whether to pursue perjury charges against half a dozen politicians and bureaucrats who said one thing at the Gomery inquiry and another when they testified before the Commons public accounts committee.
Thursday 09 November 2006
 |
With at least one MP calling it "politically delicious,'' they may call it Gomery II.
find Gomery [126] CP
Sunday May 7, 2006 ts Second Gomery figure jailed
MONTREAL—Former ad executive Jean Brault, a central figure in the federal sponsorship scandal, has been handed a 30-month prison sentence for bilking taxpayers of more than $1.2 million, and is the second person involved in the affair to go behind bars.
Monday Apr 10, 2006 An appeals court in Canada's mainly French-speaking province of Quebec has overturned a lower court verdict in the province's "sponsorship" scandal. Paul Coffin is an advertising executive who was convicted of defrauding the federal government of $1.5 million. Coffin would originally have served a conditional sentence of two years less a day to be served in the community. With Friday's ruling, he will now serve an 18-month prison term, making him the first person to serve time because of criminal activity related to the scandal. The sponsorship plan was an initiative to raise the profile of Canada's federal government in Quebec. The former Liberal government created the initiative after the results of the 1995 referendum in which the province came close to voting in favour of separation. Public reaction to the scandal was in part responsible for the downfall of the Liberal government in the recent federal election.
Tuesday Mar 14, 2006 Taxpayers are picking up the tab for more than $1.3 million in legal fees to help Jean Chretien and two top aides, Jean Pelletier and Jean Carle, defend their actions in the sponsorship affair, government documents show. tice John Gomery was shocked at Jean Chrétien's conduct during the sponsorship inquiry, especially his golf ball antics, says a new book. Les Whittington reports.
Thursday Jun 22, 2006 Guite sentenced to 3 1/2 years
Chuck Guite was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail for defrauding Canadian taxpayers of $2.1 million in connection with the $250-million sponsorship scandal. The sentence was handed down in a Montreal court Monday afternoon.
Thursday Jun 22, 2006 Guité sentenced to 42 months
MONTREAL—A deflated Charles Guité listened silently yesterday as he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in federal prison for defrauding the government of roughly $2 million.
Tuesday Jun 20, 2006
 |
Before sentencing Guite to 31/2 years in a federal penitentiary, Superior Court Justice Fraser Martin asked the 62-year-old, sitting handcuffed and slouched in the prisoner's box, whether he had anything to say.
Tuesday Jun 6, 2006
 |
Chuck Guite's fraud trial was a complicated paper chase but sorting out his guilt or innocence is not rocket science, according to the presiding judge.
Wednesday Feb 1, 2006 nyt 28 Days to Save Darfur
By KENNETH H. BACON
The United States has a chance to show the world that we can do more than just talk about genocide in Sudan.
Tuesday Jan 31, 2006 globe Gomery report to call for tough new rules
Second report expected to urge Harper to go beyond his plan for accountability
The Globe leads with a preview of Judge Gomery’s recommendations report (aka Phase II, after the Phase I fact-finding report released in November), which is due out on Wednesday. The report is set to recommend measures to ensure “greater openness in government, a clearer definition of the individual responsibilities of ministers and civil servants in the handling of public funds and better ways to punish rule-breakers.” Last May, during the public hearing, Gomery lamented the government’s inability to sanction those who breach government policy, saying, “There is nothing really that you can do with that person except to move them out of that job and into another job where probably that person will be equally incompetent or equally incapable.” Prime-minister-designate Stephen Harper has made the passing of an “Accountability Act” a top priority, but, while the Gomery report will surely figure as a backdrop, its recommendations may not be the act’s backbone. Harper has said he will take the recommendations into account only if they “are consistent with our principles and our objectives.”
| ORIGINAL AIR DATE Friday, April 1, 2005 @ 8:00PM |
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| Parody of MasterCard commercial that targets the Gomery Commission. | ||
2005
Friday Nov 4, 2005 maisonneuve.org/ GOMERY WHO?
The Globe and The National lead, the
Citizen and La
Presse front, while the
Post and CTV
News go inside with continuing coverage of the fallout from the Gomery
report. The stories take readers from Jack Layton’s talk of a
Christmas election (the Globe,
the Post,
the Citizen
and The
National) to the tension between Prime Minister Paul Martin and former
PM Jean Chrétien and their respective followers (the Globe,
the Citizen)
to an attempt by the Quebec Liberals to distance themselves from the
scandal rocking their federal counterparts (La
Presse). The National airs a feisty interview with Chrétien’s
former chief of staff Jean Pelletier, in which Peter Mansbridge pushes him
to explain the difference between “political input” and
“political interference.” And the Globe’s Margaret
Wente pits Chrétien’s “old street fighter” against
Martin’s “Boy Scout,” blaming them both for letting the
sponsorship scandal push Quebec further down the road to
independence.
But La Presse is the only one to take a slightly self-critical look at sponsorship coverage itself. In the middle of today’s seven-page Gomery spread, it runs an article about the record-breaking media attention in the aftermath of the report’s release. The king of the coverage? La Presse itself, with 41 articles yesterday alone. Overall, Quebec media devoted more than 18 percent of their space to Gomery. That’s more than English Canada’s 12.8 percent. And more than either one accorded the war in Iraq or any other story in the last four years. But that’s not all. On the next page, La Presse devotes another article (not available online) to foreign newspapers’ coverage of the report and the overwhelming focus on Chrétien’s guilt and Martin’s exoneration. MediaScout is pleased at any sign of increased self-awareness in the media. Perhaps it will get them thinking about the effects all that coverage has on the stories themselves
Thursday Nov 3, 2005 Good intentions no excuse
This is an edited excerpt from Justice John Gomery's report on the sponsorship scandal from a chapter entitled Assigning Responsibility
Friday Oct 28, 2005 globe Gomery placed Chrétien on notice Former PM reacted angrily to warning that judge was considering an allegation of misconduct against him
Ottawa — Lawyers for Jean Chrétien requested a private meeting with Mr. Justice John Gomery after the former prime minister received a letter saying the head of the sponsorship inquiry was considering making an allegation of misconduct against him, The Globe and Mail has learned.
LEAK LEVELS CHRÉTIEN LOYALISTS
by Philippe
Gohier
October 19, 2005
Everyone in the Big Six except for CTV News reports on the fallout from an article in the Toronto Star that suggests the Gomery commission will exonerate Paul Martin and much of his inner circle in the upcoming report into the sponsorship scandal. The Star’s James Travers writes that “the Quebec Superior Court judge will load much of the blame for the mutant $250 million program on a group of loyalists clustered around former prime minister Jean Chrétien.” According to Travers, Gomery is basing his conclusions on Stéphane Dion’s testimony. At his appearance before the inquiry, Dion claimed that, even as minister of constitutional affairs in the Chrétien cabinet, he knew absolutely nothing about the program. It was long suspected that the sponsorship scandal was the work of an elite circle, gravitating around the former prime minister, Alfonso Gagliano, and Charles Guité. And, as the Star’s Chantal Hébert correctly points out , “Dion is more than someone who happened to have a front row seat on the unity strategy of the government and still managed to miss part of the main event.”
Although Gagliano continues to try to implicate everyone involved with the federal government at the time, a clearer picture seems to be emerging. That picture has members of Chrétien’s inner circle (rather than Martin’s) participating in a concerted and secretive effort to pillage public funds. Coupled with the Globe’s recent poll that places the Liberals comfortably ahead of the Conservative Party, and poised to gain a majority of seats in the House of Commons, it looks like Martin has played his cards perfectly. His party will have plenty of time after the Gomery report comes out to soften the damage, the Guité and Brault trials will be taking place well after a spring election, and the PM has been virtually cleared of any involvement in the scandal.Tuesday Oct 18, 2005 ts Gomery targets Chrétien team
Justice John Gomery will report in less than two weeks that the Quebec sponsorship scheme was a narrowly held secret with broadly dangerous implications for government integrity. His report will load much of the blame on a group of loyalists clustered around former prime minister Jean Chrétien, writes Jim Travers.
Friday Sep 23, 2005 ts Don't delay Gomery
Chuck Guité and Jean Brault are key figures in the federal sponsorship scandal. They go to trial Oct. 3 on charges of defrauding Ottawa of some $2 million. And Justice Fraser Martin of Quebec Superior Court, who is presiding, has a duty to ensure they get a fair hearing.
Tuesday Sep 13, 2005 ts Gomery delay rekindles talk of earlier vote
OTTAWA—A delay in a long-awaited report on the sponsorship scandal has overturned Prime Minister Paul Martin's election timetable and renewed speculation about an early drive by the opposition parties to topple the minority government.
Friday Aug 26, 2005 rci The judge who is conducting an inquiry into the scandal involving federal public relations contracts has called upon the Canadian public for help. John Justice Gomery has called on the public to mail or to e-mail him with their opinions on several precise points. Justice Gomery earlier in the year held public hearings into the defunct "sponsorship" program. The scandal was touched off in February of last year when the federal auditor revealed that at least $100 million of the $250 million spent on the program had ended up in the coffers of PR firms, which did little or nothing in return. The judge wants Canadians to tell him whether they think such programs should be insulated from political interference and what should be done to improve accountability for them. Mr. Justice Gomery's final report on the scandal is due on Dec. 15.
|
GOMERY INQUIRY |
Handling Scandal The National looks at scandal, how other nations handle the problem and the Canadian way.
The Seeds of Scandal How changes in the Prime Minister's Office laid the groundwork for the scandal.
Opportunity Lost? The reaction in the West to the scandal.
Friday Sep 23, 2005 Coffin got off lightly
Montreal ad executive Paul Coffin defrauded the Canadian taxpayer of $1.55 million in the federal sponsorship scandal. Prosecutors wanted him put away for almost three years. That seemed about right.
Tuesday Sep 20, 2005 rci MONTREAL: FIGURE IN FEDERAL PR SCANDAL AVOIDS JAIL
The first person charged in a political sponsorship scandal in Canada has been sentenced to a conditional sentence of two years less a day. That means that advertising executive Paul Coffin will not be going to jail. Coffin pleaded guilty in May to defrauding the Canadian government of $1.5 million between 1997 and 2002. He has reimbursed the government about $1 million. The sponsorship program was aimed at raising the federal government's profile in the mainly French-speaking province of Quebec after the narrow federalist victory in the 1995 referendum on sovereignty. Tens of millions of dollars were diverted to advertising companies friendly with the Liberal Party.
Friday Jun 10, 2005 itGomery in 60 seconds
A recap of the inquiry and why we may never know the IT implications
I would like to see us to return to a little more international coverage on the domestic feed and a little more environmental coverage, and, maybe, maybe a little less of the pervert of the day. - Former CNN founder Ted Turner
Friday Jun 3, 2005 MONTREAL: PR INQUIRY ENDS HEARINGS
The Gomery Commission inquiry into federal public relations contracts has ended several months of hearings. The Commission is trying to find out how $150 million of the funds spent on the defunct "sponsorship" program ended up in the hands of Liberal-friendly PR firms. Mr. Justice John Gomery on the last day of hearings rejected a request by a lawyer representing former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien that the judge's final report not be based on advice offered private by the Commission's four lawyers. The judge told the lawyer that in the 20 years that he has been a judge, he has written all his decisions alone and will continue to do so. Mr. Chrétien has twice failed to have Justice Gomery removed from the inquiry on the grounds he isn't impartial. On Monday, the former prime minister suspended his second attempt in Federal Court of Canada, saying the inquiry is too far advanced to replace him. Justice Gomery is to make a fact-finding report in the fall and a final report in December.
Thursday May 26, 2005 rci There was more testimony at the Gomery Commission inquiry into the scandal revolving around a defunct program of federal public relations contracts. The scandal about the "sponsorship" program began in February 2003 after the federal auditor general revealed in a report that $100 million of the $250 million spent on the now defunct program between 1997 and 2003 was squandered. The Commission heard on Wednesday from an employee in the Prime Minister's Office, Gaetano Manganiello. He testified that as a Liberal Party worker in Quebec in 1998 and 1999, he was paid by the Pluri Design graphic firm because of the party's poor financial shape at that period. Pluri Design is one of the firms that figure prominently in testimony before the Commission so far. Its owner is Jacques Corriveau, a friend of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. An earlier witness, Jean Brault, the former president of the now defunct GroupAction ad firm, says the company was used to funnel $1.7 million of public money to the Liberal Party.
Monday May 2, 2005 ts
Ex-Liberal makes personal jabs at Gagliano
Montreal—The Gomery inquiry took on the flavour of a soap opera yesterday, with the appearance of Beryl Wajsman, who has apparently yet to forgive those he feels thwarted his ambitions as a Liberal party bagman. Miro Cernetig reports.
Saturday May 14, 2005  "click for Beryl P. Wajsman")
ts Ex-Liberal makes personal jabs at Gagliano
Montreal—The Gomery inquiry took on the flavour of a soap opera yesterday, with the appearance of Beryl Wajsman, who has apparently yet to forgive those he feels thwarted his ambitions as a Liberal party bagman.
12, 2005 rci Much of the pressure building toward an election is the result of revelations at the Gomery Commission. It's trying to find out how $100 million of the $250 million spent on the now defunct "sponsorship" program. A former official of the Liberal Party testified on Thursday that he was recently physically threatened by an associate of a former Liberal minister who administered the defunct "sponsorship" program. The testimony came from Daniel Dezainde, the head of the party's Quebec wing between 2001 and 2003. He told the Gomery Commission that an associate of former public works minister Alfonso Gagliano told him three weeks ago that testimony that he might give could be detrimental to his "health." Mr. Dezainde says that Joseph Morselli had previously pointed a finger in his face, saying he had declared "war" against him. The witness said Mr. Morselli was angry that Mr. Dezaindi had fired another associate of Mr. Gagliano's. The witness said he was sufficiently alarmed by the alleged recent threat to turn to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for protection.
Wednesday May 11, 2005 rci Much of the pressure building toward an election is the result of revelations at the Gomery Commission. It's trying to find out how $100 million of the $250 million spent on the now defunct "sponsorship" program ended up in the hands of Liberal-friendly ad firms. A former Liberal Party organizer in Quebec, Marc-Yvan Côté, testified that he had received $120,000 to distribute to nine party candidates in the 1997 election campaign. The witness says he received the funds from Michel Béliveau, who was then head of the party's Quebec wing. Mr. Côté says the money was aimed at ridings where the opposition Bloc Québécois had been elected. It's unclear whether any money was distributed to campaign workers in Shawinigan, then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's riding. The prime minister won re-election by only 2,000 votes. Mr. Côté says that he didn't think in 1997 that he was violating federal election law but now realizes theat he was guilty of "a mistake."
Friday May 6, 2005 ts
`Fake` workers, secret payoffs
Montreal—The Liberal Party of Canada created a special room in its Quebec headquarters for the 2000 election, where 30 to 40 "fake volunteers" worked under the table for cash or future contracts, a witness at the sponsorship inquiry said yesterday.
Friday May 6, 2005 ts
Ring of truth from Guité?
Paul Martin`s name came up this week at the Gomery inquiry into the federal sponsorship scandal. That is the news.
MONTREAL: MONEY SAID TO BE RECYCLED IN PR SCANDAL Much of the pressure for an election is welling up from more revelations at the Gomery Commission. The Commission is trying to find out how $100 million dollars of the the $250 million spent on the "sponsorship" program ended up in the hands of PR firms friendly to the governing Liberal Party, with little or no work having been performed in return. On Thursday, the Commission heard from a former president of the federal Liberal Party's Quebec wing. Michel Béliveau. He testified that he assisted in the siphoning of as much as $300,000 from a firm that earned $7 million from the now defunct "sponsorship" program. The witness says he asked the head of the Pluri Design firm, Jacques Corriveau, to provide the money to the federal Liberal Party of Quebec to help it contest the 1997 federal election campaign. Mr. Corriveau is a friend of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Mr. Béliveau admitted before the Commission that he had acted wrongly.
Chuck Guite says he was told
in 2000 that Paul Martin and John Manley backed an alleged plan to
guarantee federal government business for a prominent Liberal-friendly ad
firm.
Forget a thick skin. These
days, MPs need a suit of armour to deflect the savage vitriol that's
passing for political debate.
Wed1208 In calculating the effects of the Gomery Commision on the Liberal chances in an election, it is important to remember that there are still more voices to be heard from, everyone from volunteers to Charles Guité, - who is caught in the power play between the Chrétien and Martin forces - , and some very key players to be recalled such as the Auditor General and Public Works.
Thursday Apr 28, 2005 Revelations at the Gomery Commission continued on Wednesday. The Commission heard from Paul Coffin, another advertising executive, whose firm earned $2.7 million in "sponsorship" fees between 1996 and 1999. Mr. Coffin told the Commission that his Communication Coffin firm routinely billed the federal government for numerous hours not worked by its employees. The witness says the company collected $86,000 on a contract that was in fact executed by a second firm. Mr. Coffin says he routinely overbilled the government at the behest of Chuck Guité, the retired civil servant who ran the "sponsorship" program at the public works department. He described his relationship with Mr. Guité as a close friendship. Mr. Guité, who will testify before the Commission on Thursday, is one of several figures in the scandal, including Mr. Coffin, who face criminal charges.
Thursday Apr 28, 2005 ts
Guité to appear before Gomery again
MONTREAL—Retired federal bureaucrat Chuck Guité will once again appear before the Gomery commission today after lawyers complete the cross-examination of former ad executive Paul Coffin, another central player in the federal sponsorship program.
Tuesday Apr 26, 2005 np
Gagliano says breakup of Canada inevitable
Former public works minister Alfonso Gagliano said Monday that Prime Minister Paul Martin has taken Canada and the federal Liberal party down the road to ruin. "He's going to destroy the party and break up the country,'' Gagliano said during an interview with Radio-Canada, the French-language network of the CBC.
He said Quebec sovereignty is inevitable after the revelations at Justice John Gomery's inquiry into the sponsorship program once headed by Gagliano _ and if the Conservatives replace the minority Liberal government.
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Robert Galbraith wn page. |
Sunday Apr 24, 2005 Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin has committed himself to keeping the public inquiry into federal public relations contracts in the courts if necessary. Mr. Martin was responding in an interview with the CTV television network about the recourse by his predecessor, Jean Chrétien, to the Federal Court of Canada to have Justice John Gomery removed from the Commission which Mr. Martin ordered to find out the truth about the now defunct "sponsorship" program. The Gomery Commission of inquiry is trying to find out how $100 million disappeared into the coffers of PR firms in the 1990s, with little or no work being performed. Mr. Chrétien was prime minister during the six years of the existence of the program. Mr. Martin was then finance minister. Mr. Chrétien claims the judge is biased. On Thursday evening, Mr. Martin suggested in a rare television address by a prime minister that voters should wait until Justice Gomery completes his work before calling for a rush to an early election. The leader of the biggest of the three opposition parties in the House of Commons is Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party. He says he'll decide next week whether to try to force a national election. The three opposition parties in the House have enough members to defeat the governing but minority Liberal Party on a vote of confidence.
Sunday Apr 24, 2005 Martin vows to fight Chrétien challenge to probe
Prime Minister follows up televised address by saying Ottawa will fight Chrétien efforts to head off Gomery probe
Friday Apr 22, 2005
SCANDAL? WHAT SCANDAL? from maisonneuve.org
Meanwhile, the Gomery inquiry—the thing that Martin was trying to draw our
attention to in order to make us forget about it for the next eight
months—continues to barrel forward. Yesterday, in an interview with
Radio-Canada, Benoît Corbeil, the former director-general of the Quebec
wing of the Liberal party, corroborated Jean Brault’s damning testimony
that the referendum and the 2000 election were won with dirty money. The Post focuses on the allegation that volunteers on
the 2000 Liberal campaign were paid in cash and that lawyers who helped
out were rewarded with judicial posts. As Martin was on television
apologizing, Liberals elsewhere were denying. The Globe reports that Justice Minister Irwin Cotler
denied the judiciary fiasco, although Public Works Minister Scott Brison
said he would ask all ministers to ensure none of their staff members
received cash payments. And then there’s Diane Deslauriers, wife of Claude Boulay, otherwise
known as the Man Who Has Never Had Lunch with the Prime Minister. In her
Gomery testimony, Deslauriers said that during the 1993 election campaign
she went “door to door” with Martin and saw him “every day.” The evidence
is mounting against the Liberals. Even if he isn’t implicated, Paul Martin
is going to have a tough time, prime-time pleading notwithstanding.
Friday Apr 22, 2005 ts
New Liberal bombshell drops
A former senior Liberal organizer fingered as the man who demanded cash payments from the ad firm Groupaction has fired back with explosive allegations that a small network of party chieftains doled out contracts, sponsorship deals and judicial appointments to Liberal stalwarts in exchange for their work on election campaigns.
Wednesday Apr 20, 2005 rci Testimony continued on Tuesday in the public inquiry into a scandal involving federal public relations contracts. The Gomery Commission is trying to find out how $100 million disappeared into the coffers of PR firms in the 1990s, with little or no work being performed. The Commission has heard from an advertising executive whose companies earned tens of millions of dollars from the now abolished "sponsorship" program. Claude Boulay denied the contention of a second ad exec proffered last week that he had discussion of a tourism contract worth $25.6 million over several years with Prime Minister Paul Martin at a time when he was finance minister. The testimony from the Commission has been so alarming that the three opposition parties represented in the House of Commons have threatened to unite to overthrow the minority Liberal Party government.
Tuesday Apr 19, 2005 rci Meanwhile, the opposition in Ottawa claims that a letter which Prime Minister Paul Martin wrote to one of the ad execs whose name has been mentioned in connection with the PR contracts proves that he is part of the scandal. The opposition says that Mr. Martin's letter to Claude Boulay, the president of the Groupe Everest firm, proves that he had a close relationship with him. Mr. Martin had told the Gomery Commission that he knew Mr. Boulay very little. Speaking on behalf of Mr. Martin in the House of Commons, Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan responded that the letter was banal and proved nothing of an intimate nature. Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, Jack Layton, says the NDP is prepared to support the Liberal government in the event of a Conservative Party no-confidence motion provided that the government abolishes corporate tax breaks and increases transfer payments to Ontario for social programs. [gerks!]
April 18, 2005
Hold the writ and keep on truckin'
Sunday Apr 17, 2005 Gambling on Gomery
If a snap election were called over revelations emerging from the Gomery inquiry into alleged Liberal corruption, the Conservatives would squeak out a narrow victory -- but the majority of Canadians do not want to cast ballots now, a poll commissioned for National Post/Global Television found yesterday.
....Richard Simeon, a professor of politics and law at the University of Toronto, said a wait-and-see approach might make the most sense for both the Liberals and the Conservatives.
Sunday Apr 17, 2005 ts
Corriveau denies siphoning cash
Montreal—A long-time ally of Jean Chrétien came to the defence of the Liberal party yesterday with a passionate denial of sponsorship allegations that are rocking the federal government.
Sunday Apr 17, 2005 Meanwhile, testimony at the Gomery Commission continued in Montreal. The Commission is trying to find out how $100 million of the $250 million spent on the public relations project ended up in the hands of PR firms that did little or nothing to earn it. The inquiry heard on Friday from a graphic designer who is a personal friend of former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Last week, a previous witness testified that Jacques Corriveau had prevailed upon himself and other ad execs to contribute $1.1 million of the money that they made from federal PR contracts to the Liberal Party. Mr. Corriveau on Friday denied it. Last week's witness, ad executive Jean Brault, also claimed that Mr. Corriveau earned almost $7 million dollars from the now defunct "sponsorship" program and did almost no work in return for the payments.
Friday Apr 15, 2005 globe
Scandal's $8-million man can't remember
Key Gomery witness Corriveau puts blame on age and ailments
Thursday Apr 14, 2005 rci Testimony continued on Wednesday in the public inquiry into the scandal involving federal public relations contracts in Canada. The Gomery Commission, has been holding public hearings into the former "sponsorship" program. The Commission is trying to find out how $100 million of the $250 million spent on the public relations project ended up in the hands of PR firms that did little or nothing to earn it. The Commission heard from a promoter and publisher involved with the program. Luc Lemay was asked about the involvement of a close friend of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Mr. Lemay testified that that his firm paid graphic designer Jacques Corriveau $6.7 million for bills which he charged for 19 "sponsorship" contracts. The witness told the Commission that Mr. Corriveau had done little work on them except for two. Mr. Lemay also revealed that Mr. Corriveau had submitted bills for events held at imaginary Olympic stadiums like Montreal's. Last week, another ad man, Jean Brault, testified that Mr. Corriveau had shaken down Mr. Lemay and himself for sums that were illegally transferred to the governing Liberal Party. Mr. Brault claimed that more than $1 million was transferred to the party in this way.
Wednesday Apr 13, 2005 Testimony continued on Tuesday in the inquiry in Canada aimed at bringing out all the details on the ongoing scandal involving federal public relations contracts. An independent inquiry, the Gomery Commission, has been holding public hearings into the former "sponsorship" program. The Commission is trying to find out how $100 million of the $250 million spent on the public relations project ended up in the hands of PR firms that did little or nothing to earn it. The Commission heard testimony on Tuesday from a close friend of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Documents tabled on the day of testimony by Jacques Corriveau revealed that his Pluri Design firm earned $6.7 million in income related to the program. The income derived from hunting and fishing shows run by a promoter, Luc Lemay. He is one of several figures from whom the federal government has begun proceedings to recover its money.
Tuesday Apr 12, 2005 A former federal Liberal Party organizer and advertising man has suggested that at least on one occasion there was a direct link between former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and the defunct "sponsorship" program. The witness, Alain Renaud, was testifying at the Gomery Commission, which is trying to find out how $100 million of the $250 million spent on the public relations project ended up in the hands of PR firms that did little or nothing to earn it. Mr. Renaud worked for the also defunct Groupaction firm. He said he overheard a friend of the prime minister, graphic designer Jacques Corriveau, speak to Mr. Chrétien on the telephone about the possibility of sponsoring a musical event. Meanwhile, a new public opinion poll in Canada shows that the ongoing, and deepening scandal over federal public relations contracts is seriously hurting the popularity of the governing Liberal Party. A poll carried out by the EKOS polling firm on behalf of the Toronto Star newspaper last week shows that only 25 per cent of those asked would vote Liberal if an election were held now. The opposition Conservative Party had the support of more than 36 per cent of respondents.
Monday Apr 11, 2005 globe
PM poised to counter Gomery 'outrage'
Liberals will ask judge to follow the money as damage-control effort begins in earnest
Sunday Apr 10, 2005 np
Chretien got $30K: adman
MONTREAL - A Groupaction employee of sponsorship whistle-blower Jean Brault yesterday told Judge John Gomery that his boss kicked in $30,000 to Jean Chretien's 1993 election campaign in his efforts to secure federal government contracts.
Sunday Apr 10, 2005 ts
MP may quit over scandal
CALGARY—Alberta Liberal MP David Kilgour says he may quit or cross the House to join the Tories over his disgust at the sponsorship scandal.
; "click for John Gomery by Robert J. Galbraith") John Gomery
more photos |
; "click for Jean Brault by Robert J. Galbraith") Jean Brault
his book more photos |
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 np
Money went to Chrétien: adman
Alain Renaud, a former fundraiser for the national Liberal Party, said at the sponsorship inquiry that Jean Brault donated $50,000 to Jean Chrétien's 1993 election campaign.
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 ts
Inquiry edges toward ex-PM
MONTREAL—The man at the centre of the sponsorship scandal gave money to Jean Chrétien`s election campaign in 1993 as an "investment" to get government contracts.
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 ts
Inquiry edges toward ex-PM
MONTREAL—The man at the centre of the sponsorship scandal gave money to Jean Chrétien`s election campaign in 1993 as an "investment" to get government contracts.
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 ts
Former PM gets the party cold shoulder
OTTAWA—The federal Liberal party has taken the first steps in distancing itself from the legacy of former prime minister Jean Chrétien.
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 ts
If Chrétien isn`t to blame for scandal mess, who is?
Ottawa—Where will the buck stop? Will it stop at a few mechanics skilfully oiling the sponsorship machinery, or at the top?
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 The latest witness at the Gomery Commission that is investigating the scandal revolving around federal public relations contracts has testified that his advertising firm received many "sponsorship" contracts through contacts with the office of former Prime Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Alain Renaud told the inquiry that he had pull with Jean Pelletier, who was Mr. Chrétien's chief of staff between 1993 and 2001, through the prime minister's former riding organizer, Michel Béliveau. Mr. Renaud credited Mr. Béliveau's influence with the awarding of a contract worth $1.3 million to the Groupaction for the PR firm to do the work for the Canadian Grand Prix in 1998. On Thursday, Justice John Gomery lifted partially a publication ban on the testimony of a previous witness, Jean Brault, the former president of the now defunct Groupaction. He testified that Mr. Renaud was a co-conspirator in a scheme in which $1.1 million deriving from the contracts was shifted to the impecunious Quebec wing of the federal Liberal Party.
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin has called on the three opposition parties represented in the House of Commons not to precipitate a national election over the PR scandal before the Gomery Commission concludes its work. Mr. Martin has appealed to the Bloc Québécois and the Conservative and New Democratic parties to think of the public good rather than partisan considerations before presenting a no confidence motion in the House. Since Mr. Martin's Liberal Party is a minority, the three opposition formations could overthrow the government on such a motion. The opposition parties say they'll conduct polls and consult their electors before deciding on any action next week.
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 ts GOMERY INQUIRY
Phantom jobs and cash in envelopes
Phantom jobs and wads of cash dropped off in unmarked envelopes were part of a culture of corruption that reached high up in the governing Liberal party, according to testimony at the Gomery inquiry.
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 ts Election where no one can say anything has upside Thank heavens Justice Gomery lifted the publication ban on much of that nasty testimony at the sponsorship inquiry. For a while there, it looked as though the country might head into an election where none of the candidates would be able to debate the issue that had brought about the election in the first place.
Saturday Apr 9, 2005 ts Gomery inquiry proving its worth Canadians were assured by former prime minister Jean Chrétien and others in the Liberal party that the $250 million federal sponsorship program was a high-minded bid to shore up national unity by promoting Canada in Quebec at a time when separatist sentiment ran high. But in helping Canada, some in the Liberal party appear to have helped their partisan cause as well. And handsomely at that.
Friday Apr 8, 2005 OTTAWA: FEDERAL PR SCANDAL EXPLODES The inquiry in Canada into federal public relations contracts has taken an explosive turn that could have repercussions on the national political scene. The Gomery Commission is trying to discover how $100 million of the $250 million spent on the defunct "sponsorship" program found its way into the coffers of PR firms friendly with his governing Liberal Party, with little or no work having been done. The Commission has been questioning a key witness in the investigation for the past week. But the testimony of former advertising executive Jean Brault had been kept secret because of publication ban due to the fact that