One Smart Thing

The one smart thing the Liberals did yesterday was to let Ken Dryden go after Psycho Steve over the Cadman affair. Dryden had this exchange with the increasingly sweaty James Moore, in the House.

Hon. Ken Dryden (York Centre, Lib.): next intervention
Mr. Speaker, we know in a TV interview that Mr. Cadman said that he had received certain offers but did not mention a life insurance policy. We know he told his wife that he was offered a $1 million policy and told his daughter and son-in-law the same thing.

We know the Prime Minister was aware that certain offers were being made to Mr. Cadman by people, as he put it, “legitimately representing” the Conservative Party.

Would the Prime Minister not agree, from his own life experiences, that under those circumstances it is far more likely one would decide to be less clear in a TV interview than with one's own wife, daughter and son-in-law?
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Mr. James Moore (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, CPC): previous intervention next intervention
Mr. Speaker, the member for York Centre may want to call Chuck Cadman a liar in what he said on TV but we will not call Chuck Cadman a liar. He was clear. He was on the record. He was concise.

Chuck Cadman had a record in public life, both as a member of Parliament and, prior to that, as an advocate for victims of crime. He had an unblemished record of being a person who shot straight, who was honest and who was straightforward. He spoke the truth in those television interviews. He spoke the truth on the record when he said that no such offer was made.

We trust Chuck Cadman. We do not trust the Liberals who sat on this story for a year. They do not believe it. They are talking about all this righteous indignation but they do not believe what they are saying. We believe Chuck Cadman. We believe that he told the truth.
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Hon. Ken Dryden (York Centre, Lib.): previous intervention
Mr. Speaker, through all the government's noise and spin, we know that if what Mr. Cadman's widow, daughter and son-in-law are saying is true, this was about offering money for a vote to bring down a government. Buying a vote to bring down a government is unimaginable and unthinkable in Canada. This is as serious as it gets.

I am sure the Prime Minister would agree that if this is true he must resign.
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Mr. James Moore (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, CPC): previous intervention
Mr. Speaker, it is one thing for a member of Parliament to get up in this place and accuse somebody of a crime under parliamentary privilege but if that member has the guts and he believes in what he is saying he should say it outside the House of Commons where people can defend themselves.

Moore challenged him to repeat his words outside of the House, thinking it would shut him up. Dryden took up the challenge and, in effect, told Steve to sue him too. Now this is about the smartest thing the Liberals have done in about 3 years. Can you imagine the reaction if Psycho Steve actually sued the greatest goalie of his generation? Steve would never be able to enter the city limits of Montreal again.

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