Gimbol's diatribe and screed

The LPC and KHS running out the clock

The Ethics committee will have KHS come to testify, however I couldn't help but notice that the chair made a big deal that if the Minister allowed his extradition to proceed he would be ruled in contempt of Parliament.

I get the message, but I wonder if the libs are getting to far ahead of themselves?

KHS lawyers have petitioned the SC to another appeal, so the minister can say its in the courts hands at this point.

We also have the fact that Karl is going to be coming before that committee before his 15 day deadline is over, the only tactic left in in bag at that point is that he will refuse forcing the committee to obtain the speakers warrant. This would no doubt push his appearance to a date after Dec 1. I've a suspicion this was the plan worked out in advance by the legal team of KHS and their contacts in the OLO.

My advise to the CPC is this.

Don't offer any opposition to KHS appearing before committee. As a matter of fact enthusiastically endorse it as well as having Mr Mulroney tell his side.
Why?
KHS appearance before the committee is not the goal of the liberals, their goal is to nail Harper with something.
Allowing these two, Mulroney and KHS to appear before committee will make it clear this issue has nothing to do with Parliament. It will be on the public record as tabled by the committee that this is a civil matter.
You can guess where it goes from there, and its not the front page.
Why do I predict the committee will decide this way?
Just as government legislation in the House of Commons needs only the support of one opposition party to pass, so too does any committee only need the combination of one party plus the government members.
The liberals may have an agenda but they seem to be ignoring the fact (made obvious by Pat Martin's outburst the other day) that the NDP are seeking to undermine the liberals at every opportunity. My guess is that at the end of the day there will be a motion that in some form or another determines that the issue between the two men at the middle of this are in a nasty civil dispute over 300 grand and it has no bearing on this or previous governments (like the one that settled out of court with Mr Mulroney for 2 million).
Such a motino would leave the liberals holding the bag on this and being the only party supporting the idea of KHS deportation being delayed.
The worst of all possible optics of course is that KHS is going to refuse to play hostile witness before committee which will only further depreciate Mr Schriebers credibility.
It all hinges on how well the liberals have covered up how often and how long they have been in contact with KHS.
If they got sloppy even once, Karl will use it to his benefit and throw them under the bus in a heartbeat.
This guy is not Chuck Guite.

Labels: useful idiots

posted by gimbol @ 4:00 AM