I suppose that some self congratulatory comments about the Conservative budget are reasonable.

In his next report, could Mr. Hill comment on the accusations in today's press that the Conservative tried to bribe Mr. Cadman to vote against the Liberals and force an election? I understand Mr. Harper has sort of confirmed that the offer sort of took place, and I would like to know whether Mr. Hill would support an RCMP investigation to determine if the Conservative party, any of its representatives or any its MPs were involved in criminal acts, and whether criminal charges should be laid if they were.

Mr. Hill has been quite vocal about Liberal corruption. I would like to know if he is he as offended by Conservative corruption?

Perhaps he could also comment on the accusation against the Prime Minister's deputy press secretary and Quebec adviser, Dimitri Soudas, who is accused of unethical behavior by applying pressure to the Dept. of Public Works to approve Montreal developer, Michael Rosenberg's, project with favour.

This particular event is being investigated by a Parliamentary Committee, and Mr. Hill must surely have known that. Stll, he says nothing while attacking the other parties and criticising their ethics. Doesn't he believe the voting public should be made aware of such events? Perhaps he just have two sets of standards - one for each side of his mouth - one for Conservatives and one for everyone else?

I agree with Ammonra about the seriousness of electied officials being bribed for official votes with things like insurance policies for the family, or off shore accounts that can't be traced. It undermines the democratic process and is the most serious kind of crime an elected official could be involved in.

It would be interesting if an insurance policy was issued, then which company was going to issue the insurance policy with the known payout in two weeks time? Do the other rate payers pick up the difference? Is this common practice for the insurance company to make policies with known payouts?

Was it a foreign or domestic insurance company? Was it a Power Corp controlled insurance company (my guess)? What do insurance companies have to do with buying politics?

What part of the conservative agenda was so important to the insurance company to be willing to pervert the democratic process with an insurance policy known to payout a million dollars in only a few weeks? What policy were they trying to buy, or is it just part of the old boys bankster aperatus?

Any connection to the drug dealing insiders that were buying BC politicians and accepting bribes for the sale of BC Rail?

Would issuing a known payout contract constitute insider trading?

Who was involved in this corruption plan and what else were they influencing in our government?

Also waving the fee for the gun registry does not cut it; and it is not the promiss Jay Hill made at election time.

Scary when one considers the $64 trillion dollar derivatives market is basically an insurance market run casino rules and manipulating virtually the entire economy through the exercise of those paper contracts. Since there is no transparency in these markets and they are all suseptible to the hidden contracts then we are all at risk economically to this parisite on our financial system... and apparently our political system....

"it is not the promise Hill made at election time".
No, it is not what the Conservatives promised period!
And that is exactly what they need to be held accountable for...lying!
As time goes on and Harpers gang manages to duck an election,we are seeing and hearing more and more controversy regarding just how lilly white they actually are.
The same thing is happening with the Liberals here in B.C.
None of them are lilly white, and eventually they will be seen for what they really are,all of them.
They look after themselves and their own.
And that does not include the peons paying the taxes.
Oh to be a mouse behind the closed doors of federal and provincial inner circles where the truth is REALLY kept.

The B.C Rail bribery accusations case involving Basi and Virk etc.and began in the raid on the premiers offices,seems to be taking a bizarre amount of time to proceed through the courts.
One of the stumbling blocks apparently has been in regards to documents and emails, in particular from the premiers office,according to what I am reading on the net.
The premiers office was trying to prevent these documents from being released.
Why would they do that?
What could possibly be in them that they don't want the people of B.C. to read?
And then they wonder why we don't trust Gordon Campbell and company?
I am sure it also has to do with the fact that the people of B.C.have never been told or have seen the whole truth on the B.C.Rail deal.
We only know parts of it that our government allowed us to know.
Something very stinky here,but what is truly amazing is why they are getting away with tying this case up so long?
What's REALLY going on?

Getting back to the topic again, I am beginning to wonder: Has one *culture of corruption* been replaced with just another *culture of corruption*?

Who is Jack Layton's NDP going to support now?

"culture of corruption been replaced with just another another culture of corruption"...
Damn good question diplomat, and I do think it just goes on and on in one form or another.
Perhaps Mr.Hill would like to debate the Mulroney years?
Or at the very least,explain why HIS conservative government is any different than any other conservative government, when it come to the things that we don't see?
No question some governments and some leaders are better than others, but I think they ALL cross the line to get what they want if thats what it takes.

The problem is that once one starts to dig into a pile of fertilizer it stinks more and more the deeper one keeps digging.

From what I cna tell it now looks like he was given a life insurance policy prior to the vote that required he be a sitting MP in order to recieve full payout, other wise he would recieve half as much if no longer a serving MP. That is the smoking gun to answering all the questions IMO.

It looks like the conservatives were willing to say we will make up the difference on your insurance policy so that the fanancial implications will not be a concern when you vote. If you vote with the conservatives and loose your insurance payout as a result the conservative will make up the difference, or you can vote with the liberals and you will be assured to be a sitting MP when you die and your family will recieve the full benefits of the insurance policy.


It looks like Mr Cadman took the conservative route and voted liberal to ensure his insurance policy was intact when he passed away and his family was taken care of.

The big question for me is if these types of insurance policies are for real where payout depends on whether or not you are a sitting MP? If so and they are for real then this is a systemic problem of MP manipulation on a grand scale especially in an era of minority governments that could fall on any vote. It should be illigal to issue life insurance policies that are exercisable based on your present status as a sitting MP for this very reason.

I blame the insurance companies and their lobbiests for this specific case and not either of the two parties as of yet. I would not be surprised at all if it turns out to be London Life or another one of the Power Corp insurance companies issuing the policy because they are political manipulators of the Canadian governemnt with the likes of Paul Martin, Jean Chretien, Bob Rea, and Brian Mulroney all acters and puppets for that organization spanning all the major political parties in Canada.

Oh come off it, nobody made the Conservative party representatives offer to give him the money, whether it was a million or half a million. That amount of money doesn't just float around in limbo waiting to be picked, it has to come from somewhere.

If it was offered, it was a bribe and bribery of an MP is a criminal offense. Let the RCMP investigate and lay criminal charges against the bribers and those who were accessories before, during or after the event.

"investigate and lay criminal charges against the bribers"...
That would also include Steven Harper if he had any knowledge of what was actually happening.
We really don't know if it is in fact true...yet, but the only way to find out is to investigate it like any other possible criminal act.
Politicians and political parties are all about power, and I have no doubt whatsoever about the lengths they will go to hold and keep it!

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080228/national/harper_cadman_offer

"And there's a tape circulating that suggests then-opposition leader Stephen Harper was not only aware of a financial offer to Chuck Cadman but gave it his blessing."

Politics as usual, unfortunately. The usual spin is already happening: The tape has been doctored or tampered with, everything has been taken out of context...perhaps it is the voice of an impersonator...yeah, sure.

Nice to see Harper taking the flack for once.
His turn in the barrel I guess!
Poor old Dion has probably had about all he can handle anyway!He looked like he might burst into tears a couple of times lately.
Except for when he is bashing the conservatives and he actually has something to nail them with!
There is one thing about politics and polticians,they ARE consistant,and did we really think Stevie was as lily white as he would have us believe?