Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 27, 1998, Winnipeg, Manitoba �-�Editof. Biian Co'le / 697-7044Focus Wtnnipeg Free Press m O Friday. November 27. 1990 & & & 1 & & & O Affidavit designed to save solicitor general backfirecThe whole truth did Scott in According to a report in the Globe and Mail on Wednesday, the Prime Minister�?Ts Office is �?ofurious�?� that an affidavit filed by a government lawyer ultimately forced Andy Scott to resign as solicitor general. The affidavit in question is the one sworn by Fred Toole, Scott�?Ts seat mate, and the man with whom Scott discussed» the APEC inquiry during an air flight on Oct. 1. Their conversation was overhead by Dick Proctor, an NDP MP who took copious notes and who subsequently alleged that Scott had made injudicious and prejudicial remarks about the inquiry for which, as minister, he had formal responsibility. In particular, Proctor alleged that Scott said that �?oHughie�?� (RCMP staff sergeant Hugh Stewart) was likely to �?otake the fall�?� for the pepper-spraying incident at the APEC summit. At the time, Scott went into wholesale denial: he claimed himself unable to recall even the name of his seat mate; he claimed he didn't know who �?oHughie�?� was; and denied the other allegations, root and branch. Scott subsequently had to admit that Toole was, in fact, a friend, Toole�?Ts affidavit, though confirming some aspects of Scott�?Ts denials, contradicted them on one central point: the comments about Hugh Stewart. With that contradiction, it seemed quite clear that Scott had lied to the public and to Parliament. Late last wec'k, he went into hiding and on Monday he resigned. In resigning, Scott took the only course open to him, as did Prime Minister Jean Chretien in accepting the resignation. In that very limitedWilliam Nevilie sense, the system is seen to work. When one looks more closely though at what was said by Scott and Chretien, the message and the implications are more troubling. Scott essentially blamed his memory loss on the pressure generated by a media scrum; he denied again that he had prejudged the outcome of the inquiry, and cited the Toole affidavit to support himself on that point. Neither his resignation letter to the prime minister nor his statement to the press referred to the part of the Toole affidavit which dealt with Stewart. Rather, Scott claimed he was resigning because the controversy w^as undermining public confidence in a process to which he was committed. The prime minister, both in a letter and in the House, took a similar line: Scott was resigning because the controversy and relentless pressure from the Opposition were making it impossible for the minister to conscientiously discharge the duties of his office as he would wish. What is striking, by its absence, is any hint or suggestion that anyone bears blame or responsibility other than the government�?Ts political opponents. Scott�?Ts comment about Stewart is not acknowledged, let alone acknowledged as an impropriety. Scott has effectively refused to own up to this, even in the face of the Toole affidavit. And though Andy Scott was finally forced by the truth to resign. Scott complains rather bitterly about the ethical implications of eavesdropping and of his conversation being transcribed, both of which are troubling, he says nothing about the propriety of a minister of the Crowm discussing a highly sensitive matter in what is effectively a public place. Given these circumstances, the Globe and Mail story on the Toole affidavit adds a rather interesting additional dimension. The affidavit itself was sought and filed in the exp-ectation that it would address a very specific allegation by Proctor to the effect that Scott had made prejudicial remarks about Gerald Morin, the head of the APEC inquiry. In fact, Toole�?Ts affidavit did support Scott and refute Proctor, but as already noted, it provided additional testimony on �?oHughie�?� that was lethal. The Globe story quotes a �?oLiteral insider working closely with the PMO" as saying �?oAndy Scott would still be the solicitor general today if not for the Toole affidavit. It illus trated that he w^as lying when he said he didn�?Tt know who Hugh Stewart was. And that didn�?Tt come out until the affidavit.�?� The Globe also quotes �?oone well-placed Liberal�?� as saying �?oThere are questions (within the PMO) about who ordered up the affidavit and how it slipped through the cracks.�?� What these comments make clear (if there was any doubt) is that it was not the Opposition that brought down Scott, but the testimony of a truthful friend. Quoting an anonymous Liberal (or Liberals) near the PMO does not provide conclusive evidence of what the prime minister himself is thinking. Nonetheless, the comments attributed to these Liberal sources possess a degree of consistency with what Scott and Chretien have themselves said on the public record. What is striking about their comments is �?" again �?" what is missing: though one acknowledges that Scott lied, there is no expression of concern about the fact of his lying. Rather, what seems to be agitating these folks is that the truth about his lying got out and cost him his job. An affidavit that was intended to vindicate Scott did that in part, but it also demonstrated pretty conclusively that he lied. Whereas a half-truth might have saved him, the whole truth did him in. It is too bad if this is genuinely making people furious in the PMO. Those with a more serene disposition might describe this as poetic justice, but there are, apparently, few' serene or poetic souls in Ottawa. William. Neville is a Winnipeg writer. His column appears Fridays. Man just dying to be in hospitalLetters to the Editor I�?TM ON a waiting list for crucial bypass surgery. I�?Tve been waiting since Oct. 19.1 was told one week, then another two weeks. Now it�?Ts another week or two. Physically and mentally I�?Tm going downhill from the stress of waiting. I�?Tm only 53 and a very active person and, as of the last six weeks, 1 can�?Tt do anything but sit around and wait. I�?Tve called the health minister�?Ts office but nobody returns my calls. WANTED: Lifesaving bypass heart surgery. ASAP. Dying to be in St. B. MIKEDUTCHAK Dauphin Print readable bank receipts The Royal B^ank of Canada, along with other banks, is seeking to merge for the sake of efficiency and presumably to improve its bottom line. I am one of those thousands of Canadians who ha,ve been encouraged to use the ATM machines for the sake of efficiency. Since they have been brought into use, the Canadian banking system has been able to substantially reduce full-time staff, reducing the demand for tellers to deal with customers. For the sake of efficiency I doubt if it w'ould be of any more cost to the Royal Bank to provide ink for its machines that would produce copies of the transaction that the customers can read. H.E. BENNETT Carman Russell errs by omission Frances Russell is my favourite Free Press writer. Her articles are interesting, expertly presented and express so well the point of view of the political left. She skilfully justifies her statements with agreeable quotes from hardly renowned law professors, economists and self-important deep political thinkers. Her references to (never named) �?osenior Tories�?� and �?oTory insiders�?� are classical. However, Ms Russell�?Ts missive The last line of defence (Free Press, Nov. 9), contains several inaccuracies which, in fairness, deserve comment. Commission counsel Michael Green did not state that Taras Sokolyk wTote a �?o$4,000 cheque . . . for . . . Allan Aitken to assist three independent candidates...�?� �?" the affidavit stated that the S4,000 be used to fund the Conservatives�?T Interlake campaign and cover any of Aitken�?Ts expenses organizing the efforts of the independent aboriginal candidates (Free Press, Nov. 3). Quite a difference Ms Russell, As w'ell, Julian Benson is not a senior partner with KPMG, leaving the firm 10 years ago to accept his present posi-# & & & f How to reach us The Free Press welcomes letters from readers. Letters must be signed and .should include a clearly printed name, address and telephone numtKr. Names will be published but not addresses. A.II letters may be edited for.style and length. Short letters are le.ss likely to be condensed. Plea.se address btters iO':�?TLeffe:rs to the Editor, Winnipeg Free Press. 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg R2X 3B6. Letters can be sent to our Fax "& number: 697-7412. Letters may be submitted through the Internet at Letters®FreePre.ss.Mb.Ca. Letters .sent via. the Internet obviously cannot be signed, but must include home address and telephone number. tion. He is also not the form,er chairman of the PC M.an,itoba :Fun,d, an organization of unpaid volunteers which raises funds for PC Manitoba but has no spending authority. This is quite unlike the N DP-controlled unions that both raise and spend money for the party. Many Manitobans recognize Mr. Benson as a financial genius who has been a major player in eliminating the deficit, paying dowm. the debt and providing the province w'ith a surplus that can be used (instead of tax increases) to pay for services and tax relief. Th.x-payers and tax users ow'e him a debt of gratitude. I am sure that the errors noted in Ms Russell�?Ts colum,n are inadvertent and are errors of omission not commission. ROGER CATHCART Gimli Grocery store adds to community Thank you Peter Kaufmann, .and your brother John for opening the grocery store at Broadway and Donald. Literally hundreds of walk-in customers in the area must shop there. Added to that are the dozens of deliveries daily to customers as far away as Corydon Avenue. Mr. Kaufmann, your great love is politics, which is fine, but don�?Tt ever discount the importance of the grocery business. What would we do without food? Attached to the store now is Don Deli Restaurant and McKnight Drug Store with a full postal outlet. You, and your friendly staff are of inestimable value to a community. JEAN ARMSTRONG Winnipeg Toole-Mitchell open-minded Anyone who can say Karen Toole-Mitchell�?Ts columns are ranting, labelling or name calling must have tunnel vision. The Nov. 7 article was the most enlightening, true to life, en-minded column I�?Tve read in a Automated tellers did away with bank jobs, and now a reader says you can�?Tt even read the receipts. long time. I do not belong to any religious group. I live my life as I feel Jesus (a mortal man) preached: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Karen Toole-Mitchell comes across as one of the most open-minded religious leaders that I've had the privilege to read. Too bad the rest don�?Tt follow her path. We�?Td live in a much better world. VIOLET M. COUTTS Winmpeg Columnist shows lack of fairness . .Since the departure of Dr. John Stackhouse from the city and from the Faith page, that portion of your newspaper has displayed a serious lack of balance in reflecting the faith perspectives of Wmnipeggers. That tt'ould be serious enough, but colum,ns like the one wTitten by Karen Toole-Mitchell in the Nov. 7 edition also displayed a lack of. fairness towards one large and varied faith community �?" namely the one which considers, the Judao-Christian Scriptures to be authoritative for both faith and life. I would urge the editorial powers-that-be of the Free Press to recruit another columnist who could bring the same kind of perspective that Dr. Stackhouse so ably brought, one which finds in the Bible wisdom and truth. The constituency which Ms Toole-Mitchell represents is a significant and growing one, but so is the constituency which believes that the Bible contains the surest foundation for a successful life and a healthy society. DONALD JAMES (REV.) Winnipeg Hoist a glass to J-P A very fitting, and touching, editorial wa,.s Tom, Oleson�?Ts Tlj.e innkeeper�?Ts parting glass (Free Pre.s.s, Nov. 19). So m,uch so that I have sent a copy to a coup.le of Garrick expatriates in .Edmonton. J-P will be sorely missed, but Roger, John and the staff at the Garrick will certainly help fill the void. Rather apropos, I thought, was Mr. Oleson�?Ts. com,ment pertaining to a cartoon wherein a custo.mer shouts �?oTm, hom,e!�?� upon entering a bar. On .returning from m,y last business trip, to where did. my luggage and I head i.mmediately, you, ask? .Home? Nah! The Garrick Hotel. ,MIKE^MA,CDONALD Wijmjpeg Rent comments lack compassion I am responding to the gentleman from California who wTote regarding Manitoba�?Ts rent control. Well, D. Hardward, perhaps you should try to imagine life outside of your chequing account. The last thing that anyone cares about is the the fact that your investments are making you $100,000 as opposed to $200,000. Did you know that Winnipeg city has once again been given the honour of having the most homeless and impoverished children in the country? Did you know' that w'hile your meak investment just barely covers your ex,pe,nsive holidays dowm south, young girls and boys are trying to get an, education on e,mpty stomachs? I hardly expect that you .are unaware of these .facts, so I am going to assu�?zme that you don�?Tt care. Don�?Tt get me wrong, I am not suggesting that you, personally, are responsible for the misfortune of others. However, I find your com�?zm,ents self-serving and lacking compassion,. Cry me a, river Mr., Hardward �?" get some perspective! S:HAR0.N YOUNG Wiimip.eg Doonesbury BY GARRY TRUDEAU f ONAf ¿mAT Agpm TAmm Am/r? \ .Am/mF$A6a 5m77mam60 .fOgmíMamp pt$7ms0/wp MM. \ ° ;