Here, as a public service, are extracts from the Executive Summary of the forthcoming Inquiry into Certain Allegations Surrounding former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney:
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The Inquiry was focused, mainly, on the actions Mr. Mulroney may have taken while in office and subsequent events related to those actions. The Inquiry also dealt with the settlement of Mr. Mulroney’s suit against the Government of Canada regarding Air Canada’s decision to purchase Airbus aircraft.
There is no evidence to suggest that Mr. Mulroney had any involvement in Air Canada’s decision to purchase Airbus aircraft. He did replace the Air Canada Board of Directors with Conservative Party loyalists, but this was fairly normal practice in Canada. Mr. Schreiber alleges that some of the money he paid out must have found its way into Mr. Mulroney’s hands. The Inquiry, while not doubting that there is some truth in some of Mr. Schreiber’s testimony, found that, in the main, it was a tissue of self serving lies. There is no paper trail pointing anywhere near Mr. Mulroney.
With regard to the subsequent RCMP investigations: the Inquiry finds that the investigations were triggered by a politically motivated but decidedly personal ‘suggestion’ of wrongdoing by Ms. Stevie Cameron. The government of the day, especially Messers Chrétien and Rock should have seen Ms. Cameron’s campaign for what it was; that they did not suggests either poor political instincts or an inability to resist a chance to ‘get’ Mr. Mulroney for purely partisan political purposes. In any event the RCMP found no evidence to support any of Ms. Cameron’s false allegations and the Government of Canada, rightfully, apologized and paid Mr. Mulroney’s legal and PR costs.
Although the Inquiry has some doubts about some of Mr. Mulroney’s testimony it is impossible to conclude that he entered into any agreement with Mr. Schreiber before he left office in 1993. He did, indeed, meet with Mr. Schreiber at Harrington Lake but he testified that he set aside time for farewell meetings with several people. Weighing the relative credibility of Mr. Mulroney and Mr. Schreiber we conclude that there is no evidence that Mr. Mulroney did anything other than, as he said, have a pleasant chat with Mr. Schreiber and agree to meet with him, a few weeks later (after he was no longer Prime Minister of Canada) to discuss possible business deals.
Mr. Mulroney’s political instincts were also poor. In his defence he pointed out that Mr. Schreiber was all well connected charmer and he notes that Herman Chancellor Helmut Kohl was also fooled by Mr. Schreiber – to the detriment of his reputation. Only former Albert Premier Peter Lougheed seems to have seen through Mr. Schreiber and Mr. Mulroney, inexplicably, failed to heed his warnings. Mr. Mulroney claims that Mr. Schreiber ingratiated himself by offering a ‘solution’ to a perennial Canadian political problem: Caper Breton economic development. Mr. Schreiber, in the ‘80s, represented Thyssen Industries and he was touting a plan to build military vehicles in the region. Mr. Mulroney and some of his ministers were interested and that is the origin of the relationship between the two men. Mr. Mulroney admits he found Schreiber a “charming rogue” and, despite continuing failures to produce any useful results, he enjoyed Schreiber’s company and his stories about business, businessmen and politics and politicians.
There is no doubt that Mr. Mulroney accepted cash payments totally $300,000.00 from Mr. Schreiber. Mr. Schreiber’s testimony about the purposes of these payments is troubling but, finally, too tainted to be given any great weight. Mr. Mulroney’s testimony is self serving but, finally, believable. He says that he agreed to “help” Mr. Schreiber with several business dealings. Mr. Mulroney claims that he never intended to lobby ministers or officials in the Government of Canada. It would be, he says (and the Inquiry agrees) quite inappropriate for a former Prime Minister of Canada to do so. That, he says, is why he never registered as a lobbyist. He claims that he planned to help Mr. Schreiber with other “players” in Canadian and global business and with some (not Canadian federal) government leaders. The Inquiry believes that Mr. Schreiber believed otherwise. Inexplicably, he believed that a Progressive Conservative government, headed by Kim Campbell, would be re-elected in 1993. He also believed Brian Mulroney would be his entrée into the “corridors of power” of that government. He was mistaken. What Mr. Mulroney did or did not do to “earn” Mr. Schreiber’s $300,000.00 is a matter to be settled by civil courts.
The Inquiry finds that Mr. Mulroney made significant errors in moral judgement. He explains that he sacrificed potential earnings in the millions of dollars serve Canada as a politician and that he was eager to start earning money for his family’s future as soon as he left office. The Inquiry accepts that rationale but finds that he erred, grievously, in so doing – with Mr. Schreiber’s brown envelopes stuffed with cash.
The Inquiry finds that Brian Mulroney has brought disrepute to Canadian politics but he did nothing illegal or, even, improper. He displayed poor judgement – political and moral judgement – but that is neither criminal nor even “wrong.”
The Inquiry finds that Karlheinz Schreiber has lied in an effort to frustrate the proper and lawful efforts of the Government of Germany to extradite him.
The Inquiry finds that Jean Chrétien and Alan Rock abused their political power by initiating an unjustified RCMP with hunt based on baseless allegations by Stevie Cameron.
Finally, the Inquiry finds that its own work has been a colossal waste of money. There never was much in these allegations and the Inquiry found little new. Reputations have been tarnished – some deserved to be. Nothing else has been accomplished.
