Opposition wants public safety minister to step down over allegations
Last Updated: Thursday, March 22, 2007 3:18 PM ET The Canadian Press CBC.ca
The Liberals have asked the RCMP to investigate the circumstances around how Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day first secured the nomination in his British Columbia riding. Liberal MP Mark Holland said Thursday that new documents his party happened upon raise serious questions about the matter, and have been forwarded to the national police force. In 2000, Day was the newly elected leader of the Canadian Alliance but did not have a seat in the Commons. MP Jim Hart stepped aside in July to allow Day to run in a byelection, which he won handily that fall. Shortly afterward, allegations circulated that Hart had been paid $50,000 to step aside. The RCMP briefly looked into the matter at the time to determine whether Hart had resigned in exchange for money, which is a criminal offence, but said there wasn't enough evidence to launch a formal investigation.
Canadian Alliance brass insisted that Hart was already planning to quit his seat, and simply accelerated the process to help Day. But Holland said the documents his party uncovered shoot holes in that explanation. One of the documents is a fax allegedly sent by Hart to a party official, saying his resignation was contingent on a compensation package negotiated with Day's chief of staff, Rod Love, the weekend before Hart stepped down. Hart allegedly detailed the amounts that he had been promised by Love, and expressed frustration at delays in getting the money. "Please realize that I took this step of resigning in good faith," Hart allegedly wrote to party executive director Glen McMurray. "I could have remained in office until the general election, finished my term and not experienced these losses. My resignation was contingent upon this negotiation."
Another page, a motion allegedly voted on by the Canadian Alliance's governing body, approves payment of $20,000 to Hart to pay his living expenses while he waited to start another job. The motion said the intention was that the party pay half the amount, and the Office of the Leader of the Opposition pay the other half. Holland pointed out that the opposition leader's office costs are paid with public funds. He said Day should resign his cabinet post until the matter is resolved by the RCMP. "These allegations are indeed very serious," Holland said. "Someone who is responsible for our lead law-enforcement agency, I think it's incumbent upon him to step down until such time as these allegations are answered." The records were allegedly left behind by the Conservatives in the offices of the Official Opposition and found by the Liberals just last week. The party had a lawyer look at them before letting Holland hold his press conference Thursday. Day was not immediately available for comment.
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See also following links:
http://www.liberal.ca/news_e.aspx?type=news&id=12598 (Liberal Press release)
http://www.liberal.ca/pdf/docs/070322_alliance1.pdf (documents)
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