Karlheinz Schreiber appeared before the Commons Ethics committee on Thursday to testify about his dealings with Former PM Brian Mulroney. This is NOT a transcript, but I feel that it's important to archive them here for future reference...even if it's just my own ;) You can return to the beginning of this 'series,' by clicking here: Part I.
And for 500K, he'll even wax your tank!
Lavallée (BQ): I'm going to give you an overview of my 3 general areas of questioning:
Schreiber: defer till I get my documents.
Lavallée (BQ): but you know why you gave him money...
Schreiber: Doucet had told me that BM was desperate; said BM sold the furniture at 26 (sic) Sussex. The work was for a bad project and for helping with the reunification of Germany (WTF?). The Pasta nonsense didn't occur until much later. The $300 000 had nothing to do with the pasta business.
Lavallée (BQ): Did the money have anything to do with his duties as PM? While he was PM? If I asked for $300 000 because I had trouble making ends meet, would you give it to me?
Schreiber: under the circumstances, YES!
***much laughter...easily the funniest point of the day***
Schreiber: Oh, and it was supposed to be *500* thousand, but BM didn't do anything, so he got $300 000.
***gasps***
Lavallée (BQ): BM was supposed to get $500 000? but he didn't do any work...what work?
Schreiber: this is a matter before the court in Toronto--based on about 35 000 pages of documents. (Note: Schreiber is currently suing Brian Mulroney for not doing anything for the $300 grand--The National, Nov 29 "At Issue" panel)
Lavallée (BQ): 90% of the questions you can answer without papers. You have a really good memory.
Schreiber: Justice Belanger said something like "Mr. Schreiber was ugly, not stupid"
Martin (NDP): Our goal is to follow the money and the paper-trail. Did cash to BM come from the commission on the Airbus sale?
Schreiber: defer
Martin (NDP): did it go into the "BRITAIN" account?
Schreiber: you got that from the "5th estate" (documentary)
Martin (NDP): did it come from the Airbus account?
Schreiber: this thing is so complex; Greenspan needed 5 months to learn my case. It's complex.
Martin (NDP): I'm going to ask you to table all personal calendars and notes from this period. I serve you notice of that today (tries to pass to Mulcair but Szabo said that Mulcair's not signed in)
Mulcair (NDP): (signs in) Schreiber, in 1993 campaign, did you pay Marc Lalonde $500 000? Why did you pay $10 000 to the LPC? I should also point out that the term "advocate" that you used to describe BM...did you employ BM as a lawyer? There are strict rules in the "Bar Act" about this.
Schreiber: (won't respond to any of Mulcair's questions)
Tilson (vice-chair, CPC): this committee requires *all* of your papers so that next time, we expect you to bring them, Mr. Schreiber.
Schreiber: yes but it will never work; won't answer questions...
Hiebert (CPC): I have a few "yes" or "no" questions for you, Mr. Schreiber. First, have you ever spoken with or met PM Harper?
Schreiber: no
Hiebert (CPC): has a lawyer of yours ever met/spoke with PM Harper?
Schreiber: no
Hiebert (CPC): have you or your lawyers spoke to Harper's staff?
Schreiber: yes.
Hiebert (CPC): Correspondence? Date?
Schreiber: can't answer w/o documents. Harper's office responded *once* but don't have a date.
Hiebert (CPC): the Privy Council's Office wrote you about...PCO did *not* forward your March 29, 2007 letter to PM Harper's office.
Hiebert (CPC): did you donate to the Conservative Party of Canada?
Schreiber: no.
Hiebert (CPC): did you have an agreement with BM?
Schreiber: yes.
Hiebert (CPC): when?
Schreiber: 23 June...oh, everybody knows (getting grumpy with Hiebert)
Hiebert (CPC): did you offer BM employment?
Schreiber: not going to answer.
Hiebert (CPC): (excited) this witness is "uncooperative;" no point in continuing.
Szabo (chair, LPC): advises Schreiber that he must answer questions if he can.
Hiebert (CPC): (repeats last question)
Schreiber: no.
Hiebert (CPC): when Prime Minister, did you ask BM to interfere with government stuff?
Schreiber: no
Hiebert (CPC): after BM retired, did you ask him to interfere with the federal government on your behalf?
Schreiber: no.
Hiebert (CPC): on what dates did you give BM money?
Schreiber: can't answer.
Hiebert (CPC): what was it for?
Schreiber: future services (*snerk*)
Hiebert (CPC): why cash? where did it come from?
Schreiber: it was available. Won't answer where it came from.
Hiebert (CPC): did BM ask you to deny receiving money?
Schreiber: not him personally, but someone on his behalf.
Hiebert (CPC): why can't you tell us who acted on BM's behalf?
Schreiber: lawyers are involved.
Thibault (LPC): I request tabling of Greenspan's letter (the possibly hand-written note given to Schreiber before the cmte hearing). I also want you to include correspondence with the Minister of Justice, AG of Canada etc.
Szabo (chair, LPC): I want a copy of *all* of your opening statement, Mr. Schreiber.
Schreiber: have to speak with Greenspan about it.
Szabo (chair, LPC): but it is *normal* to ask you to submit copies to the committee...
Schreiber: not clear. Have to speak to Greenspan.
Szabo (chair, LPC): are they *extracts* from a letter or the whole letter? What did you read in your opening statement?
Schreiber: yes, I read all of the letter. Not a secret.
Szabo (chair, LPC): will you give us a copy of the letter? Yes or no?
Schreiber: I have no problems but have to speak with Greenspan.
Szabo (chair, LPC): but you've already read it aloud on *TV* (*snerk*) I order you to surrender a copy of the letter.
Coming up next: Part IV ("Wherein the CPC suddenly discovers its passion for bilingualism"), or Return to Part II ("Deferred admission--does anybody here know teh rulez?")
And for 500K, he'll even wax your tank!
Lavallée (BQ): I'm going to give you an overview of my 3 general areas of questioning:
- The $300 000--what happened to that money? Where did it come from? What did BM do for all that money? Did he do any work?
- The correspondence with PM Stephen Harper--questions about your letter and any responses you may have received (or lack of responses).
- The management of the conservatives of this whole matter---why wait until the English media picks up the story before they comment?
Schreiber: defer till I get my documents.
Lavallée (BQ): but you know why you gave him money...
Schreiber: Doucet had told me that BM was desperate; said BM sold the furniture at 26 (sic) Sussex. The work was for a bad project and for helping with the reunification of Germany (WTF?). The Pasta nonsense didn't occur until much later. The $300 000 had nothing to do with the pasta business.
Lavallée (BQ): Did the money have anything to do with his duties as PM? While he was PM? If I asked for $300 000 because I had trouble making ends meet, would you give it to me?
Schreiber: under the circumstances, YES!
***much laughter...easily the funniest point of the day***
Schreiber: Oh, and it was supposed to be *500* thousand, but BM didn't do anything, so he got $300 000.
***gasps***
Lavallée (BQ): BM was supposed to get $500 000? but he didn't do any work...what work?
Schreiber: this is a matter before the court in Toronto--based on about 35 000 pages of documents. (Note: Schreiber is currently suing Brian Mulroney for not doing anything for the $300 grand--The National, Nov 29 "At Issue" panel)
Lavallée (BQ): 90% of the questions you can answer without papers. You have a really good memory.
Schreiber: Justice Belanger said something like "Mr. Schreiber was ugly, not stupid"
Martin (NDP): Our goal is to follow the money and the paper-trail. Did cash to BM come from the commission on the Airbus sale?
Schreiber: defer
Martin (NDP): did it go into the "BRITAIN" account?
Schreiber: you got that from the "5th estate" (documentary)
Martin (NDP): did it come from the Airbus account?
Schreiber: this thing is so complex; Greenspan needed 5 months to learn my case. It's complex.
Martin (NDP): I'm going to ask you to table all personal calendars and notes from this period. I serve you notice of that today (tries to pass to Mulcair but Szabo said that Mulcair's not signed in)
Mulcair (NDP): (signs in) Schreiber, in 1993 campaign, did you pay Marc Lalonde $500 000? Why did you pay $10 000 to the LPC? I should also point out that the term "advocate" that you used to describe BM...did you employ BM as a lawyer? There are strict rules in the "Bar Act" about this.
Schreiber: (won't respond to any of Mulcair's questions)
Tilson (vice-chair, CPC): this committee requires *all* of your papers so that next time, we expect you to bring them, Mr. Schreiber.
Schreiber: yes but it will never work; won't answer questions...
Hiebert (CPC): I have a few "yes" or "no" questions for you, Mr. Schreiber. First, have you ever spoken with or met PM Harper?
Schreiber: no
Hiebert (CPC): has a lawyer of yours ever met/spoke with PM Harper?
Schreiber: no
Hiebert (CPC): have you or your lawyers spoke to Harper's staff?
Schreiber: yes.
Hiebert (CPC): Correspondence? Date?
Schreiber: can't answer w/o documents. Harper's office responded *once* but don't have a date.
Hiebert (CPC): the Privy Council's Office wrote you about...PCO did *not* forward your March 29, 2007 letter to PM Harper's office.
Hiebert (CPC): did you donate to the Conservative Party of Canada?
Schreiber: no.
Hiebert (CPC): did you have an agreement with BM?
Schreiber: yes.
Hiebert (CPC): when?
Schreiber: 23 June...oh, everybody knows (getting grumpy with Hiebert)
Hiebert (CPC): did you offer BM employment?
Schreiber: not going to answer.
Hiebert (CPC): (excited) this witness is "uncooperative;" no point in continuing.
Szabo (chair, LPC): advises Schreiber that he must answer questions if he can.
Hiebert (CPC): (repeats last question)
Schreiber: no.
Hiebert (CPC): when Prime Minister, did you ask BM to interfere with government stuff?
Schreiber: no
Hiebert (CPC): after BM retired, did you ask him to interfere with the federal government on your behalf?
Schreiber: no.
Hiebert (CPC): on what dates did you give BM money?
Schreiber: can't answer.
Hiebert (CPC): what was it for?
Schreiber: future services (*snerk*)
Hiebert (CPC): why cash? where did it come from?
Schreiber: it was available. Won't answer where it came from.
Hiebert (CPC): did BM ask you to deny receiving money?
Schreiber: not him personally, but someone on his behalf.
Hiebert (CPC): why can't you tell us who acted on BM's behalf?
Schreiber: lawyers are involved.
Thibault (LPC): I request tabling of Greenspan's letter (the possibly hand-written note given to Schreiber before the cmte hearing). I also want you to include correspondence with the Minister of Justice, AG of Canada etc.
Szabo (chair, LPC): I want a copy of *all* of your opening statement, Mr. Schreiber.
Schreiber: have to speak with Greenspan about it.
Szabo (chair, LPC): but it is *normal* to ask you to submit copies to the committee...
Schreiber: not clear. Have to speak to Greenspan.
Szabo (chair, LPC): are they *extracts* from a letter or the whole letter? What did you read in your opening statement?
Schreiber: yes, I read all of the letter. Not a secret.
Szabo (chair, LPC): will you give us a copy of the letter? Yes or no?
Schreiber: I have no problems but have to speak with Greenspan.
Szabo (chair, LPC): but you've already read it aloud on *TV* (*snerk*) I order you to surrender a copy of the letter.
Coming up next: Part IV ("Wherein the CPC suddenly discovers its passion for bilingualism"), or Return to Part II ("Deferred admission--does anybody here know teh rulez?")
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