Harper to sue Liberal party

[sorrywrongemail]

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5g8VRbLd2LqpgJl1IZJ2sMGbuf0eA

PM launches legal action against Stephane Dion, Liberals over Cadman

5 hours ago

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper has served notice of a lawsuit against the Liberal Party of Canada, party leader Stephane Dion and two of his deputies.

Dion, the Liberal party and MPs Ralph Goodale and Michael Ignatieff were served notice Monday over statements made on the party's website concerning the Chuck Cadman affair.

[daleo]

1. The statements under consideration are quotations from Question Period

So, they ought to be covered by Parliamentary privilege. I wonder if this isn't a ploy by Harper to take this issue off the table "we can't discuss this as the matter is before the courts".

Alternatively, he has taken a page from the Mulroney book - i.e. bring a libel suit in the hopes of derailing an investigation.

[Spazito]

2. That was my thought as well...

harper cannot sue based on statements made in the House, they are privileged. I also saw the similarity between his actions and those of mulroney. At this point, I believe, it is only a threat to sue rather than any actual action having been taken.

harper is pathetic, beyond pathetic actually.

[glarius]

3. Donna Cadman has just made a statement which helps Harper.

I just heard Robert Fife on CTV say that Donna Cadman has just made a statement that she met with Harper in 2005 and asked him about the offer made to her husband. She says she looked into his eyes and saw that he was telling the truth when he said that he knew NOTHING ABOUT IT)! Does this have a familiar ring? (George Bush and Putin.)
Looks like Smarmy Steve is going to wiggle out of this one too.
One wonders why she didn't say this is the first place, when she made it known what her husband had said.

[daleo]

6. That is somewhat helpful to Harper

But hardly conclusive. After all, he is unlikely to admit to a crime.

[HEyHEY]

4. Smell the desperation!

[IntravenousDemilo]

5. A pre-emptive lawsuit by Oscar Wilde against the Marquess of Queensbury didn't work out for him...

...and the one by Harper against the Liberals is also going to fail -- and for the exact same reason.

I think he just wants to drain the Liberal coffers by tying all their money up in legal fees, in anticipation of an election.

[tuvor]

7. Sounds like a cornered rat to me.