November 1, 2005
Gomery: Chrétien "accountable" for AdScam
Report alleges kickbacks, illegal campaign contributions
Justice John Gomery says the Liberal government "subverted and betrayed" the public trust, "not only because public funds were wasted and misappropriated, but also because no one was held responsible or punished for his misconduct." Justice Gomery released his fact-finding report into the Sponsorship Scandal this morning.
He says that political interference, an excessive concentration of power in the Prime Minister's Office and greed all played a role in the scandal. He is most pointed about his criticism of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
"The Prime Minister and his Chief of Staff [Jean Pelletier] arrogated to themselves the direction of a virtually secret program of discretionary spending to selected beneficiaries, saying that they believed in good faith that those grants would enhance Canadian unity," Justice Gomery wrote. Mr. Chrétien, he added, "is accountable for the defective manner in which the sponsorship program and its initiatives were implemented."
He also criticises the Liberal Party of Canada which he says knowingly accepted illegal campaign contributions. It is reported the Liberals will be cutting a cheque to the Government of Canada to repay any illegal contributions this afternoon.
The report also alleges Chrétien confidante Jacques Corriveau and Chuck Guite, the bureaucrat in charge of the program, accepted kickbacks for sponsorship contracts, though it clearly states Mr. Chrétien had no hand in those.
While Prime Minister Paul Martin is specifically exonerated by Justice Gomery, one doubts he breathed much of a sigh of relief. The report is specific in saying sponsorship money was funnelled to the Liberal Party and several senior Liberals are specifically identified as having taken part in activities that appear to be criminal in nature. The Prime Minister's Office has said it will hand the report over to the RCMP for investigation. [One wonders what the RCMP is going to do with it, however, since evidence obtained via a public inquiry cannot be used in a criminal proceeding.]
The PMO is also suggesting several people named in the report will be kicked out of the Liberal Party in addition to their repayment of ill-gotten funds.
All this to make this appear to be a Chrétien scandal and not a Liberal scandal in the hopes that Canadians will re-elect the Martin government whenever a Federal Election happens.
Already the NDP is calling the report a confirmation of Liberal corruption and is not ruling out brining down the government over the report.
Posted by maxthecat on November 1, 2005 at 11:14 AM | Comments (0)
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