Cadman Scandle

[Dust Devil]

I'm confused. The Liberals claim that the Conservatives offered Mr Cadman a 1 million dollar life insurance policy to vote against the Liberal budget a few years back. The part that doesn't make sense to me is what life insurance company is going to open a policy for a guy for 1 million dollars when he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer?

[The Other Kind]

If in fact they did it, then shame on those responsible and make them pay the price. What really gets me though are all the self-righteous Liberals who are calling for heads to roll. Steal millions, lie and cheat the tax payers, 'entice' Belinda to cross the floor (every bit as much of a bribe if you ask me), all that is ok....

What a bunch of freakin' hypocrites.

[Siddley Hawker]

The Conservatives are such amateurs. If that hadda been the Lieberals, they'd have offered him a seat in the Senate, and Viola! that would have been that.

[CID]

The part that doesn't make sense to me is what life insurance company is going to open a policy for a guy for 1 million dollars when he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer?

I think what is being implied here is that the insurance company was in cahoots. Maybe they had something to gain.

If in fact they did it, then shame on those responsible and make them pay the price. What really gets me though are all the self-righteous Liberals who are calling for heads to roll. Steal millions, lie and cheat the tax payers, 'entice' Belinda to cross the floor (every bit as much of a bribe if you ask me), all that is ok....

What a bunch of freakin' hypocrites.

Personally, I don't see this as comparable. The last Liberal government was certainly shady but "enticing" Belinda to cross the floor was nothing compared to conspiring with an insurance company to commit fraud. Of coarse it's all speculation so my opinion is only as good as the validity of the accusations.

[V1 Rotate]

What, do pray tell is a "Scandle"?

[corporate joe]

Cadman is an independent. The conservatives were trying to get him to vote against the liberals of Paul Martin to take the government down. Since they can't just give him a million dollars to bribe him (it has to be more discrete), they tried to get him to change his vote by promising an insurance policy that he could not have gotten any other way. In other words, they're not directly giving him a million dollars to violate the basic principle of our constitution, they're giving his loved ones a million dollars through an insurance policy.

If you think the Conservatives aren't as dirty as the liberals you need to get your heads checked. Red or blue, it doesn't matter.

[Dex]

money laundering needs stricter punishment. Both parties do it. The citizens are the ones that lose in this. Lets make it 25 years before parole.

[Dust Devil]

they're giving his loved ones a million dollars through an insurance policy.

I just don't get how this policy could be issued to a guy with terminal cancer.

[JakeYYZ]

One interesting point that all the political parties seem to be relying on is Cadman's integrity. Well, wouldn't a man of such high integrity have notified authorities if the CPC had been attempting to bribe him?

[Wilbur]

What is this allegation based on? A writer from a small community newspaper says Cadman's wife told him that Cadman told her. On the other hand, you have Cadman in the national media emphatically stating he was not offered anything for his vote, and in fact, he voted with the Liberals.

At this point this isn't anything but heresay gossip being spread by the desperate Liberals.

[CID]

I just don't get how this policy could be issued to a guy with terminal cancer.

It's not a difficult concept. Insurance companies are a lot like banks. They lend money based on a risk assessment. If you're a high risk, the bank will ask for collateral or other ways to offset risk.

One way insurance companies offset risk is by the premiums they charge. A healthy 20 year old pays lower premiums than a healthy 50 year old.

I would think that the premiums for a terminally ill person would be in the neighborhood of 100% of the benefit, due immediately.

It’s just another way of laundering money.

[shitdisturber]

What is this allegation based on? A writer from a small community newspaper says Cadman's wife told him that Cadman told her. On the other hand, you have Cadman in the national media emphatically stating he was not offered anything for his vote, and in fact, he voted with the Liberals.

At this point this isn't anything but heresay gossip being spread by the desperate Liberals.

Except for the fact that he's apparently on tape from a radio interview stating that the Tories did indeed attempt to buy his vote.

[Dust Devil]

I just don't get how this policy could be issued to a guy with terminal cancer.

It's not a difficult concept. Insurance companies are a lot like banks. They lend money based on a risk assessment. If you're a high risk, the bank will ask for collateral or other ways to offset risk.

One way insurance companies offset risk is by the premiums they charge. A healthy 20 year old pays lower premiums than a healthy 50 year old.

I would think that the premiums for a terminally ill person would be in the neighborhood of 100% of the benefit, due immediately.

It’s just another way of laundering money.

So you think a company who's core business is risk assessment and control is going to get mixed up in a political bribery scheme?

Not likely.

[ScudRunner]

So I think the real story here is what did the liberals offer him to vote with them? must have been more than 1 million dollars, but as stated before liberal or conservative same fly's different pile of shit!

[CID]

So you think a company who's core business is risk assessment and control is going to get mixed up in a political bribery scheme?

Not likely.

Corupt insurance and trust companies? No such thing right?

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2004/o ... 4a_04.html

Give your head a shake DD.

[Dust Devil]

So you think a company who's core business is risk assessment and control is going to get mixed up in a political bribery scheme?

Not likely.

Corupt insurance and trust companies? No such thing right?

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2004/o ... 4a_04.html

Give your head a shake DD.

Don't worry I shake my head every time something spews forth from you.

[2R]

Looks like the lawyers are getting involved now as there is a defamation libel lawsuit against the Dion and the Liberals .
I wondered why mr .dithers sat on that information for a year after he wrote the introduction for the book.I thought it was just his usual dithering now it seems his legal training guided him and he let someone else fall into this trap.
Without getting to macievallian could this be his revenge on those who did not support him in what was left of the liberal party after the cretin left ???

[Dust Devil]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... ional/home

[shitdisturber]

I'm guessing this lawsuit is another of Harper's "the best defense is a good offense" strategies. How do you sue someone for repeating the statements made by a dead man everybody lauded for integrity in a recorded radio interview? My guess is he'll ride the publicity from his "indignation" and hope the heat dies down; then quietly drop it. But I've been called cynical often enough that there may be some truth to it.

[ScudRunner]

2R Wrote:

I wondered why mr .dithers sat on that information for a year after he wrote the introduction for the book.I thought it was just his usual dithering now it seems his legal training guided him and he let someone else fall into this trap.

Paul Martin wrote the Intro? Interesting indeed, I wonder if my original question was just scratching the surface.

I Wrote:

So I think the real story here is what did the liberals offer him to vote with them?

[sky's the limit]

I'm guessing this lawsuit is another of Harper's "the best defense is a good offense" strategies. How do you sue someone for repeating the statements made by a dead man everybody lauded for integrity in a recorded radio interview? My guess is he'll ride the publicity from his "indignation" and hope the heat dies down; then quietly drop it. But I've been called cynical often enough that there may be some truth to it.

Perhaps somebody should email the PMO and let them know Harper's reputation is already shot.... If there was ANYONE in Canadian Politics to replace him, he'd have been gone already. Perhaps that's too much to ask.

I say we make K.H. Schriber PM...

stl

[Widow]

So you think a company who's core business is risk assessment and control is going to get mixed up in a political bribery scheme?

Not likely.

I think the insurance company would be out of the stink. As CID said, they would have been providing a paid for policy. It isn't like they were offering the policy.

[2R]

This is a set piece that has being coming down the pipeline for a while .
Dithers had the book last year .
The speed at which the cadman videos surfaced with him denying any bribes tells me the tories somehow knew this was coming .
It will be interesting to see the traps that have been set by both sides and which ones will do the most damage .
Unfounded allegations are usually withdrawn before the court dates are set .It is interesting to note that the lawyers in the liberal party did not repeat the slander and libel as they could be dis-barred for unfounded allegations .The lawyers know the rules.and will not dare repeat unfounded rumours outside the house .

[JakeYYZ]

The following statement was released Monday by Surrey North Conservative candidate Dona Cadman, wife of the late MP . Cadman
I'm a little bit surprised at the level of reaction to the disclosures in Tom Zytaruk's book and I guess that's probably because it was put to rest in my mind, when I discussed the matter with Stephen Harper, 2 ½ years ago. At that time, I recall specifically asking him if he was aware of a million dollar insurance policy offer, that upset . so much.
He looked me straight in the eyes and told me he had no knowledge of an insurance policy offer. I knew he was telling me the truth; I could see it in his eyes. He said, yes he'd had some discussions with two individuals about asking . to rejoin the party, but he'd told them they were wasting their time trying to convince ..
From that point forward…. I didn't regard it as a “Party” initiative, but rather; the overzealous indiscretion of a couple of individuals…. whose identity, . never revealed to me.
It all comes back to my conversation with the Prime Minister…. 2 ½ years ago. I want to be perfectly clear in that regard. . liked, respected and trusted Stephen Harper. I like, respect and trust Stephen Harper. If I didn't believe in my heart, that he was telling me the truth…. I wouldn't be running as the Conservative Candidate for Surrey North.
Dona Cadman

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... atment0303
About time she came forward. Maybe they were letting the Libs embarrass themselves a bit first, and they did.

[WJflyer]

A little article from The Province:
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/colum ... b8cab65a45

Hard to make sense of this convoluted story
Only three people know full story, and one of them is dead
Michael Smyth, The Province
Published: Tuesday, March 04, 2008

If you can find me somebody who will insure a terminally-ill cancer patient with just weeks to live for one million bucks, be sure to let me know, will you?

I've got some prime Florida swampland they might be interested in buying. Or maybe they'd like to purchase three perfectly good fast ferries.

P.T. Barnum may have been right when he said a sucker is born every minute, but I doubt many of them went into the insurance racket.

Face it: There's not a company in Canada that would have insured . Cadman for $1 million while the respected former MP was on his deathbed succumbing to cancer.

Unless, of course, that company was paid a premium of more than $1 million. But then the whole Cadman saga would go from strange to downright bizarre.

The story took a turn in that direction yesterday with the "personal statement" issued by Dona Cadman, .'s widow.

Dona Cadman is the primary source for the bombshell political story currently rocking the national capital: That Conservative Party officials allegedly offered her terminally-ill husband a $1-million life-insurance policy if he voted to bring down the Liberal government back in May 2005.

Dona Cadman -- who is now the Conservative party candidate in Surrey North -- says . told her about the ghoulish offer before he died just a few weeks later.

While not backing down from her allegation, Dona Cadman said yesterday that she's certain Prime Minister Stephen Harper had nothing to do with the affair.

"He looked me straight in the eyes and told me he had no knowledge of an insurance-policy offer," Dona Cadman said. "I knew he was telling me the truth. I could see it in his eyes."

In other words: Yes, the Conservatives tried to bribe my dying husband. But Stephen Harper didn't know about it. So please vote Conservative.

Where is her anger? Why isn't she calling for a public inquiry into what amounts to an illegal, immoral act?

If the Conservatives really did try to bribe ., why is she even running for the Conservatives in the first place?

. Cadman himself said in TV interviews before he died that no offer was made to him in return for his vote. Then again, he also told CKNW that the Tories did offer to help him with election expenses.

This story is so convoluted that not even . himself could keep it straight!

Even the dates of the alleged bribe are in dispute: Cadman's biographer says it happened two days before the vote. The Tories say their people met with Cadman to discuss a loan (or something -- that story keeps changing, too) on the day of the vote.

The bottom line: Only three people really know what happened, and one of them is dead. The other two -- the pair of Conservative Party officials who met with Cadman -- have issued a brief statement that doesn't answer the important questions.

Harper must ensure that Canadians get the truth here. When they do, I'll be surprised if it involves a $1-million life-insurance policy that no Canadian insurance company would be crazy enough to issue.


© The Vancouver Province 2008