Guergis info came from different sources

By macleans.ca - Monday, May 17, 2010 at 4:18 PM - 20 Comments

Since private investigator Derrick Snowdy testified that he didn’t give the Conservatives any information that would have justified removing Helena Guergis, former minister of state for the status of women, from its caucus, the party is now saying that it received its tips from a number of sources. This is leading to speculation that the government itself has damning information about now-independent MP. Whether that information reveals anything worse then Guergis’ association with Nazim Gillani, a Toronto businessman currently facing fraud charges, or the fact that she allowed her husband, Rahim Jaffer, to use her BlackBerry and office for potentially illegal lobbying activities, remains unknown. “It’s certainly a possibility that the government was and still is sitting on information related to Guergis,” said NDP MP Pat Martin. “If I were a more jaded type, I would even speculate that Snowdy orchestrated this whole tempest in a teapot on behalf of the Conservative government to get rid of a problematic minister.”

The Hill Times

What else could there possibly be?

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, May 17, 2010 at 2:34 PM - 28 Comments

Shelly Glover teases the possibility of still more exciting developments to come in the story of Helena Guergis.

“I can assure you that there is far more to come out,” Shelly Glover, parliamentary secretary for official languages told CTV’s Question Period Sunday. “This isn’t finished.”

So far we’ve got allegations of cocaine, prostitutes, compromising photos, improper lobbying and use of a government Blackberry, not to mention an alleged con man, a dog photographer, a former member of the Toronto Argonauts, Robert De Niro’s son and a private investigator. Place your bets on what’s next.

The Backbench Top Ten

By Aaron Wherry - Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 4:38 PM - 9 Comments

Our weekly, and wholly arbitrary, ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Last week’s rankings appear in parentheses. Continue…

Tonight in Guergis

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 10:04 PM - 37 Comments

The member for Simcoe-Grey writes an open letter. The last paragraph might be the most interesting part.

I do look forward to the RCMP’s quick resolution of this matter and trust that their objectivity will finally put to rest the very unfair and unspecified cloud of rumour that has interfered with the very important work I am proud to have done and which I intend to keep doing; representing the people of Simcoe-Grey.

PI has no evidence on Guergis

By macleans.ca - Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 11:56 AM - 4 Comments

Testifying before the House of Commons government operations committee, Derrick Snowdy, a private investigator who was looking into Nazim Gillani, the business partner of Helena Guergis’ husband, on behalf of investors, says he has no evidence against the former minister who was kicked out of the Conservative caucus. “I have nothing—I have no evidence, or no information, with respect to conduct of Ms. Guergis in my possession or knowledge,” he said. Snowdy was hired by investors worried that Gillani, a Toronto businessman, was defrauding them. He witnessed Guergis and Jaffer eating with the businessman, and went to the Conservative party to warn them about the relationship, which resulted in the ousting of Guergis on April 9. “Mr. Jaffer is Mr. Gillani’s business partner. They are in a business relationship. So this is an issue of optics,” he testified. “When the minister for the status of women is dining in a restaurant with a man awaiting trial on serious crimes and with a history of serious criminal activity, and an escort … how would the Hill here have responded to that photograph or that video showing up?”

CBC News

Meanwhile, in Guergis

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 11:46 PM - 65 Comments

The private investigator says the Prime Minister’s Office did not accurately report to the ethics commissioner the information he passed on to them. He says he has no evidence as to the conduct of Ms. Guergis in his “possession or knowledge.” The concern, he says, was “optics.” He says Mr. Jaffer was the “back door” to federal funding and Liberal party president Alf Apps was Nazim Gillani’s “getaway driver.” Mr. Gillani responds. Mr. Apps’ law firm says Mr. Apps was briefly on retainer to Mr. Gillani, but the law firm declined to do work with Mr. Gillani and the retainer was returned. And CBC reports that the private investigator arrived in Ottawa driving a nice car.

The Commons: Yelling with purpose

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 5:17 PM - 32 Comments

The Scene. It was a full 25 questions today before anyone referred to Helena Guergis, before any of Pat Martin or John Baird or, sometime later, Marlene Jennings got involved. And then, yes, there was a reference, from the aforementioned Mr. Martin, to crucifixion. But that there had been a full 25 questions before we came to this point, surely counts for something.

This was indeed, in various small ways, a remarkable day. Daniel Paille and Jim Flaherty entertainingly sparred over securities regulation. Mr. Flaherty and John McCallum very nearly yelled each other hoarse over taxation policy. There were two questions about the potential for train traffic through downtown Toronto.

That it all began with David McGuinty, the booming Liberal backbencher, might not have particularly bode well. But then he seemed to have a question of some relevance. Continue…

Civil war

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 12:10 PM - 1 Comment

The government side returns fire.

Helena Guergis lied in her interview with CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge when she told him she did not know the allegations that led to her abrupt departure from cabinet and removal from caucus, according to a series of Conservative talking points circulated to a select group of supporters and MPs…

“Ms. Guergis wasn’t telling the truth about not knowing the allegations,” their memo says. “She was told the specific allegations by the party lawyer. Remember, she issued a statement after being dumped from cabinet saying she denied ‘all of the allegations.’ How could she deny allegations she knew nothing about?”

Five and a Half Things about the Guergis interview

By Scott Feschuk - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 7:18 AM - 20 Comments

1. It probably doesn’t help Helena Guergis’s case that whenever I hear her voice I think of the little Poltergeist lady. Now clear your minds. It knows what scares you. IT HAS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!!

(This isn’t a joke. I am deeply unnerved by her Soft Voice. At points during last night’s interview, it was as though she was trying to tuck Peter Mansbridge into bed. “I guess I could be naïve, Peter. Yeah. <softer> Yeah. <softer> And then the baby unicorn and the fairy princess were bestest friends for all time. The end.”)

1.5 When Guergis made reference to watching her career implode on “the news hour at 11 o’clock,” I admired Peter Mansbridge’s restraint in not tearing off his microphone and hollering, “Why don’t you go cry to your best friend Lloyd Robertson then?”

2. Allowing Mansbridge to view the videotape of her alleged meltdown at the Charlottetown airport was smart – no boot throwing? WHAAA?? –because it allowed her to begin the interview with a demonstration of credibility. Two obvious questions: Why didn’t she do this sooner? And more important, can we all go Continue…

‘I’m hurt by the Prime Minister’

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 10:17 PM - 3 Comments

As Peter Mansbridge as our witness, there are apparently no “diva-like moments” to be seen on the videotape of Helena Guergis passing through security at the Charlottetown airport. Ms. Guergis admits she had a less-than-pleasant conversation with the ticket agent and that she uttered the phrases “happy f—ing birthday” and “hellhole,” but insists the latter was reference only to the airport she found herself in—she’s apparently not too keen on airports—and not reference to the city of Charlottetown or the province of Prince Edward Island.

This was merely the beginning of the CBC’s exclusive time with Ms. Guergis, as aired on The National just now (starting at the 14:15 mark of that link). After Mr. Mansbridge and Ms. Guergis had visited the offices of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority to view the tape, they sat down in a dimly lit room to chat.

Wearing braces—I don’t recall those being there when last we saw her—and speaking in her small voice, she managed then to raise approximately as many questions as she answered. Continue…

The Backbench Top Ten

By Aaron Wherry - Sunday, May 9, 2010 at 9:35 AM - 20 Comments

Our weekly, and wholly arbitrary, ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Last week’s rankings appear in parentheses. Continue…

The Commons: ‘Ask my brother-in-law’

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 6:33 PM - 84 Comments

The Scene. If the House has been struck with one thing these past few weeks it has been a rather simple question: why is it that this government does what it does? The government, you see, isn’t much for explaining itself, its motivations or its thought processes. And when, on rare occasion, it does attempt to explain, its explanations are often said by its exacting critics to escape logic.

And so perhaps today’s reckoning—a loud and furious afternoon of openly wondering and shouted theories—was inevitable.

The Bloc, for instance, was quite perplexed. Or perhaps apoplectic is a better adjective. They were befuddled (to use another word) by the government’s approach to women’s groups and advocacy. Was the government, wondered Nicole Demers, guided by religion? Was it faithful to ideology?

Nay, said Bev Oda, the besieged Minister of International Cooperation.

“This is not about ideology,” she testified. “This is not about entitlement. This is about how we best use taxpayers’ dollars so that we can make a difference in developing countries.”

The Bloc was unpersuaded. But then Jack Layton was up, apparently hoping to set something else straight. Continue…

Guergis fights back

By macleans.ca - Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 6:05 PM - 6 Comments

Former federal cabinet minister Helena Guergis will appeal the Conservative party’s decision to remove her as a future nominee in her Ontario riding of Simcoe-Grey. A letter from Guergis to Conservative party executive director Dan Hilton asks what she has done to justify her ouster. That “drastic measure,” according to Guergis, “defies the wishes of grassroots electors” in the local riding association. Guergis went on to say that she is confident that she has done nothing wrong and that she “will be exonerated of all the baseless accusations in the media.” Speaking from the Netherlands, Prime Minister Stephen Harper deflected questions on the subject: “In terms of the other issue and nominations, the party makes the decision about the nominations,” Harper said. The Conservative Party has not commented on the story.

CBC News

Globe and Mail

Mitchel Raphael on what Justin learned from his Whistler days and a Helena homage

By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 2:00 PM - 19 Comments

Photograph by Mitchel Raphael

‘IT’S NOT YOUR MOTHER’S POT’
A large cloud of marijuana smoke rose above the packed front lawn of Parliament Hill as pot activists (mostly teenagers) gathered for the annual marijuana demonstration. The Liberal party’s position has been for decriminalization for the possession of small amounts of marijuana. But Liberal MP Justin Trudeau is not in favour of decriminalization at all and feels that would be a step in the wrong direction. “It’s not your mother’s pot,” notes Trudeau of the stronger marijuana grown today, in contrast to the weed from hippie days. “I lived in Whistler for years and have seen the effects. We need all our brain cells to deal with our problems.” The day after the protest, a homeless man was seen combing through the Hill grass, looking for marijuana leftovers.

Continue…

All serious allegations are not created equal

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 12:07 PM - 53 Comments

The Prime Minister explains the difference between Helena Guergis and Devinder Shory.

“Mr. Shory, this is a civil action, it’s not a criminal matter, it’s a private matter,” Harper told reporters at a commemoration of the liberation of Holland. ”Its origin is before he became a member of Parliament and it’s before the court, so I’m not going to comment.”

The wronged MP for Simcoe-Grey

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 10:38 AM - 38 Comments

Helena Guergis asks the Conservative Party to explain precisely what she has done to deserve her excommunication.

Guergis, in a letter to Conservative party executive director Dan Hilton, says no one — neither Harper nor the party — has spelled out just what it is that she is accused of doing. ”Your letter refers to recent events as the reason that this decision was made,” she wrote in response to Hilton’s letter informing her that the party had stripped her of the right to run as a Conservative. “Perhaps you could highlight for me what I have done to justify this drastic measure. Specifically, I ask that you please provide the details of what led the (party) to make this decision, especially at a time when no election is imminent…

“In recent weeks, in essence, I have been charged, convicted, and sentenced without any due process or knowing what I have done wrong. There have been endless rumours and allegations unfairly levelled against me, but to date I have not been given a specific reason for my removal from caucus nor has there been any investigation launched, let alone concluded,” Guergis wrote.

The independent MP for Simcoe-Grey

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 10:57 PM - 36 Comments

In late breaking news this evening, CTV reports the Conservative party has officially dropped Helena Guergis as its candidate for Simcoe-Grey.

She was informed of the decision Wednesday afternoon, as was her riding association, CTV Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported.

Sources told CTV News that Guergis was removed as a candidate because Conservatives are concerned an election could be called at any moment, and they need to have nominated candidates in all 308 ridings.

The latest in Guergis

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 1:39 PM - 27 Comments

Conservatives in Simcoe-Grey are concerned the party is attempting to bigfoot them. One potential replacement candidate says she’s not a candidate. Meanwhile, two cabinet ministers are politely refusing to appear before the government operations committee to discuss their knowledge of Mr. Jaffer’s behaviour.

The Commons: ‘Whoops!’

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, May 3, 2010 at 6:09 PM - 28 Comments

The Scene. Dominic LeBlanc stood and did as so many great rhetoricians have done before him. In this moment, he stood and sought solace in a complicated law that governs the professional behaviour of elected officials.

“Mr. Speaker, the Conflict of Interest Act specifically states that a public office holder is in a conflict of interest when he or she exercises an official power, duty or function that provides an opportunity to further the private interests of their friends,” Mr. LeBlanc stated.

And so the echoes were sufficiently stirred.

Funny thing about this Gaffer Affair, the longer it remains with us, the more substantive it becomes. What once was a simple tale of well-endowed prostitutes and illicit narcotics is now something to do with the Conflict of Interest Act, a 13-page code of conduct that is understood by perhaps one person in the capital. This is progress. Continue…

The Backbench Top Ten

By Aaron Wherry - Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 5:01 PM - 24 Comments

Our weekly, and wholly arbitrary, ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Last week’s rankings appear in parentheses. Continue…

The Commons: Let he who is without shame

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 6:10 PM - 82 Comments

The Scene. Liberal Dominic LeBlanc rose to report on the latest stash of documents to be released in regards to the Gaffer Affair and to wonder aloud, with seven departments now said to have been contacted by Rahim Jaffer, how many more ministers and parliamentary secretaries were still to disclose their communications with the husband of the deposed Helena Guergis.

And so John Baird stood to pronounce on the heroism of his government. ”Mr. Speaker, let me very clear,” Mr. Baird clarified, “we would not be having this debate about documents if it were not for the government which made all these documents public.”

Alas, the Liberals did not congratulate the minister so much as laugh derisively.

Mr. LeBlanc stood again and took direct aim at Mr. Baird with the allegation that the Transport Minister had put his parliamentary secretary between he and Mr. Jaffer and that such a move might constitute some violation of the vaunted Accountability Act. And here Mr. Baird did what he had the day before—he invoked the ghosts of Liberal scandals past. Continue…

Mitchel Raphael on the end of the blond troika and the new minister of everything

By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 11:20 AM - 5 Comments

By Mitchel Raphael

SOME NEW FACES IN THE HOUSE WHEN HARPER IS SPEAKING

No longer in the Conservative caucus, Helena Guergis now sits as an independent in the back row of the House. Guergis was part of the blond troika behind Stephen Harper, picked up by the TV cameras whenever he rose in the Commons. The other two were Lisa Raitt and Diane Ablonczy. Now the three blonds in the shot have been replaced with dark-haired MPs: Minister for International Co-operation Bev Oda, Minister of State Denis Lebel, and Rona Ambrose, who took over Guergis’s status of women portfolio. Ambrose now has one of the longest titles in the government: minister of public works and government services Canada and the receiver general of Canada, minister for status of women, vice-president of the Treasury Board, and regional minister for northern Alberta. Or as one MP joked: “Minister of everything.” Ambrose got back recently from a trip to Afghanistan with Defence Minister Peter MacKay. In Kandahar, the two stopped by the Tim Hortons, where the cups are designed to look like camouflage and the prizes for Roll Up the Rim to Win included special edition Kandahar hats. Neither Ambrose nor MacKay won anything.

By Mitchel Raphael

IT’S THAT FRENCH TEACHER’S FAULT

NDP MP Glenn Thibeault was recently in the House foyer going over notes for a French TV interview. The Ontario MPfor Sudbury has been trying to work on his French in an effort to become bilingual. Thibeault comes from a francophone family. When he was younger, his parents sent him to a French immersion school. One of his teachers told him he must learn “French” French and not Quebec French and his parents were so insulted they pulled him out and put him into a regular English school where he lost all his French. He’s currently taking three hours a week of French lessons. He is the youngest in his family and now gets his siblings and parents to speak only French to him—“even if I don’t understand,” he jokes.

SHE’S THAT FABULOUS

Jer’s Vision fifth anniversary gala in Ottawa celebrated those who have helped battle bullying and homophobia. The event was hosted by Global National anchor Kevin Newman, who spoke publicly for the first time about his gay son, Alex Newman. Kevin Newman was the first person to interview NDP MP Libby Davies on TV when she came out. At last year’s event, Davies won a Youth Role Model of the Year award. This time one went to Liberal MP Hedy Fry. One of the youth who nominated Fry noted in a letter that he realized he was gay and went to a Pride parade where he met the MP. “When I asked her what it was like to be gay, she said she was not gay but she was proud to stand with another individual and celebrate working toward equality. I was inspired how someone could be so fabulous, and not even be gay.”

By Mitchel Raphael

THANKS FOR THE SHIRT, I THINK

During his visit to Ottawa, New Zealand PM John Key was presented with an Olympic Team Canada hockey jersey by Stephen Harper. In return, Key presented Harper with a very fitted New Zealand All Blacks rugby shirt. Harper quipped that the New Zealand PM would have an easier time getting into the baggy hockey jersey than he would getting into his gift.

THE VERY LAST ALL-PARY PARTY

NDP MP Peter Stoffer says April 28 will be the last All-Party Party. The bash has been held in 200 West Block for years, but now the building will be closed as of this summer for several years for renovations and asbestos removal. Stoffer says there is not a large enough space elsewhere on the Hill to accommodate MPs and Hill staff, and also that if it were held somewhere else, it would be too costly.

Tonight in Guergis

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 11:02 PM - 6 Comments

Mr. Gillani appears before the government operations committee and, while denying the involvement of hookers and cocaine in all of this, produces a document that seems to indicate he and Mr. Jaffer had entered into some kind of a contract. Meanwhile, the Canadian Press, Canwest, Star, CTV and CBC review e-mails Mr. Jaffer sent to individuals in various government departments—e-mails that came from Ms. Guergis’ parliamentary accounts, appear to contradict some of Mr. Jaffer’s testimony and detail how Mr. Jaffer’s entreaties were received. CBC has posted the whole raft of documents online.

The Commons: Never mind the fine print

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 6:09 PM - 117 Comments

The Scene. “Mr. Speaker, I hope I speak for everyone in this House when I salute your historic decision made yesterday.”

At least four Conservatives clapped at this submission from the Liberal leader. Michael Ignatieff paused to let the Speaker receive the House’s thanks and then continued.

“I would like to ask the Prime Minister if he will fully comply with your ruling yesterday,” he said, “and will he now work with us in good faith to do what we first proposed five months ago, that is respect the authority of Parliament, deliver the documents, and provide Canadians with the truth that they deserve?”

Confronted with the ramifications of a Speaker’s ruling as to the very foundation of Canadian democracy, the Prime Minister stood and shrugged. Continue…