Update: Private eye in Guergis case $13M in debt - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

RedHot25 · 04-09-2010, 01:47 PM

See Updates in last post....

CBC radio has the ethics commissioner on the radio now. Apparently, the referral to her was "not an official request" and she has very little to go on. There were 2 main criteria for an official referral/request to her to look into things, and she doesn't have either (one I think being the specific part of the Act that is in question).

Also, apparently the ethics commissioner stated she lacks much information to do anything...

Here is some more info in this story: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/201...missioner.html

Earlier Thursday, ethics commissioner Mary Dawson said she hasn't received a request to investigate Guergis, despite the Prime Minister's Office saying it sent Dawson information about "serious and credible allegations."

Dawson told CBC Radio's The Current host Anna Maria Tremonti that she has not received an official request from Harper to investigate anything relating to Guergis, who remains the MP for the Ontario riding of Simcoe-Grey.

In an email Thursday morning to CBC News, the PMO's Soudas acknowledged Harper did not request or direct any specific action and did not provide "specific details" of the allegations to Dawson or the Mounties, but told them the source of the allegations.

UPDATED

The latest in this saga....

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/201...-responds.html

MP Helena Guergis was informed about the allegations against her, the Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday, contradicting earlier comments made by the lawyer representing the former cabinet minister.

In an interview with CBC News, Howard Rubel said his client has yet to be told what allegations led Prime Minister Stephen Harper to kick her out of caucus and contact the RCMP.

But Dimitri Soudas, a spokesman for the prime minister, told CBC News that a Conservative Party lawyer informed Guergis of the allegations last Friday, the day she was ousted from caucus.

Soudas said the allegations against Guergis are "serious and credible" and that a Conservative Party lawyer was asked to inform her because of "legal issues".

Also,

Liberal MP Mark Holland questioned why meetings between Jaffer and the Conservative parliamentary secretary in charge of a billion-dollar green infrastructure fund weren't reported to the federal lobbying commissioner.

Neither Jaffer nor Patrick Glémaud, his business partner at Green Power Generation, is registered as a lobbyist.

Holland described the meetings as "the very definition of lobbying, none of it registered."

Transport Minister John Baird acknowledged Brian Jean, his parliamentary secretary, met with Jaffer and Glémaud, but rejected their proposals outright.

"No funding was recommended to any of the projects in question that were discussed, and that is something that has been very clearly stated by the prime minister and the secretary," Baird told the House.

Earlier in the day, Environment Minister Jim Prentice acknowledged that Jaffer asked him in a "30-second conversation" more than a year ago whether he handled the green fund, and he told him he didn't.

Original Posting Below

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/201...g-cabinet.html

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has asked former cabinet minister Helena Guergis to sit outside the Conservative caucus while the RCMP investigates "serious" allegations over her conduct.

In an email sent Friday before the prime minister held a news conference in Ottawa, Guergis announced she had resigned as minister of state for the status of women, ending her tumultuous tenure in Harper's cabinet.

Harper said he learned of the allegations against Guergis on Thursday night and immediately referred them to the Mounties, as well as the commissioners for ethics and conflict of interest. In the meantime, he has asked Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose to assume Guergis's cabinet responsibilities.

"Those allegations had to do with Ms. Guergis's conduct and do not involve any other minister, member of Parliament, or federal government employee," Harper said, without providing more details about the allegations.

jar_e · 04-09-2010, 02:00 PM

Another corrupted politician? Colour me shocked. The only difference with her and Jaffer is they've been caught.

Shazam · 04-09-2010, 02:07 PM

I'd Rahim her Jaffer with my Mountie.

SebC · 04-09-2010, 02:21 PM

I wouldn't.

REDVAN · 04-09-2010, 02:50 PM

Those two are married. Wow. Scandal right there.

Liberals... didn't do much better. There's always dirty politicians. Too bad each party always claims it only the other guys.

Azure · 04-09-2010, 03:09 PM

Of course there will always be dirty politicians.

Important thing is trying to deal with them as best we can.

peter12 · 04-09-2010, 03:34 PM

I wouldn't put this on the same level as the Sponsorship Scandal. That was covered up right to the top. In this case, it's clear that Harper passed it over to the RCMP as soon as he heard of possible corruption. Big difference.

Pinner · 04-09-2010, 03:37 PM

Quote:

A Toronto Star report on Thursday alleged Jaffer boasted to potential clients about his connections inside the Prime Minister's Office at a liquor-filled dinner meeting in downtown Toronto last September. Later the same night, while driving home, he was arrested on charges of impaired driving and cocaine possession. The PMO dismissed Jaffer's alleged claims of influence as "false" and "absurd."
It also emerged Thursday that Jaffer was using a parliamentary email account through a wireless device given to him by Guergis.

Jaffer is a slime-ball, Canada is going downhill fast... Too many people without integrity have moved into power. They don't care what is good for the country or it's citizens, only whats good for them. We had a good country...

RedHot25 · 04-09-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinner

Jaffer is a slime-ball, Canada is going downhill fast... Too many people without integrity have moved into power. They don't care what is good for the country or it's citizens, only whats good for them. We had a good country...

A little discussion on Jaffer here; not much interest though it appeared on CP to discuss it: http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=89741

CaptainCrunch · 04-09-2010, 03:50 PM

Good, as I said in the other thread. If it needs to be investigated by the po po then investigate it. If she's cleared she can go back to work. If she's not she's done.

I still think its a matter of her husband acting like a slimy idiot to get deals. But I didn't know that according other posts that he was still presenting himself as an MP, and using his wife's name in his deal making to promise access.

The Prime Minister acted fairly quickly on this.

Slava · 04-09-2010, 04:03 PM

^ It is a case of the guy acting this way to get deals. I think that the main issue here is that he was handing out his old MP business cards, using a parliamentary blackberry and things like that to try to prove his case that he has some influence to peddle.

More and more this sounds like it has very little to do with the government and more to do with a complete idiot. That being said, the opposition is right to have demanded that more of an investigation be completed.

CaptainCrunch · 04-09-2010, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slava

^ It is a case of the guy acting this way to get deals. I think that the main issue here is that he was handing out his old MP business cards, using a parliamentary blackberry and things like that to try to prove his case that he has some influence to peddle.

More and more this sounds like it has very little to do with the government and more to do with a complete idiot. That being said, the opposition is right to have demanded that more of an investigation be completed.

I have no trouble with that at all. In fact I would hope that the government would be eager to distance themselves from Jaffer and his wife.

I don't think this needs a multi hundred thousand dollar red line committee though.

Leave it in the hands of the police.

REDVAN · 04-09-2010, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter12

I wouldn't put this on the same level as the Sponsorship Scandal. That was covered up right to the top. In this case, it's clear that Harper passed it over to the RCMP as soon as he heard of possible corruption. Big difference.

To you and me, yes.

To Ignatief? Nope.

Slava · 04-09-2010, 06:20 PM

^who cares about the sponsorship scandal at this point though? Shouldn't this just
proceed based on the evidence (or lack thereof) of this case alone? I don't even see why it was brought up here.

Before someone else mentions it, let me also say the NEP has nothing to do with this either!

CaptainCrunch · 04-09-2010, 06:24 PM

I agree, but the police have been contacted to investigate and his wife has been bumped. Until I see an actual link to corruption this isn't a scandal. Its a fool making an a%% out of himself and perpetrating what looks like fraud as a private citizen.

Its not a government scandal yet.

longsuffering · 04-09-2010, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I agree, but the police have been contacted to investigate and his wife has been bumped. Until I see an actual link to corruption this isn't a scandal. Its a fool making an a%% out of himself and perpetrating what looks like fraud as a private citizen.

Its not a government scandal yet.

What? A Minister was removed from Cabinet, kicked out of the Conservative caucus AND is under investigation by the RCMP.

No. No scandal there.

Cap'n - you're in denial.

Kjesse · 04-09-2010, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I agree, but the police have been contacted to investigate and his wife has been bumped. Until I see an actual link to corruption this isn't a scandal. Its a fool making an a%% out of himself and perpetrating what looks like fraud as a private citizen.

Its not a government scandal yet.

Harper isn't known for knee-jerk reactions. Her resignation is some kind of news story. Harper didn't only ask for her resignation, he said he had his office call in the RCMP. I'm not a huge Harper fan (he's leaps and bounds ahead of Ignatieff and Layton in my books, but that's not actually a compliment) but I do think he has integrity, so I don't think calling in the RCMP was a move to get political points.

I'm thinking this might have more to do with her mortgage than with what Jaffer did at his 'boozy' night out, or that it might involve some other issue. She has shown poor judgment quite a few times, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a bomb waiting to go off.

CaptainCrunch · 04-09-2010, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longsuffering

What? A Minister was removed from Cabinet, kicked out of the Conservative caucus AND is under investigation by the RCMP.

No. No scandal there.

Cap'n - you're in denial.

Hey if you're right and there's a link to governmental corruption found, I'll be as pissed as anyone else.

Right now there's a suspicion of impropriety, nothing else.

I'm not in denial of anything, I think I said it before in this thread, but the fact that the Prime Minister has called in the po po means that he's not hiding it from the public, and its probably not something that leads to the Prime Minister's office.

Ford Prefect · 04-09-2010, 10:15 PM

Maybe Helena can get a staffer to show up in her place for her mugshot and finger printing.

And why does Jaffer need to fake his government connections? You'd think hookers and blow would be enough to close a deal.

WilsonFourTwo · 04-10-2010, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Hey if you're right and there's a link to governmental corruption found, I'll be as pissed as anyone else.

Right now there's a suspicion of impropriety, nothing else.

I'm not in denial of anything, I think I said it before in this thread, but the fact that the Prime Minister has called in the po po means that he's not hiding it from the public, and its probably not something that leads to the Prime Minister's office.

I gotta agree with Crunchy on this one. It appears that as soon as the details of the (alleged) impropriety were known, Harper cut the cord, removed her from a position of power and called in the authorities.

Like Harper or not, as of right now, it looks like he handled this perfectly and deserves at least some measure of respect for it.

The Cons are taking some heat for not specifically detailing the allegations, but I don't think that's fair either. This isn't a matter of policy (at which point the PM should provide details) but rather a criminal investigation....the RCMP can/will handle things from the get-go.