Damn Right, He Bugs Us Still
He has a mendacious air about him; that, at least, is how people who detest the man decipher his facade. The outward manifestation of his bonhomie, his geniality, his easy confidence, his egocentricity, his oleaginous smirk and self-congratulatory manner goes beyond irksome to infuriating. The conundrum in all of this is that when he was Prime Minister of Canada he held that position because he twice obtained majority votes. Despite that so many Canadians detested his pretentiously overbearing smarminess.
And then there is the matter of his governance. He took some bold steps for the country, hauling it, kicking and screaming into a free trade agreement with the United States. He introduced a new method of taxation with the Goods & Services Tax. He fought a good environmental battle against the then-bugbear of the environmental movement, acid rain, prevailing upon the Americans, successfully, to join that battle. He exerted the moral authority of anti-racism in the international battle against South African apartheid.
All that to his credit. He attempted, through Meech Lake, to mend fences between the ever-aggrieved Quebec and the rest of Canada. He declared, in condemning the pig-troughing of the previous Liberal government that 'there is no whore like an old whore', then proceeded to gain a reputation of his own for snuggling deep into the nasty business of self-availment, and shrugged off the criticism that his Conservative MPs gained through shady contracting.
He was well on his way to rehabilitation in the public mind - out of sight, out of mind equals a great relief - leaving intact a fairly reasonable legacy of political balance, when past misdemeanors finally caught up with him. The Liberal government of Jean Chretien's RCMP investigation on suspicion of underhanded dealings related to the Air Canada acquisition of Airbus aircraft was found to have no foundation because simply, it could not be proven, despite fairly resonant clues and witness accounts incriminating Brian Mulroney.
And along came Karlheinz Schreiber again to cast aspersions on the honesty and honour of a man he had suborned through an enticement to avail himself of a 'business opportunity' as an arms dealer by any other description, to exert his authority to ensure that the country agree to a German military vehicle manufacturer setting up shop in Canada. There remains a discrepancy between Mr. Schreiber and Mr. Mulroney, each skilled in their own inimitable interpretive abilities, about the sum in cash taken by Mr. Mulroney.
Mr. Mulroney claims he availed himself of only $225,000, while Mr. Schreiber's transaction records indicate that sum was $300,000. Mr. Mulroney, swearing on a bible, originally denied any business dealings with Mr. Schreiber; that he had no contacts with him aside from a casual shared coffee. At the Oliphant Enquiry, Mr. Mulroney's former chief of staff, Norman Spector, testified otherwise, to the unusual entree of Mr. Schreiber to the ex-prime minister's inner sanctum.
MacLean's magazine's national editor Andrew Coyne put it rather well when he wrote recently of Mr. Mulroney's testimony before the enquiry: "His story is improbable, implausible, inconsistent, unsupported by a single document, almost entirely uncorroborated - and contradicted on point after point by people in a position to know the facts." It is exceedingly likely that, despite his protestations to the contrary, Mr. Mulroney did meet with Mr. Schreiber to work out a commitment for payment while still prime minister.
What is particularly galling to Canadians is that the taxpayer shelled out $1.2 million to settle a suit that Mr. Mulroney brought against the government that unsuccessfully attempted to "smear" his reputation. That this man who has so disgraced himself; a saint who tarnished his halo with the gusto of self availment; despite declaring having, albeit tardily, "paid full tax" on the $225,00, obtained a special dispensation to pay taxes on half of that amount.
And now, he has arranged - all completely legal - to have the taxpayer pick up the $2.1 tab for his legal fees defending his honour as a former prime minister of the country. A paucity of honour, an embarrassing and infuriating waste of public funds.
And then there is the matter of his governance. He took some bold steps for the country, hauling it, kicking and screaming into a free trade agreement with the United States. He introduced a new method of taxation with the Goods & Services Tax. He fought a good environmental battle against the then-bugbear of the environmental movement, acid rain, prevailing upon the Americans, successfully, to join that battle. He exerted the moral authority of anti-racism in the international battle against South African apartheid.
All that to his credit. He attempted, through Meech Lake, to mend fences between the ever-aggrieved Quebec and the rest of Canada. He declared, in condemning the pig-troughing of the previous Liberal government that 'there is no whore like an old whore', then proceeded to gain a reputation of his own for snuggling deep into the nasty business of self-availment, and shrugged off the criticism that his Conservative MPs gained through shady contracting.
He was well on his way to rehabilitation in the public mind - out of sight, out of mind equals a great relief - leaving intact a fairly reasonable legacy of political balance, when past misdemeanors finally caught up with him. The Liberal government of Jean Chretien's RCMP investigation on suspicion of underhanded dealings related to the Air Canada acquisition of Airbus aircraft was found to have no foundation because simply, it could not be proven, despite fairly resonant clues and witness accounts incriminating Brian Mulroney.
And along came Karlheinz Schreiber again to cast aspersions on the honesty and honour of a man he had suborned through an enticement to avail himself of a 'business opportunity' as an arms dealer by any other description, to exert his authority to ensure that the country agree to a German military vehicle manufacturer setting up shop in Canada. There remains a discrepancy between Mr. Schreiber and Mr. Mulroney, each skilled in their own inimitable interpretive abilities, about the sum in cash taken by Mr. Mulroney.
Mr. Mulroney claims he availed himself of only $225,000, while Mr. Schreiber's transaction records indicate that sum was $300,000. Mr. Mulroney, swearing on a bible, originally denied any business dealings with Mr. Schreiber; that he had no contacts with him aside from a casual shared coffee. At the Oliphant Enquiry, Mr. Mulroney's former chief of staff, Norman Spector, testified otherwise, to the unusual entree of Mr. Schreiber to the ex-prime minister's inner sanctum.
MacLean's magazine's national editor Andrew Coyne put it rather well when he wrote recently of Mr. Mulroney's testimony before the enquiry: "His story is improbable, implausible, inconsistent, unsupported by a single document, almost entirely uncorroborated - and contradicted on point after point by people in a position to know the facts." It is exceedingly likely that, despite his protestations to the contrary, Mr. Mulroney did meet with Mr. Schreiber to work out a commitment for payment while still prime minister.
What is particularly galling to Canadians is that the taxpayer shelled out $1.2 million to settle a suit that Mr. Mulroney brought against the government that unsuccessfully attempted to "smear" his reputation. That this man who has so disgraced himself; a saint who tarnished his halo with the gusto of self availment; despite declaring having, albeit tardily, "paid full tax" on the $225,00, obtained a special dispensation to pay taxes on half of that amount.
And now, he has arranged - all completely legal - to have the taxpayer pick up the $2.1 tab for his legal fees defending his honour as a former prime minister of the country. A paucity of honour, an embarrassing and infuriating waste of public funds.
Labels: Canada, Heros and Villains, Politics of Convenience
posted by Pieface | 7:15 PM
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