Angry in the Great White North
The Abbotsford Bribe: Who was behind it?
Friday, January 13, 2006 at 12:37 PM

Read other posts by Steve Janke published by the National Post
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Let's assume the bribe attempt happened (and that has not been established). Allegedly, Liberal candidate David Oliver tried to bribe NDP candidate Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson.

Notice that the incumbent is Conservative Randy White, and he's not even running again. The Conservative candidate is Edward Fast.

What I'm getting at is that none of the players are actually MPs. Certainly no cabinet ministers. None of these people are in a position to offer anything:

If I [Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson] was to sell out the NDP they [Oliver and campaign manager Gordy Kahlon] guaranteed me a win in the next local general election and they also said a job in Ottawa would be waiting for me if Mr Oliver did in fact win the riding.

A guaranteed win in the local election? Another democratic deficit, I suppose.

And the job in Ottawa? What job? Who was offering the job? I wouldn't throw a race just so I could answer phones and stuff envelopes in Oliver's office. It would have to be a pretty good job. Not something Oliver could offer himself. There are more players involved.

Unless...Oliver was yanking Hansen-Carlson, offering him something he could never deliver.

Or this whole thing is a hoax.

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