Gomery’s findings in a nutshell:
Chretien and Pelletier: Ultimately responsible for the whole darn mess, since the usual control mechanisms were circumvented, and the programs administered out of the PMO. Unlikely to have personally profited. Guilty of naivete, and stupidity.
Galliano: Picked up Pelletiers program, and enlarged it. Guilty of influence peddling.
The ad guys (Corriveau, Brault etc): They lined their own pockets with money from the public purse, and kicked back dollars to the party that kept the money machine printing cash. Guilty of theft, and bribery.
The Liberal Party of Canada, Quebec: They participated in the kickback scheme, took illegal donations from suspect sources, and insisted that paid "volunteers" be employed in the agencies that were recipients of their largesse. Sounds like racketeering to me.
Martin: exonerated. Say what? This comment on Daimnation really says it all for me:
Am I to understand that the Prime Minister of Canada’s defense to charges of corruption, dating to when he was Finance Minister, is that he’s a fool not a knave?
Martin’s response: promise to pay back the stolen money, and ban 10 individuals, including the former prime minister, from ever holding membership in the Liberal Party again.
It’s not enough.
How about banning the Liberal Party of Canada, Quebec wing, for a start. It’s not like they can win in the next election anyway – they’re going to get trounced by the Bloc. Make them sit this one out. And what about a penalty for their behaviour? How about treble damages for every dollar stolen from the public purse? How about taking back Jean Chretien’s fat government pension, since taxpayers money was used to keep him in power illegally? While they’re at it, take the pensions away from Jean Pelletier, Chuck Guite, and Alfonso Galliano too. And what about jail time for the thieves who happily bilked Canadian tax payers out of $100 million?
Silly me. I forgot. Paul Martin’s a fool, not a knave.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
