As a Canadian I am not surprised that the current government in Canada (Liberal Party) led by Prime Minister Paul Martin is about to topple amid allegations of corruption and abuse of power involving hundreds of millions of dollars. The Adscam probe into allegations of misappropriation of funds by government officials and cronies who had access to Sponsorship Program funds has been blown wide open by testimony (publication ban) from Jean Brault president of the ad agency Groupaction. Former employees of Groupaction have indicated in the past that the ad agency has been involved in money laundering and drug trafficking though those allegations have yet to be proved. Brault has testified that he met with a key aide to former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in an effort to ensure that Groupaction was able to obtain huge amounts of federal advertising dollars. The aide, Jean Carle than met with federal bureaucrat Chuck Guite where the two of them discussed putting together a program that would guarantee that five Liberal party connected firms including Groupaction, a monopoly on government sponsored sporting or cultural events and other related work. It should come as no surprise that the sponsorship program became a slush fund worth $250 million, of which $100 million was distributed in the payment of fees and commissions to the five firms who oversaw the program in Quebec.
Other notable figures to testify in the Gomery Inquiry also include Alfonso Gagliano, a former Public Works ministry official and ambassador to Denmark. It is alleged that the former Labour Minister and Deputy House Leader is a longtime soldier in the Bonanno crime family and was their made man in Montreal. The FBI concurs that investigations and interviews with a reputed mobster have indicated that Gagliano has mafia connections in both the US and Canada.
Prime Minister Paul Martin(Liberal Party leader) has done his best to shield himself from accusations swirling around the Sponsorship Program by appointing the Gomery Commission to investigate the allegations of mismanagement and misuse of federal monies. It should also be noted that a lot of the misappropriated funding eventually made its way back to Liberal coffers (an election war chest) via campaign contributions that some employees of Groupaction insist they were strong-armed into giving. Though some employees were re-imbursed for their contributions from the sponsorship fund via bonuses for work supposedly done on behalf of the sponsorship program, the intent to defraud the program and Liberal party kickbacks is obvious.
Paul Martin (as well as Jean Chrétien) and his Liberals have become an embarrassment to the electorate in Canada. To suggest that Paul Martin hasn't been a bit player (he may have played an even bigger role) in this multi-million dollar scandal is a slap in the face to all Canadians who expected more integrity and honesty from a party and it's leaders that has been allowed to rule the country for the past 15 years.
The end of Liberal rule in Canada is on the horizon and anybody who supports this type of government should reconsider electing Paul Martin and his Liberals for another term. It's time to come to grips with the fact the Liberal Party of Canada is only acting in it's own best interests and not the best interests of Canada and it's taxpayers. Heads should roll. Paul Martin, Jean Chrétien and the Liberal party should be held accountable for their actions now.
Please visit Roadkill for background and up-to-date information regarding corruption in the Canadian government.