John Stewart

April 3, 2008

As expected, the ethics committee chaired by Mississauga South MP Paul Szabo has recommended that a full public inquiry, with a broad mandate, be called to investigate the complicated relationship between former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and businessman Karlheinz Schreiber.

Szabo tabled his committee's final report in Parliament yesterday after weeks of hearing surprising and colourful testimony. Those often-contentious, nationally-televised sessions included presentations by both the former PM and the German-Canadian businessman, whose deportation from the country based on previous convictions has been delayed by the potential for an inquiry.

"A public inquiry, with the power to subpoena persons, papers and records, will be able to fill in the information gaps, evaluate the evidence and derive findings of fact," Szabo said. "Only then will we be able to put this matter to rest once and for all."

The committee rushed to complete and table its report before University of Waterloo President David Johnston, the special adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the issue, makes his report to the PM later this week.

In a dissenting opinion, Conservative members of the ethics committee said it is doubtful that a further inquiry will bring much public benefit.

"The only wrongdoing that we became aware of," the Conservative minority opinion stated, "was on the part of Mr. Schreiber himself, who admitted to importing large quantities of cash without reporting that fact to Canadian Customs."