OK, what’s really happening here?
A briefing book is accidentally left at news studio.
Then a voice recorder is accidentally left on and accidentally left behind in a bathroom where it comes into the hands of a reporter. The recorder is not picked up for four months though the reporter says “I have it, come and get it”.
When I leave a binder behind at a meeting I get the thing couriered over to me directly. It doesn’t cost very much. Leaving a voice recorder for four months makes no sense.
More to the point, who accidentally records private discussions with a Cabinet Minister? The idea these are just mistakes of a rookie on the Hill stretches the imagination waaaaay too far.
OK, what’s really happening here?
A briefing book is accidentally left at news studio.
Then a voice recorder is accidentally left on and accidentally left behind in a bathroom where it comes into the hands of a reporter. The recorder is not picked up for four months though the reporter says “I have it, come and get it”.
When I leave a binder behind at a meeting I get the thing couriered over to me directly. It doesn’t cost very much. Leaving a voice recorder for four months makes no sense.
More to the point, who accidentally records private discussions with a Cabinet Minister? The idea these are just mistakes of a rookie on the Hill stretches the imagination waaaaay too far.
Another tough day likely ahead for Lisa Raitt
Updated Tue. Jun. 9 2009
CTV.ca News Staff
More fireworks are expected Tuesday over comments made by Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt about the medical isotope shortage and her colleague Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.
A recording of a conversation between Raitt and her former communications director Jasmine MacDonnell was left in a bathroom in the House of Commons and eventually fell into the hands of a reporter.
In the tape, Raitt can be heard calling the isotope shortage a "sexy" issue that will help score political points.
The tape also recorded Raitt criticizing Aglukkaq and her ministry's handling of the isotope file.
CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said the opposition parties are jumping on the opportunity to demand Raitt's resignation.
"Obviously the opposition parties are going to seize on this and try to bring the minister down on this particular issue," Fife told CTV's Canada AM.
"The prime minister is going to hang tough and we'll see the public reaction. There may be a significant-enough backlash that it might do enough damage for the prime minister to ask her to resign."
The recorded conversation took place in January, but the reporter who obtained it, Steve Maher, reportedly held off on listening to it until last week, when MacDonnell resigned after leaving sensitive documents at CTV's Ottawa bureau.
The paper won a court battle on Monday to publish the information.
"The judge says it wasn't a private conversation if you leave the tape machine in the bathroom in the House of Commons. He said this was an issue of bad bookkeeping, quite frankly," Fife said.
When Maher received the tape in January, he called MacDonnell to let her know he had it, but no one came to get it in the four months before the paper moved to publish the contents.
"Really they don't have anyone to blame and the judge agreed with the Halifax Chronicle, saying if you leave it in a public place don't claim it was a private conversation," Fife said.
4 comments:
You had to write the same thing twice because you were so flabbergasted about what happened you had to double emphasize it?
My neighbour claims this is a brilliant ploy on Harper's part: The binder had damning evidence against the Liberals; "Liberal mess", and showed that the Cons spent 1.7 billion on the reactor showing proof that it's a lost cause and must be sold.
Now this tape makes the Liberals look bad again, because Ignatieff backed down on bringing down the gov't on the budget because bankers told him too, which means he's controlled by "big money"; and makes the Cons look good, because they're willing to spend more money on the reator.
All I see is desperate spinning on my neighbor's part, but I wonder how many people will think the same way.
--
Paul Raposo
James - if you want to add to the stench, consider this..
As we've all now heard, Jasmine MacDonnel is the daughter of Ralston MacDonnell, fundraiser for Michael Ignatieff.
Ralston was also the beneficiary of a deal whereby Digby Wharf in Nova Scotia was sold for $1.00 and the government (Chretien) kicked in another $3 million to assist in the take over of port operations.
Several years later, the wharf is a mess, and when questioned about what he did with the $3 million, Ralston says, basically, it's none of your business.
At the time, apparently, Raitt was part of the Toronto Port Authority - coincidentally, another port operation.
I don't know.. seems there are a lot of weird pieces to this puzzle and we're maybe just scratching the surface right now.
RobLaw,
It gets weirder and weirder...
Post a Comment