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rfmcdonaldThe latest scandal aired in the federal parliament, relating to alleged Chuck Cadman, has been summarized in today's The Globe and Mail.
Jonathan Kay at the National Post is skeptical of the story. Another relative confirming the story is probably right when he concludes that nothing will be proven, one way or another, at this late date.
The spectre of an alleged financial offer to a dying MP hovered over Parliament Hill on Friday as some Liberals hinted they might topple the government over the prime minister's purported role in the alleged affair.
Opposition parties hammered the Conservatives in the House of Commons for the second straight day over allegations then-Opposition leader Stephen Harper was implicated in an overture to Chuck Cadman two days before a historic May 2005 confidence vote.
Outside the Commons, Liberal MP Garth Turner suggested time is running out for the Tories to come up with a credible explanation for what exactly was offered to Mr. Cadman — on whose shoulders the fate of Paul Martin's Liberal government rested — in exchange for his support. "The questions have not gone away, and each day more evidence has come forward that this is a serious issue. So, unless the government refutes that very quickly, or comes out with a statement of clarification, then I think we ought to be thinking about bringing these guys down," he said.
A tape released Thursday suggests Mr. Harper not only knew two party officials made an "offer" to Cadman, but also gave it his blessing.
Not clear is what exactly the Conservative insiders offered Mr. Cadman. The Tories insist that Doug Finley and Harper mentor Tom Flanagan only offered to take Mr. Cadman — who had left the party and was sitting as an Independent MP — back into the party fold.
But Mr. Cadman's widow, Dona — a Conservative candidate — told CTV News her husband was livid at an alleged offer of a $1-million life insurance policy, which she said she considered a bribe.
Tory MP James Moore was left to fend off questions by opposition MPs and reporters outside the Commons. He dodged questions about whether the offer was indeed for a life insurance policy or for the Conservative nomination in the B.C. riding of Surrey North.
Jonathan Kay at the National Post is skeptical of the story. Another relative confirming the story is probably right when he concludes that nothing will be proven, one way or another, at this late date.
