CAN HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF ?

November 2007 Canada’s Prime Minister Harper announced a third-party independent inquiry to review the dealings between Schreiber and Mulroney Ethic’s Committee Mandate

Conclusions?
Executive Summary: Air Canada – a Crown Corporation owned by taxpayers – purchased 34 Airbuses for $1.8 billion from Airbus Industries. Allegations that the Prime Minister and Cabinet members received bribes for choosing Airbus over other carriers. Submissions made to the House of Commons Ethics Committee initiated on November 30, 2007 Mulroney appears before the committee once and then withdraws citing investigation not necessary Oliphant Comission Mandate Resources Division of Findings Conclusions and Reception at Public Themes Questions Specifically prevented the commissioner from “expressing any conclusion or recommendation regarding the civil or criminal liability of any person or organization.” “Certain Allegations Respecting Business and Financial Dealings Between Karlheinz Schreiber and the R.H Brian Mulroney” Conducted over a period of two years Cost of $16 million dollars

1. Factual Inquiry
Mulroney entered into agreement while R.H Mulroney was an MP but not as PM
2. Policy Findings and Recommendations
Business and financial dealings were inappropriate considering R.H Mulroney was an MP and failure to disclose dealings and payments Due to mandate set out by PM Harper, Oliphant was “careful not to use language that would even hint at such a finding” that R.H Mulroney should be liable in Criminal or Civil Law Mixed public reception – corruption and inappropriate behaviour exposed but without punishment More tax payer money spent without substantive result Accountability Appearance of Justice Quotes from the Report “Why, then, was there a need for such secrecy? The answer is that Mr. Mulroney wanted to conceal the fact that he had received money from Mr. Schreiber”

The former PM “failed to live up to the standard of conduct that he himself adopted”

“The reason Mr. Schreiber made the payments in cash and Mr. Mulroney accepted them in cash was that both wanted to conceal the fact that the transactions had occurred between them” 17 Questions Posed 150,000 documents submitted.