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No charges in Cadman affair, but Liberals continue to seek answers |
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Written by Jim Bronskill, THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Friday, 16 May 2008 |
Chuck Cadman in the House of Commons May 19, 2005. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tom Hanson
OTTAWA - The RCMP say no charges will be laid in the Chuck Cadman affair, but the mysterious political story appears to have yet more chapters.
The federal Liberals, who originally complained to the Mounties, said Friday the Conservative government still has a duty to give Canadians details of the episode.
Tory MP James Moore, however, pronounced the case closed, calling the Liberals reckless in their false accusations. "We have said from the beginning that nothing improper happened here."
The Mounties were looking into politically explosive allegations that the Tories offered Cadman a life insurance policy in exchange for his support on a key vote in Parliament in 2005.
Cadman, an Independent MP, was dying of cancer at the time.
His widow Dona and daughter Jodi have both said Cadman described being offered a $1-million life insurance policy.
The Conservatives acknowledge that two of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's close confidants, Doug Finley and Tom Flanagan, met with Cadman, but say they only offered a repayable loan for his local riding association to cover campaign expenses if he rejoined the Tories.
Harper told Dona Cadman he did not know of any insurance offer.
He said in a taped interview with Cadman biographer Tom Zytaruk in September 2005 that there was an offer "only to replace financial considerations he might lose due to an election."
Harper has not publicly explained the financial considerations.
Cadman ultimately sided with the Liberals in a House of Commons confidence vote and kept then-prime minister Paul Martin in office for a few more months.
Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc released a letter Friday from the RCMP saying the police force had wrapped up its probe and, in consultation with the office of the Ontario attorney general, determined the "investigation disclosed no evidence to support a charge under the Criminal Code or under the Parliament of Canada Act."
LeBlanc said in a statement that while he fully accepts the RCMP's finding, he believes Harper and the Conservatives must disclose details of the offer to Cadman.
"Canadians deserve answers to those questions," he said. "We will continue to press for them."
LeBlanc said the ethical standards of a prime minister must be higher than "those of the evidentiary rules for prosecution under the Criminal Code."
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion echoed LeBlanc's call for Harper to elaborate.
"It's his voice that we hear on the tape," Dion said. "He's speaking about financial considerations for Mr. Cadman. He never explained what that meant, and it's time for him to explain it."
Harper has filed a lawsuit against the Liberals, claiming he was libelled in postings on the party's website.
Moore said Friday the party would be held accountable.
"The Liberals have made fabricated accusations. Very soon Liberals will see how big of a legal problem they have created for themselves."
Zytaruk said the RCMP contacted him during its investigation. "Being a journalist, I didn't give them a statement. But I wouldn't have had anything of material to offer them anyway."
Neither Dona nor Jodi Cadman were available for comment. Both have said they were interviewed by the Mounties.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 16 May 2008 )
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