Judge dismisses injunction against Herald
By STEVE BRUCE Court Reporter
Mon. Jun 8 - 6:32 PM
A judge has dismissed an injunction against The Chronicle Herald that would have prevented this newspaper from publishing a story involving the former communications director for federal Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt.
Jasmine MacDonnell, who resigned the position last week, was in Nova Scotia Supreme Court today seeking an injunction against a story by Stephen Maher, chief of the Herald’s Ottawa bureau, that is ready to be published.
David Akin, who has been all over the Raitt / Chalk River file from day one, reported earlier this afternoon that this tape might actually be worth all the excitement.
Canwest News Service has also learned that senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office were briefed on the contents of the tape last week.
"It's all bad," said one government source with knowledge of the contents of the tape.
The person who made the recording, according to government sources speaking on condition of anonymity, is Jasmine MacDonnell, Raitt's former director of communications. They believe MacDonnell accidentally recorded Raitt when Raitt and MacDonnell were candidly assessing the capabilities and qualities of other cabinet ministers, including the prime minister.
I'm still not sure how one "accidentally" records a conversation, then "accidentally" loses the recording, after having been fired for "accidentally" losing a briefing book. But I'm sure we'll be finding out really, really soon.
UPDATE: And here we go!
Raitt 'ready to roll dice' on 'sexy' isotope crisis
Minister's taped comments revealed after injunction lifted
By STEPHEN MAHER Ottawa Bureau
Mon. Jun 8 - 6:32 PM
OTTAWA — Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt called the medical isotopes crisis "sexy," said she wanted to take credit for fixing it, and expressed doubts about the skills of Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq on a recording obtained by The Chronicle Herald.
Ms. Raitt made the comments to her former aide, Jasmine MacDonnell, in a conversation that appears to have been inadvertently recorded by Ms. MacDonnell on Jan. 30, while the two were being driven to an event in Victoria, B.C.
[happydance]
Pass the popcorn,... this should be good,...
ReplyDeleteHa-ha Harper can't even meet a payroll inside government! Where's good help when your desperate for it. Okay Raitt is toast and we haven't even gotten to the $50,000 steak dinner and approving her own expenses when she was the port authority. Next.....
ReplyDeleteRaitt's comments were totally insensitive, but I think the real story here is that Michael Ignaiteff decided to prop up the Harper government because he was threatened with retaliation by the CEOs of three major banks from the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.
ReplyDeleteGood to know where he's getting his marching orders!
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9012061.html
So... How's Garths replacement doing? LOL
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, or RayK, you have now cut and pasted that lame argument into every blog I have found. Do you not have anything better that you can do or is the most clever argument you can come up with. Like Ive said elsewhere your argument is as effective as blocking a bullet with tin foil.
ReplyDelete