CBC: Conservatives made million-dollar offer to MP Cadman: book

[tuvor]

The late Independent MP from British Columbia who kept the Liberals in power in the spring of 2005 was offered a $1 million life insurance policy by the Conservatives in an attempt to win his vote, according to an upcoming book.

Chuck Cadman, who was battling cancer and died in July 2005, sided with the minority Liberals in the crucial vote on May 19, 2005, ensuring Canadians would not have to head to the polls for a summer election.

New details about what happened behind the scenes of that dramatic vote are recounted in Like A Rock: The Chuck Cadman Story, written by Vancouver journalist Tom Zytaruk.

...


If the elements of the story are true, the Conservatives' actions may amount to a criminal offence.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/02/27/cadman-book.html

(Would someone please explain to me exactly where Boss Harper's Christian values are shining through here?)

[Bragi]

1. Petard meets hoist

Wow!

This was right about the time the Cons were claiming that an attempt by the minority Libs to get a Conservative MP to cross the floor was not just unethical, but criminal.

This is going to be real interesting.

- B

[HEyHEY]

2. Woohoo! This is worse than anything the liberals did!

And the cons weren't even in fucking power at the time. I wonder what kinda creepy shit they're up to now.

[mynameisearl]

3. Maybe someone smarter then me can explain one thing

What insurance company would ever write a million dollar policy for a man with terminal cancer that had only weeks to live ?

According to the book

"The Tories actually walked in with a list of offers written down on a piece of paper," says an excerpt from the book. "Included in their proposal was a million-dollar life insurance policy -- no small carrot for a man with advanced cancer."

Since Chuck Cadman gave at lest two recorded interviews where he said neither the Liberals or the Conservatives offered him anything it would seem that either Chuck or his wife are/were lying . If Chucks wife has that piece of paper with the bribe on it it would seem to be a slam dunk but if she doesn't .... well ?

Another thing i don't understand isn't Mrs Cadman trying to get the Conservative nomination for her riding ? I am on the other coast and not really up to speed on what is happening in BC .

[tuvor]

4. Who'd write such a policy? I don't know, but Harper himself is on the record that...

...the individuals "legitimately representing the party" felt they could help Cadman with his "financial insecurity". (http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=120819&Itemid=594)

Give it a listen and show me the part where it doesn't sound like he knew a bribe was taking place.

And today, Harper says, “The officials who were at the meeting have been very clear about what transpired ... Chuck Cadman himself, on national television, the day of that historic vote, also indicated that the story is not true.”

I'm hunching that someone knows the whole truth, but isn't eager to share it with the rest of us.

mynameisearl, have you seen/heard either of these two recorded interviews with Mr. Cadman denying that the Conservatives offered him anything? They're obviously out there somewhere, and I'd love to have a look/listen at them, too.

[Bragi]

5. Quite so, Tuvor

The "who'd give a dying man a million dollar insurance policy" was initially offered up with great incredulity by the Cons and their bloggers early in the day yesterday, but it seems to have been dropped later as they made a concerted effort to claim that the ambiguous clip from Cadman the night of the vote made a slam-dunk case that there was no bribery involved.

(Aside: The tape is amiguous because it isn't clear which meeting with Con officials Cadman was referring to -- the one of the 19th or the 17th. This is the same ambiguity that Harper is trying to use to explain away his taped statement to the author of the book on Cadman. The problem Harper has, though, is that he speaks clearly about offering an inducement of "financial security" to Cadman, so it would appear he was referring to the meeting of the 17th.)

Anyway, the problem the Cons had with expressing riotous incredulity about getting an insurance policy for a dying man is that it really wouldn't be that difficult to get a million dollar insurance policy for a dying man, nor would it necessarily be illegal if it was done the right way. All you'd need is a friendly and discreet insurance company willing to do the deal, and enough money to pay a premium that would cover the million dollar payout plus the fees and profits owing to the insurance company.

What probably caused the Conservative caucus and bloggery to abandon this talking point as yesterday wore on is that it is clear that this kind of scheme is precisely the type of indirect instrument that would appeal to a third-party wanting to funnel money legally to a dying man's estate without doing it directly, and without getting caught. So they reverted to the false claim that the Cadman tape proves no bribes were offered.

All of which might have helped them win the day on this bribery scandal but for the refusal of the widow/candidate to retract her statement, and even worse, when the daughter subsequently confirmed that her father had also talked to her directly about the million dollar bribe. I give full credit to both of them a) for not trying to persuade Cadman to take the bribe, b) for speaking out on this to the author of the book, and c) for holding firm against what is no doubt a mighty powerful push from PMO and the party for them to dissemble, or at least shut up, on this subject.

- B

[glarius]

9. I think the following is the smoking gun:

One of the Liberal Members of Parliament in question period this morning said something that explains the whole thing, I believe. I wasn't listening all that closely to Question Period but when I realized what he was saying I picked up my ears. He said something to the effect that there is a life insurance policy that each M.P. has (through the government) that the Conservatives would pay off after his death to make sure that $1,000,000 went to Cadman's wife. I'm not exactly sure how it went, but if people would look into this, I think that is the smoking gun.

[CHIMO]

11. It Appears

That you don't understand money?

No matter what coast one lives on, or what continent, one can keep up to the news on the CBC.

[Mother Jones]

6. But isn't it just hearsay?

Even if his wife & daughter confirm it?

Also, why is Cadman's wife even part of the Conservative party? Wasn't he an Independent? I don't understand why she's part of that party, if a) Her husband, at some point, abandoned it to be an Ind. (assuming he had his own good reasons)

and b) If she thought they were so unethical

[daleo]

7. Since they heard it directly from one of the parties involved,

I don't think it would be hearsay, in the strict legal sense of the term. However, the fact that he is dead might change the definition of hearsay.

As for her remaining in the party, she may believe in the ideology but consider the current leadership corrupt.

[Mother Jones]

8. thx for the reply

And I would agree.... I imagine there is some legal implication now that he has passed.

I have since read that Jodi herself is quoted as saying she can't understand why her mom is still representing the party.


That poor family!! All they have had to endure, and now this.

[tuvor]

10. CP: New evidence emerges in case of alleged financial offer to dying MP

OTTAWA — The voice of a cancer-stricken MP who died months after a historic confidence vote came back to haunt the Conservatives on Friday after a three-year-old radio interview surfaced in which Chuck Cadman says party officials made him financial overtures.

In a June 12, 2005, interview on Vancouver radio station CKNW, Cadman said the Tories did, in fact, make him financial offers days before the crucial vote.

"There was certainly some, you know, some offers made and some things along those lines about not opposing me and helping out with the finances of the campaign and that sort of thing. But, again, you know, that's all part of the deal that goes on. It's what happens, especially in a minority situation," Cadman says.

The interview lent credence to claims from Cadman's family that the terminally ill Independent MP - on whose shoulders rested the fate of Paul Martin's Liberal government - told them Tory officials allegedly offered him a $1-million life insurance policy in exchange for his support.

Some tasty morsels remaining at http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iI3sb9_ZesdwLSYBtDST70o8W-3A