"Administrative charges". That's the new Conservative-speak word for allegedly trying to smuggle a Mercedes-Benz and 112 bottles of liquor across the border. The maximum penalty on conviction for these "administrative" infractions, which will be heard in British Columbia Provincial Court, could be a fine of up to $50, 000 and up to six months in jail.
Zeisman said: "The Conservative Party is aware of this [the charges]."
Now that's interesting. I was suspicious of the Conservative position from the get-go. It would be standard procedure for any political party, let alone the party of Law & Order [every night, on some channel and still on NBC] to do a background check on prospective candidates.
Heck I think these guys likely have their own CPIC account. That's the nationwide police criminal database.
(Left: Conservative Party background checker Ralph Wiggum, shortly before his retirement as Springfield chief of police.)But to listen to Stephen Harper, he is surrounded by by people who didn't see fit to ask even the simplest of simple questions: are you bondable? Or maybe even: is there anything that might pop up in the media about you that might be a problem?
Harper didn't even ask the checkers those simple questions.
Compare that Jean Boyle-like shifting of responsibility to the way Prime Minister Paul Martin has handled the "military ad" thing. One pushes it away. One steps up to the plate. Hmmm.
Both Zeisman and Conservative Party campaign chair John Reynolds used almost identical phrases, referring to "administrative procedures" or "administrative charges" when talking about the matter.
That was when the Conservatives were standing behind their man fully.
The other thing you'll learn from the Province is that the former incumbent, Zeisman's old boss, won the seat by only 780 votes.
It was curious why the Conservatives didn't just forfeit the seat by having Zeisman resign for all his alleged and real failings. (Alleged = smuggling; real = failure to disclose relevant information]
Now we know:
They want every vote they can count on. This seat is a potential squeeker and they want to make sure it squeeks Conservative.