Stephane Dion and the Liberals do not want to leave a stone unturned in any investigation into the details of the relationship between former prime minister Brian Mulroney and German business Karlheinz Schreiber.

Indeed, they want the current government to be fully investigated. From a letter from Stephane Dion to Dr David Johnston, the president of the University of Waterloo who has been tasked to set the parameters of a inquiry to follow:

While it is clearly important for you to review those financial dealings, I believe that it is equally as important for you to examine how the current government has handled this particular file. As such, I would encourage you to explicitly include in your recommendations to the Prime Minister that the terms of reference for the proposed full public inquiry be broad enough in scope to include an examination of the actions of the current Prime Minister, his Cabinet, his staff and the entire government since it took office on February 6, 2006.

Everything the entire government has done since it took office?

Why would Stephane Dion limit the inquiry like this? How can we possibly learn the truth?

Why just since taking power? Brian Mulroney was born in 1939. We don't really know how far back Mulroney's corruption goes. The investigation ought to include any Conservate Party and the Progressive Conservative Party material going back July 1938 (Mulroney was born in May 1939, so go back nine months from there). Actually, the Progressive Conservatives added "Progressive" in 1942, so include the Progressive Party too (even though Dr Johnston ought to be careful that most members of the Progressive Party joined the Liberals and not the Conservatives).

And why just members of the government? Members of the government have families and friends. They talk to each other. Maybe Schreiber's name was mentioned. Sweat 'em a bit. They'll crack.

There are the people who helped the Tories get into power. Former MPs like Garth Turner, Scott Brison, and Belinda Stronach. Sure they're Liberals now, but they might know stuff. Especially Turner. He worked for Mulroney. He hasn't been sufficiently enthusiastic about this Schreiber thing. At least the other two have fought an election as Liberals. Turner is still untested. Time to check if he people is Liberal enough. Even if it turns out he doesn't know anything about Schreiber, the Liberals could benefit from purifying their ranks.

The Blogging Tories have supported the Tories. The Blogging Tories have written stuff about Karlheinz Schreiber. The Blogging Tories even have the word "Tories" in the name of the group! Sure it looks like they're just working off news stories to offer opinions, but really, who knows? Let's go through their computers.

There are a lot of Conservatives in Alberta. I bet there's stuff there worth checking out. You know, just for the hell of it.

Oh yeah, David Johnston's work shouldn't take too long. Following Stephane Dion's lead, Johnston ought to just make a list of things that a Schreiber inquiry can't look at. That would be a much shorter list.

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