Conservatives try to bribe independent MP?

[Slava]

I'm kind of surprised that this wasn't up here already! (Only kind of though...I know how everyone seems to feel on this board:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/...r.html?ref=rss

Brings up an interesting scenario on a non-political side. I would think that most people would take the policy for their soon to be widows.

[Nufy]

The more things change...the more they stay the same.

Politicians involved in a scandal... I would a never thunk it.......

[CaptainCrunch]

Seems like the playbooks for both parties in a minority situation are shockingly the same.

[Thunderball]

If true, this is a pretty bad black eye on otherwise Mr. Clean Harper. I'd be pretty disappointed.

I have my doubts this life insurance business is true though, seeing as it would have been a lot more damaging from the Cadman family POV to release this information during the last election, rather then... hmm... when his biography is coming out? We all knew about the offering of a subsidized nomination and campaign under the CPC banner... but there's nothing shady about that.

But again, if it is true... bribery with their own money is still better than bribery with our money. The two situations pale in magnitude.

[Slava]

Fotze, that thread was in 2005...and this is the same issue, but new "evidence".

Thunderball, I did think it was odd that his wife would say this...but his daughter backs this up now. Sure, she will sell some books this way...but she is a CPC candidate next election as well. I would suggest that she has nothing to gain from this "scandal" in that regard.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by fotze

Hasn't there been thread or even threads on this issue? Is this a different incident.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...ghlight=cadman

Slightly different issue. The issue now is that they offered Cadman a financial incentive to vote in favour of the Conservatives. The issue then was that they offered him the party nomination for the election if he agreed.

[JohnnyFlame]

Who gives a crap who was bribing who? Standard move for politicians. What's of far more concern is the stupid wasting of money to pursue crap for pure political gain.

Non a single one of these jerks cares who has given money to anybody on the planet to do whatever.

Just another "oooh look at what these guys have done --- put us in and we will never do such a thing".

What a complete load of crap. With all the things to worry about today they spend their time on meaningless bulldung. Everytime they bring up this junk the money to look into to should come from the political party that instigates the action. Let them put their own money up if they really actually care.

Take my money which I so wish I didn't have to give to this collection of idiots and use it for some good purposes.

[Dan02]

Is it just me or does it seem like all our governments do is take shots at each other so they can try and win the next election rather then work together to effectively run our nation?

I thought the point of a minority government was so that the partys would have to work together, instead we have the liberal opposition just trying to pander for votes while the whole time abstaining from most votes effectively giving the Torys a majority government. IMO of all the partys right now the liberals are doing the worst job out of all of them. They have the obligation as the opposition to keep the minority government in line and instead they give them a free pass time and time again. At some point are the liberals going to stand up for themselves? I just hope next election the tories pound of them for selling themselves out to avoid another election.

I mean from time to time i accidently turn to the commons question period or whatever(and the alberta version) and instead of good honest debate all I see is a bunch of people tossing psuedo-intellectual insults across at the other parties.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by Slava

Fotze, that thread was in 2005...and this is the same issue, but new "evidence".

Thunderball, I did think it was odd that his wife would say this...but his daughter backs this up now. Sure, she will sell some books this way...but she is a CPC candidate next election as well. I would suggest that she has nothing to gain from this "scandal" in that regard.

Well, I'm not surprised the daughter is backing it up. Would you go on national news and call your mother a liar and a cheat trying to sell books?? No way.

I have no idea what she's trying to prove. I'm also pretty sure they only offered the subsidized campaign... logic says that if he was so "offended" by the insurance offer, he would have made it public right away, or even joined the Liberals in disgust and have them release the information.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

But again, if it is true... bribery with their own money is still better than bribery with our money. The two situations pale in magnitude.

Was it really bribery with their own money though? If they were offering him a $1 million life insurance policy, then the Conservatives wouldn't be paying it... insurance would be paying it. And if he was employed as an MP, would it not have been a government insurance policy?

I am holding off on judgement for now though. Allegations are one thing, but proving it is another. I don't like Harper's political leanings, but I don't mind him as a person, so if this is true, it will be a little shocking.

[Resolute 14]

Someone with an agenda accusing someone else with an agenda of trying to bribe a third person with an agenda.

Gotta love politics.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Was it really bribery with their own money though? If they were offering him a $1 million life insurance policy, then the Conservatives wouldn't be paying it... insurance would be paying it. And if he was employed as an MP, would it not have been a government insurance policy?

I am holding off on judgement for now though. Allegations are one thing, but proving it is another. I don't like Harper's political leanings, but I don't mind him as a person, so if this is true, it will be a little shocking.

I just assumed it would be through a private wing of the party to a private insurance company... since going through the government would attract too much attention, especially running on a campaign of government ethics and transparency. I don't think they're that stupid.

I'm not saying it didn't happen... I'm saying it doesn't make any sense for it to have happened and not break until the book came out.

[Bobblehead]

As soon as there were MPs crossing the floor for cabinet posts, the parties revealed themselves as being the same as far as ethics are concerned.

I will base my vote on policies, not party names/colours or labels.

I've actually been pretty happy with Harper. Outside of the pending copyright legislation (which is very similar to the one the Liberals were proposing) I haven't had any major gripes.

Stuff like this just seems to be business as usual. I would like to see action take to punish those involved, but I am not so naive as to believe this sort of thing will ever be totally eliminated.

[old-fart]

Seems a bit fishy to me. What insurance company will give a $1M policy on a terminally ill person? Also, Cadman himself was on TV just after the vote in 2005 and said that aside from the "welcoming him back into the PC party and the uncontested nomination" he wasn't offered anything. Mike Duffy has also admitted that Cadman told him at the time he was voting with the Liberals (i.e. to NOT bring down the government) because he was concerned that his life insurance policy would be suspended if they went to an election (the government provides insurance on all sitting MPs much like most large corporations to their staff) and he didn't know how his wife would cope.

Lastly, there were only three people in the room when this supposed deal was made, Cadman and the two PC dudes. Not his wife, and not his daughter.

This smells like another Liberal smear. if you through enough s*** at the wall, so of it is bound to stick.

[MelBridgeman]

there is a book for sale? no way.....
is there a better way to market a book, that no one would even bother taking a second look at

[MacDougalbry]

Is it really possible to get a life insurance policy on someone who has terminal cancer?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by MacDougalbry

Is it really possible to get a life insurance policy on someone who has terminal cancer?

For an ordinary person... probably not. For someone who knows people with power and influence.... then probably.

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

For an ordinary person... probably not. For someone who knows people with power and influence.... then probably.

i really really really doubt that...

[FlamesAddiction]

I don't.

$1 million bucks is small change to insurance companies. Having someone in office that is going to be favourable to your company is probably worth a lot more than $1 million to a CEO of an insurance company.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by MacDougalbry

Is it really possible to get a life insurance policy on someone who has terminal cancer?

Well technically speaking its not possible. This could have been a situation where it was "self-insured" though. Everyone knew he was dying, hence the bribe being so enticing.