Canada noticed, finally

. . . Reuters

Opposition seeks criminal probe of Canada's PM June 8, 2005

OTTAWA (Reuters) - [. . . . ] Duceppe wrote to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that Martin may have violated an article of the criminal code that makes it illegal to offer a member of Parliament a job in return for his vote. [. . . . ]

But Duceppe said that Martin had acted as an accomplice in telling Murphy to pursue negotiations, even if no offer was being made.

"As Mr. Tim Murphy's superior, Paul Martin should have ordered him to stop all negotiations involving bargaining with a member of Parliament for his support," Duceppe said.

The Liberals ended up winning the May 19 confidence vote by one vote, after another Conservative defected to the Liberal side. If they had lost, Canada would currently be in the middle of an election campaign.

Note that Belinda Stronach, was made a Minister of the Crown by Paul Martin after she crossed the floor . . . after less than a year in politics as a CPC MP. I suggest she has neither the education nor the experience one would expect for such a position. Usually, backbenchers wait for years for this type of promotion.

I read somewhere today that actually, there are two ministers who will work on this . . . Would that be one to do the thinking and the heavy lifting . . . and the other to learn? I believe the PM said they would be co-ordinating, collaborating, co-operating or something to that effect.

Yet, to get BS to cross the floor and vote with his Liberal government, . . . . well, the government maintains there was no quid pro quo.

Check the excerpt from Hansard June 8, 2005; scroll down for it.

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