MP
Reynolds files complaints against 3 Liberals
NRI, Dosanjh
and Murphy offer a cabinet position to NRI, Tory MP
Gurmant Grewal or a "significant position'' for
Grewal's wife NRI Nina, also a Tory MP, in exchange
for their votes.
OTTAWA, June 15, 2005
Canadian Press
Conservative MP has filed complaints with two law
societies against three Liberals -- former Ontario
premier David Peterson, federal Health Minister NRI,
Ujjal Dosanjh and the prime minister's chief of staff
Tim Murphy.
In separate letters of complaint written Monday,
Tory John Reynolds says the three -- all lawyers --
offered Conservative MPs compensation in exchange
for their support in key confidence votes on the Liberal
minority government's budget.
Reynolds alleges the actions of Peterson, Dosanjh
and Murphy compromise the integrity of the legal profession.
He says they also could violate Section 119(1) of
the Criminal Code, which prohibits people from offering
members of Parliament "valuable consideration,
office, place or employment'' to influence their work
in any way.
In letters to Ontario's Law Society of Upper Canada,
Reynolds says Peterson, Ontario Liberal premier from
1985 to 1990, and Murphy may have violated the Rules
of Professional Conduct and Canada's Criminal Code.
In a letter to the Law Society of British Columbia,
he says Dosanjh may have violated the provisions of
its Professional Conduct Handbook, as well as the
Criminal Code.
Reynolds provides transcripts he claims indicate
that Dosanjh and Murphy offer a cabinet position to
NRI, Tory MP Gurmant Grewal or a "significant
position'' for Grewal's wife Nina, also a Tory MP,
in exchange for their votes.
He also provides transcripts he says indicate that
Peterson offered former Tory Belinda Stronach a cabinet
position in exchange for crossing the floor to the
Liberals.
Stronach left the Conservatives last month to become
human resources minister in Paul Martin's Liberal
government.
Stronach said Tuesday she was considering her options
when she ran into Peterson and his wife Shelley, who
had been "dear friends'' for years.
She said told Peterson of "serious concerns''
she had with the coming vote and the direction the
Conservative party was taking.
"I had to make a very, very tough decision which
I agonized over and it was a question of fate and
circumstance.''
Asked if Peterson offered her a cabinet post, she
said: "I'm in this for reasons of public service,''
and Peterson was a "go-between.''
Spokeswoman Lisa Riley said the Law Society of Upper
Canada only comments if a disciplinary hearing is
called.
Grewal recorded his conversations with Dosanjh and
Murphy.
The prime minister says he authorized the talks,
but no job offers were made in exchange for votes.
The Bloc and NDP have asked the RCMP to look into
Martin's involvement.
Dosanjh says portions of the tapes were altered to
erase parts of conversations, and to move other parts
to suggest wrongdoing.
The conversations and a meeting with Dosanjh and
Murphy took place on the eve of a confidence motion
that threatened to defeat Martin's government.
Grewal has said he recorded two to four hours of
audio, but only 90 minutes were initially released
publicly. RCMP have the recordings.
Parliament's ethics commissioner is also investigating.
A spokesman says the commissioner must decide whether
to agree to an NDP request to include Martin in the
probe.