The Odour the Quebec Albatross emanates from the Karlheinz Schreiber - Brian Mulroney Inquiry

Something is obviously wrong with the reporting of the mass media in respect to this inquiry. Their focus seems to be almost entirely on the somewhat frustrated and obviously tired Karlheinz Schreiber’s supposed failure to answer decades old details off- the-cuff. The antagonistic questioning of Mr. Schreiber by Richard Wolson doesn’t leave much room for the tale to be told in context. The tale is there, but the media isn’t listening.

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Far too much attention is paid to the $1.8 billion that Mr. Schreiber stated he might earn if all the ducks fell into line and all the allied nations subsequently bought the expensive, but admittedly, at that time would have had to be a world’s best light armored personnel carrier. No attention was paid to a number of other pertinent points. First, in the world of arms dealings, Mr. Schreiber stated that many deals are closed or promoted by cash payments. I doubt if any mature person in that room or elsewhere would quarrel with that fact. However, in Canada that is not ethical behaviour. No person of conscience would accept payments in cash in an envelope without proper receipts. Second, again and again Mr. Wolson sprung decade’s old documents on Mr. Schreiber, often in irregular order and often not documents written by Mr. Schreiber. He also used statements made by other players and inferred that Mr. Schreiber was lying when these statements were in conflict with Mr. Schreiber’s responses. More like a prosecutor than an inquiry lawyer. Third, and most remarkable, was the lack of comment by any media of the lack of inquiry by Mr. Wolson into the reasons for the sudden switch of the advanced planning for the production of the proposed armored vehicles in the Canso area of Nova Scotia. A property had been located, thousands of employees were planned to be hired. Production facilities were to be built and all the ducks seemed to be in line for a huge boost to the Nova Scotia economy. Suddenly, the lights went out. Why? According to Mr. Schreiber’s testimony on a visit to Ottawa he was introduced to two men who told him indirectly and later directly that the deal was not going to happen. Then, lo and behold, he finds out indirectly, that not only was he unlikely to get the contract but he could stay in the bidding so long as he understood the vehicle was to be built in (make a guess) Quebec, somewhere near Montreal. Obviously the Quebec fix was once again in play. Am I the only pundit that can’t get the foul (fowl) odour of the Albatross out of my nostrils? Finally, Mr. Schreiber again and again tried to say that all these delaying political machinations have since cost at least 50% of our Canadian soldier’s lives in Afghanistan. The esteemed Mr. Wolson and all our mass media smirked at Mr. Schreiber, in effect indicating a predisposition to prejudgment and distain that this latter human value could possibly be of interest to Mr. Schreiber. Frankly, as combat veteran of WW2 and a very upset Canadian because I fully understand that our soldiers and helicopter people have been unnecessarily killed for years now, simply because of this same cruel indifference of our political leaders and their pandering to Quebec and to the anti-military “we are peacekeepers” crowd. If Mr. Schreiber is right, hundreds of other allied soldiers have also died unnecessarily. Surely the mass media should take their blinders off their eyes and their bandanas of their noses. The stink, she is strong! Where does Mr. Mulroney sit in all this? Is this not another question to be asked?