This is a very confused story. My guess is that Jaffer, looking for a job, tried to dig up some money and went to all his contacts. That's pretty well what everyone does -- I don't see that he got any preferential treatment from the Feds -- if anything I suspect he got a bum's rush. Now, his spouse, being a sitting member and in cabinet (sort of) might well have had a better chance of getting listened to, and seems to have tried, but it seems that failed too. Sad, improper (if actually true), but ultimately not very important. A company co-founded by former MP Rahim Jaffer pitched three project proposals to the federal government — including one involving a division of a waste management firm touted by his wife, ex-cabinet minister Helena Guergis — newly released documents show.
One of the proposals signed by Jaffer's business partner Patrick Glémaud names Green Rite Solutions Inc., the marketing arm of Wright Tech Systems Inc., as the stakeholder in a proposed $480-million "shovel-ready" electricity generation and waste-disposal infrastructure project to be considered for the federal Green Infrastructure Fund.
Under the proposal, the total share of federal funding was to be about $100 million.
Last September, Guergis wrote a letter to local officials in her Ontario riding encouraging them to consider a presentation about alternative waste management technology from Jim Wright, owner of Richmond Hill, Ont.-based Wright Tech.
The documents were tabled by Transport and Infrastructure Minister John Baird on Wednesday night after a parliamentary committee ordered Jaffer and Glémaud — co-founders of Green Power Generation — to reveal the names of companies listed in the proposals within 24 hours.
The government has said the pitches were rejected and Jaffer's firm received no federal funding.
Baird has acknowledged Jaffer and Glémaud met with his parliamentary secretary, Brian Jean, but has stated in the House that "at no time did Mr. Jaffer ever raise any particular grant applications with me with respect to the green fund or any other fund for that matter."
3 comments:
"Hustler". comes to mind. And, a bad one at that. I Feel for Helena.
foottothefire
u always seem pretty quick to excuse politicians their indiscretions.
We could use fewer politicians with indiscretions, and it would be nice to see the ones that haven't been caught reflect that.
Downes,
You probably right -- I guess I spend so much time with people in trouble that I tend to see indiscretions as minor -- and that's likely too gentle. After all, if you put yourself forward etc etc.
james
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