Sunday, December 16, 2007

It's Brian's turn to cry, Part I: "It was like a near-death experience," except it wasn't

The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney (or "BM," as I've come to know him) presented himself to the Commons Ethics committee for an exhausting 3 1/2 hours on Thursday. As with the Schreiber testimony (Nov 29, Dec 4, Dec 6, and Dec 11) the following is NOT a transcript, so quote at your own risk ;) Time-stamps are approximate.

"It was like a near-death experience," except it wasn't

9:02 AM
Szabo (chair, LPC): (...preamble) ...Mr. Mulroney, would you feel more comfortable being formally sworn in by the Clerk of the cmte?
Rt. Hon. B. Mulroney: (whispering, inaudible; he looks very dour this morning. Szabo asks him to repeat) "Proceed in this matter."
Szabo (chair, LPC): Mr. Mulroney, you will also recall that testimony is protected by the law of parliamentary privilege, which is to say that your testimony cannot be used against you for any other purpose, in any other proceedings. Perjury, however, is another matter entirely. You will also know that not answering a question is not an option, however, should you be posed a question that should not be answered, I will consider your justification. Our proceedings are broadcast in both official languages, and I would ask that, if you'll be reading any docs or delivering any stmts, please give copies of these to the translation booth. Do you have any questions, sir, about what I have said?
Rt. Hon. B. Mulroney: No, sir.
Szabo (chair, LPC): Thank you. Do you have any docs that you'd like to provide to the cmte?
Rt. Hon. B. Mulroney: No, sir.
Szabo (chair, LPC): I understand that you do have an opening stmt. As w/our previous witness, I would also offer to you that if, at any time during the proceedings, you'd like to make a stmt that is germane or will clarify what was said, I will give you that opportunity. We will now proceed w/your opening stmt. Mr. Mulroney?
Rt. Hon. B. Mulroney: Mr. Chairman, hon members of the HOC. I served as PM of Canada between 1984 and 1993 (Gah! Don't remind me...). During those years, I devoted all my energy and efforts to what I considered to be Canada's best interests. I am proud of our record of accomplishment. Like all PMs, I also knew moments of failure, sorrow and error. My 2nd biggest mistake in life, for which I have no one to blame but myself, was to accept payments in cash by Karlheinz Schreiber (KHS) for a mandate he gave me, after I left office. I will tell you today how that came about. My biggest mistake, by far, was ever agreeing to be introduced to KHS in the first place (man, he looks mad!). I will tell you today, what the involvement was. As a result, some Canadians are asking whether I was involved in improper conduct, during or after I was in office. Let me say now, clearly & unequivocally:
  1. I never received a cent from anyone for services rendered to anyone in connection w/the purchase by Air Canada from Airbus of 34 aircraft in 1988.
  2. I did not receive a cent from Thyssen industries or any other client of Mr. Schreiber's while I was in office.
  3. I have never had a lawyer in Geneva, or anywhere else in Switzerland, except to defend myself against the false charges laid against me in 1995.
  4. I've never had a bank account in Switzerland.
  5. Neither I, nor anyone on my behalf ever asked Mr. S or his lawyer to perjure themselves or otherwise lie about the payments I received from him.
(He's now repeating this list en français)

Rt. Hon. B. Mulroney:
Mr. Chairman, let me set out a few of the facts you are looking into and then I will be pleased to answer your questions (ch-yeah! Unlikely!). Twelve years and one month ago ("Four score and seven years ago..."), my family and I were hit by the biggest calamity of my life. The Canadian government sent an official letter of request for assistance to Switzerland that said that I had accepted bribes in connection w/the purchase of Airbus planes for Air Canada, and that I had 5 mill dollars in a Swiss bank acct as a result. The Gov of Canada stated formally to a foreign government that I was a criminal, from the time I took office. I was completely devastated by these false allegations. They had the capacity to destroy my reputation and to destroy my family. We learned only later, through sworn RCMP testimony, that the police had based their stmts to Switzerland largely on information gathered mainly from a member of the Can media, who, as it turned out, was a confidential informant to the RCMP. Because I knew the charges were false, I sued the gov for defamation and began a two year battle to clear my name. This was immensely painful for both me and my family. The resulting stress and anguish for all of us arising from these allegations and the wide coverage in the media, here and around the world, is almost impossible to describe. The damage caused can't ever be measured in dollars and cents (yeah...but you tried to ballpark it, eh?). Only a person who has gone through such an ordeal can fathom its impact. It was like a near death experience. (Draaaaah-maaaa!)

Rt. Hon. B. Mulroney:
On Jan 6, 1997, the federal government sought out my lawyers and requested a settlement. The gov issued a full apology to me and my family. They also issued a stmt, and I quote, "Based on the evidence received to date, the RCMP acknowledges that any conclusions of wrong doing were and are unjustified." After continuing its investigation for another 6 yrs, the commissioner of the RCMP wrote a letter to me on April 17, 2003, and I quote again, "On April 22, 2003 the RCMP will announce that, after an exhaustive investigation in Canada and abroad, the remaining investigation into the 1995 allegations of wrongdoing involving MBB helicopters, Thyssen and AB has concluded, and that the outstanding allegations cannot be substantiated and that therefore, no charges will be laid."

Rt. Hon. B. Mulroney:
on Oct 6, 1997, the late former Chief Justice Allan B. Gold (phonetic-sp??), of the Superior Court of Quebec, acting as a special arbitrator, ordered the Gov to pay 2.1 million dollars in legal fees and other costs. This entire amount went straight to my lawyers and advisers. Contrary to the allegations of some, I never received a cent. Mr. Chairman, by 1998, having gone through this travesty, my family and I believe that this long and painful nightmare in our lives was finally over. But here we are again, 10 years later. I first encountered KHS through the political process. I only knew him as an able businessman, chairman of Thyssen Canada, a subsidiary of a very large, multinational company, w/some 180 000 employees. I really had no significant dealings with him until he became a strong promoter of a project in Nova Scotia that came to be known as the Bear Head Project (BHP). It involved the establishment of a plant in Nova Scotia for the production of Thyssen LAVs. I was supportive of the project, as I believed it was sound and would contribute to the economic development of NS, which, in light of the closures in Glace Bay and Cape Breton, desperately required jobs. But ultimately, after detailed study by government officials, it was concluded that the cost to the gov of 100 mill dollars, was simply more than the gov of the time could afford. So the cabinet at the time made the decision not to approve it. I was genuinely disappointed we were unable to create this genuine job creating project in the region. I subsequently learned that Mr. Schreiber was very upset by this decision, but he was persistant. In the early 1990s, he came back to gov, with a new proposal that would see the plant opened in the East end of Montreal.

Rt. Hon. B. Mulroney:
In June 1993, I was told that Mr. Schreiber wished to see me for a farewell visit ("a happy ending?") as many others had done. There was no reason to refuse the request. Accordingly, he came up to see me on June 23, 1993--not in a pre-arranged limo--as has been reported, but in a young staffer's second-hand Jeep (*snerk*). Apart from exchanging pleasantries, Mr. S and I talked about the Canadian political scene, we also talked about the reunification of Germany, a topic very close to his heart. BH was mentioned: I expressed regret that we weren't able to make it happen, and I wished him well. He did not ask or suggest that he wanted me to play any role whatsoever, upon my return to private life, assisting him w/any business ventures of any kind, except to say, that given my international background and context, he would perhaps like to call on me again someday in the future. I can't tell you, Mr. Chairman, what was in his mind, but I can tell you that not a word---NOT A WORD---was breathed at Harrington Lake about concluding any further business arrangements w/him.

Coming up next: Part II ("I'll be on the couch, since you're already on the Cross")
Photo Credit: Icanhascheezburger

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