Devolin Column

November 3, 2005

My Comments on the Gomery Report

Since I began writing this column more than a year ago, I have tried to keep it balanced, informative and non-partisan. When discussing the Gomery Report, it is not possible to be non-partisan.

While reading the 80 page Summary document, several things became clear to me.

• The Sponsorship Program served as a funnel for tens of millions of public dollars to flow to friends, operatives and employees of the Liberal Party of Canada in Quebec over a seven year period from 1996-2003.

• Many senior Liberals – including both the former and current Prime Ministers – were either aware of this illegal activity, or were willfully blind to the money-laundering reality of the Sponsorship Program.

• Evidence of this irregular and/or illegal activity within the Sponsorship program was brought to the attention of the Liberal government as far back as 1996, but steps to make those involved accountable were only initiated after the Auditor General’s earth-shaking report was released in early 2004.

• While there is no evidence that Paul Martin was directly involved in the day-to-day operation of the Sponsorship Program, Justice Gomery says that the entire Liberal Cabinet of the day (including Martin) are collectively responsible for the creation of this program.

• It should be noted that Gomery was specifically prohibited from investigating irregularities in contracts between Paul Martin’s office (as Finance Minister) and the Martin-friendly lobby firm Earnscliffe – the only part of the Auditor General’s Report that openly linked Martin to suspect activities.

• To this day, many years after millions of dollars were stolen and much of that money was used to support the Liberal Party of Canada in Quebec, not one single Liberal has been convicted and served any prison time for their crimes.

• Despite Jean Chretien’s assertion that he launched the Sponsorship Program to “save Canada” and that that end justified whatever means were necessary, the irony is that the Sponsorship Scandal has done more to help the separatist cause in Quebec than anything the BQ or PQ have done in the past 10 years.

In addition to these observations, I also want to share several direct quotes taken from Gomery’s Summary document.

“The (Liberal Party) as an institution cannot escape responsibility for the misconduct of its officers and representatives. Two successive Executive Directors were directly involved in illegal campaign financing, and many of its workers accepted cash payments for their services when they should have known that such payments were in violation of the Canada Elections Act.” (Pg. 78-9)

“Our Inquiry concurs with the conclusions of the Auditor General’s Report. In many cases, however, the irregularities and mismanagement that she described were clearly worse and more widespread than she had learned or imagined.” (Pg. 13)

“The Commission of Inquiry found clear evidence of political involvement in the administration of the Sponsorship Program.” (Pg. 5)

“(As early as 1995) Allan Cutler suggested to the auditor that there was bid-rigging and political interference, providing reason enough for an audit. In June 1996 Mr. (Chuck) Guite declared Mr. Cutler’s position surplus at a time when Mr. Guite had begun to award sponsorship contract.” (Pg. 40)

“A Cabinet committee chaired by the Honourable Marcel Masse … recommended at a Cabinet retreat (attended by Paul Martin) on February 1 and 2, 1996, a ‘substantial strengthening of the Liberal Party of Quebec’, including the hiring of organizers. Most witnesses agree that such a recommendation would not ordinarily form part of a Cabinet Committee’s Report. It is an indication of the failure of some members of the government at that time to consider that any political party other than the Liberal Party of Canada could have a role in promoting federalism in Canada.” (Pg. 25)

“The Commission of Inquiry found the refusal of Ministers, senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office and public servants to acknowledge their responsibility for the problems of mismanagement (in the Sponsorship Program) that occurred.” (Pg. 5)

“The Terms of Reference (for the Inquiry) in paragraph (k) specifically direct me to perform my duties ‘without expressing any conclusion or recommendation regarding the civil or criminal liability of any person or organization,’ and I am further instructed by that paragraph ‘to ensure that the conduct of the Inquiry does not jeopardize any ongoing criminal investigation or criminal proceedings.’ I was careful to follow those instructions. The reader should not interpret anything said in the Fact Finding Report as an indication that I have come to any conclusions or opinions on the subject of the possible civil or criminal liability of anyone.” (Pg. 3-4)

It is on the basis of these and other facts, as pointed out in Justice Gomery’s Reports, that I have concluded that the Liberal Party of Canada and the current Liberal government and Prime Minister must be held politically accountable for these illegal acts, and that they should be removed from office at the earliest opportunity.