Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW

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As David Mulroney's jet hurtles through the skies toward Ottawa…

by Paul Wells on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 12:03pm - 24 Comments

…our their Kady feels the strangest sense of déjà vu. Witnesses showing up before they’d been called? She’s seen this one before!

Tags: David Mulroney, now we can link to her without paying her, witness mayhem

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D-R

Contrasting the reactions of reporters and hack pundits like Coyne is amusing to say the least.
http://intensedebate.com/people/TJCook TJCook

Let's hope Mulroney has a little more class than Finley.

Not that Finley sets a high bar…
http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

Kady raises good points about the games Cons like to play during committees. However, I am also willing to give Mulroney some slack because he's been accused of war crimes and it is not entirely unreasonable to want to present your side of story.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Gaunilon Gaunilon

You're suggesting that there are two sides to the story? No jwl, the Conservatives are clearly evil and their accusers are clearly acting in the most altruistic and objective manner. Every progressive person knows that.

Style

When did David Mulroney become "a party-connected witness"? He's a civil servant. This is the moment of maximum leverage for asking for the documents, so the New Democrats might be well-intentioned but they must know how difficult it would be to table "uncensored" documents any time soon. But the BQ is dismissing Mr. Mulroney as a mouthpiece for the Tories. It's amazing that politicians would smear the reputation and credibility of a diplomat with such a stellar career…

Chuck vs. Macleans

Of course Paul and the rest of the media are going to smear Mulroney there hypocrisy knows no bounds.

I just want to know when Mulroney became a member of the CPC.

But to be fair Paul already convicted the government on the CBC last week of war crimes so frankly I think it is safe to say anyone who disagrees with saint Colvin is a CPC hack trying to smear an outstanding diplomat in Richard Colvin. Atleast that is the PPG stance, as far as I can tell..

Paul it is good to see you have a hissy fit on the CBC about how the mean CPC treated colvin, and then inturn, basicaly smear david Mulroney as a CPC party hack. You are all class…

peter

Stop the presses!!! Shenanigans surround witness lists at committee. Stop the presses!!! Dog bites man. Stop the presses!!! Sun to rise in morning.

"Wide ranging conspiracy alleged at Global Warming Central-hacked emails and documents seem to confirm conspiracy" see page B26 ho hum.

peter

ps, one of the above stories is a real story with profound implications for the future of the world. The other three not so much. Which should we focus our attention on?

http://intensedebate.com/people/TwoYen TwoYen

What irony. The opposition parties criticise the government for smearing the reputation of a non-partisan public servant and then respond by making their own smears on another equally non-partisan official. This would be shocking if it were not an everyday occurance in today's Ottawa.

Andre

Where is the smear? What the opposition is asking for is for the hearing to proceed in due process. Are you saying that this motion is more vile and disingenuous than Peter McKay saying Colvin has no credibility?

http://intensedebate.com/people/TwoYen TwoYen

The opposition is suggesting that David Mulroney is partisan. He is a respected and non-partisan public servant. The opposition claims are smears, pure and simple.

Andre

You're generalising the oposition's opinion, and by extension ignoring the fact that Mulroney will testify in defense of the government. It's hard not to say Mulroney is non-partisan but whatever, that's not important.

What's important is that never asked for Mulroney to be exluded from the hearings because of his partisanship, so if it is in fact a smear, it's a really poor one at that.

http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

I really love stuff like this becuase the utter hypocrisy of the whole lot of particiqapnts becomes so obvious to everyone – the fake outrage and then the self righteous cries of indignation from everyone – keep up the good politicians the whole lot of them – but then again they are playing the straw dog for our collective unconcious so I guess I have to cut them some slack – but I for one really want to hear what David has to say – and cut all the stalling lwet's get to it – the oppo parties just want to spread this out so they can squeeze every last bit of airplay out of it but come on folks there is only a few weeks left till the house sits for xmas!
http://intensedebate.com/people/DroppingBY DroppingBY

If the presence of Conbots in comment threads such as this one is a measure of how anxious they are about an issue, then this matter is clearly a 9 or a 10 on the scare index.
http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

I really want to hear what David has to say and if the oppo parties can not get of the toilet long enough to stop playing games here I am going to miss the juicy stuff because the house will be in recess soon – come on folks get with it!

http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

I understand he gets all stiff and tense when people call David Mr. Mulroney.

Style

Is this even good tactics by the opposition? Several senior officials and former officials have suggested that Colvin hasn't gotten the story straight (Chapin, Hillier, Mulroney, the current Chief of Defence staff). The documents are difficult to release and hardly necessary for questioning these officials. If the opposition refuses to hear from these officials, the press will have to do its reporting without the committee and the opposition will lose much of its influence over the story.

Lord Kitchener's Own

I'm not sure I agree that the documents are somehow necessary. If Colvin says X and Mulroney says Y you know what might help us determine what the truth is? DOCUMENTS.

As for tactics though, it's a great tactic politically for the government. If you think there's a chance someone may be called by a committee to testify, have that person drop everything they're doing and head straight to the committee demanding to be heard yesterday. Then, if the committee doesn't drop everything THEY'RE doing and agree to hear the witness immediately, on the witness' schedule, you just accuse the committee of not wanting to hear from the witness and "muzzling" them. Then, when the witness is actually scheduled to appear, maybe they'll be busy that week (don't laugh, this government's pulled that before).

Style

Richard Colvin's testimony gives the committee enough to put questions to Mr. Mulroney. I suspect he would not contradict Mr. Colvin's testimony, but that he might emphasize considerations that have so far been overlooked.

Mr. Mulroney will shortly be busy with Harper's visit to China and the committee will not meet once Parliament has risen. So, there is actually a tight window of availability for this particular witness.
Lord Kitchener's Own

I'm not sure I agree that the documents are somehow necessary. If Colvin says X and Mulroney says Y you know what might help us determine what the truth is? DOCUMENTS.That should say UNnecessary above.

shouldIsellyourwheat

David Mulroney has been accused of war crimes. To NOT allow him to make his case before the committee at the earliet opportunity on the same terms as his accuser would be appalling.

He can also be called again after the committee get all the necessary documentation.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sourstud sourstud

Thats not the way Liberals work. They believe in casting accusations about wildly until something stick to someone somewhere. Accusing some poor schmuck diplomat of war crimes is nothing to them. Remember Wafer-gate? They still haven't come clean about who concocted that story that got an editor fired and the publisher suspended for 30 days. They're just collateral damage in the War-On-Harper.