Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 14239 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden 00. Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Jordan Yemen

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03 2011/04 2011/05 2011/06
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22 2011/03/23 2011/03/24 2011/03/25 2011/03/26 2011/03/27 2011/03/28 2011/03/29 2011/03/30 2011/03/31
2011/04/01 2011/04/02 2011/04/03 2011/04/04 2011/04/05 2011/04/06 2011/04/07 2011/04/08 2011/04/09 2011/04/10 2011/04/11 2011/04/12 2011/04/13 2011/04/14 2011/04/15 2011/04/16 2011/04/17 2011/04/18 2011/04/19 2011/04/20 2011/04/21 2011/04/22 2011/04/23 2011/04/24 2011/04/25 2011/04/26 2011/04/27 2011/04/28 2011/04/29 2011/04/30
2011/05/01 2011/05/02 2011/05/03 2011/05/04 2011/05/05 2011/05/06 2011/05/07 2011/05/08 2011/05/09 2011/05/10 2011/05/11 2011/05/12 2011/05/13 2011/05/14 2011/05/15 2011/05/16 2011/05/17 2011/05/18 2011/05/19 2011/05/20 2011/05/21 2011/05/22 2011/05/23 2011/05/24 2011/05/25 2011/05/26 2011/05/27 2011/05/28 2011/05/29 2011/05/30 2011/05/31
2011/06/01 2011/06/02 2011/06/03

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03 1985/05 1985/06
1986/05
1987/06
1988/01 1988/03 1988/07 1988/08
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1991/05
1992/01 1992/03 1992/06 1992/09 1992/12
1993/01 1993/10
1994/12
1995/04
1996/07 1996/11
1997/06 1997/10 1997/12
2000/05 2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/06 2001/07 2001/09 2001/10 2001/11
2002/01 2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/08 2002/09 2002/11 2002/12
2003/01 2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Apia Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Auckland Consulate Amsterdam Consulate Adana American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belmopan Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Belfast Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dili Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown Consulate Fukuoka
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guayaquil Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Ho Chi Minh City Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamilton Consulate Hamburg Consulate Halifax
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kingston Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata Consulate Karachi
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE Mission USNATO Mission UNESCO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manila Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia Embassy Niamey Embassy New Delhi Embassy Ndjamena Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples Consulate Naha
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Of Spain Embassy Port Louis Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito Consulate Quebec
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Suva Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate St Petersburg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sapporo Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Toronto Consulate Tijuana Consulate Thessaloniki
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Office Almaty US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Embassy Valletta Consulate Vladivostok Consulate Vancouver
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ASEC AEMR AMGT AR APECO AU AORC AJ AF AFIN AS AM AFFAIRS AA AG ADM ALOW ACOA ARABL ATRN AID AND APER ADANA APEC ADPM ADCO AL AADP AMED AY AORG ASEAN ABUD AROC ABLD AE AO ARF APCS AINF AGAO AODE ACABQ AX AMEX AZ ASUP ARM AQ ATFN AMBASSADOR ACBAQ AFSI AFSN AC ASIG ASEX AER AVERY AGRICULTURE ASCH AFU AMG ATPDEA ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG AORL AN AIT ANET AGMT ACS AGR AMCHAMS AECL AUC AFGHANISTAN ACAO
BR BB BG BEXP BY BA BRUSSELS BU BD BK BL BH BM BTIO BP BO BE BILAT BX BIDEN BC BF BBSR BT BMGT BWC BN BTIU
CPAS CA CASC CS CBW CIDA CO CODEL CI CROS CU CH CWC CMGT CVIS CDG CD CV CG CF CHIEF CJAN CBSA CE CY CT CM CR CONS CW CN CDC CONDOLEEZZA CICTE CYPRUS COUNTRY CBE COM CTR CARSON COUNTER CIVS CFED COPUOS CKGR CHR CVR CLINTON COUNTERTERRORISM CITEL CLEARANCE COE CARICOM CB CSW CIC CITT CARIB CAFTA CACM CDB CJUS CTM CAN CONSULAR CLMT CBC CIA CNARC CIS CEUDA CAC CL CACS CAPC
DR DJ DHS DAO DCM DO DEFENSE DOMESTIC DK DOD DA DE DPRK DEPT DEA DISENGAGEMENT DOE DTRA DS DEAX
ECON ETTC EFIS ETRD EC EMIN EAGR EAID EU EFIN EUN ECIN EG EWWT EINV ENRG ELAB EPET EN EAIR EUMEM ECPS ELTN EIND EZ EI ER ET EINT ECONOMIC ENIV EXIM EFTA ES ECONOMY ERNG ELECTIONS ENERG EK EDEV EPA ENGR ETRC ENVI EXTERNAL ELN EAIDS ECA EDU EFINECONCS ECOSOC EUREM EINVEFIN ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS ETC ENVR EAP EINN EXBS ENGY ECONOMICS EIAR EINDETRD ECONEFIN EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS ECIP EFIM EREL EINVETC ECONCS ETRA ESA EAIG EUR EUC ERD ETRN EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ESENV ENNP ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN
FR FI FOREIGN FAS FTAA FREEDOM FBI FINANCE FAA FM FJ FTA FARC FAC FAO FINR FDA FOR FOI FO FMLN FISO
GM GG GERARD GT GA GR GTIP GLOBAL GV GH GL GOV GOI GF GE GTMO GANGS GCC GAERC GZ GAZA GY GUILLERMO GASPAR
HR HO HA HYMPSK HK HUMAN HU HILLARY HI HUM HURI HSTC HEBRON HUMOR
IZ IN IAEA IS IMO ILO IR IC IT ITU IV IMF IBRD IWC IRAQI IDB ISRAELI ITALY ITPGOV ITALIAN INDO ICAO ITRA IPR INMARSAT ID ICRC INTERNAL IIP IRS ICJ ILC IO ICTY IQ IEFIN IA INTERPOL IEA INR INRB IAHRC ISRAEL IZPREL IRAJ IF ITPHUM IL IACI IDA ISLAMISTS IGAD ITF INRA INRO IBET INTELSAT IDP ICTR IRC
JA JO JM JP JUS JAMES JOHN JOSEPH JOHNNIE JIMENEZ
KOMC KNNP KFLO KDEM KSUM KIPR KFLU KPAO KE KCRM KJUS KAWC KZ KSCA KDRG KCOR KGHG KPAL KTIP KMCA KCRS KPKO KOLY KRVC KVPR KG KWBG KMDR KTER KSPR KV KTFN KWMN KFRD KSTH KS KN KISL KGIC KSEP KFIN KTEX KTIA KUNR KCMR KMOC KCIP KTDB KBIO KU KO KIDE KSTC KICC KIRC KIRF KSEO KSAF KR KNUP KCSY KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KOCI KMPI KNUC KPAONZ KHLS KPRP KHDP KHIV KTRD KNAR KWAC KTAO KJUST KTBT KCRCM KNPP KMRS KBTS KAWK KHSA KPRV KMFO KNNPMNUC KACT KSCI KERG KBCT KVRP KPWR KVIR KFSC KENV KPIR KCFE KX KCOM KAID KTLA KPOA KNDP KRCM KCFC KNEI KCHG KPLS KREL KFTFN KTFM KLIG KDEMAF KRAD KBTR KGIT KGCC KICA KHUM KSEC KPIN KESS KDEV KWWMN KOM KWNM KRFD KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KRGY KREC KIFR KSAC KWMNCS KPAK KOMS KFPC KRIM KDDG KCGC KPAI KID KMIG KNSD KWMM
LY LE LABOR LU LA LI LTTE LG LH LO LAB LT LOG
MARR MX MASS MOPS MNUC MCAP MTCRE ML MR MRCRE MTRE MASC MY MK MAS MO MIL MTCR MG MAPP MD MAR MU MZ MP MA MOPPS MTS MLS MILI MEPN MEPI MEETINGS MERCOSUR MW MT MCC MIK MAPS MV MILITARY MARAD MDC MEPP MASSMNUC MUCN MEDIA MI MQADHAFI MPOS MPS MC
NZ NATO NI NO NG NL NU NPT NS NC NA NATIONAL NSF NDP NIPP NR NSSP NP NE NGO NAS NZUS NH NSG NAFTA NEW NRR NT NASA NAR NK NOVO NATOPREL NEA NSC NV NPA NSFO NW NORAD NPG
OTRA OECD OVIP OREP OPRC ODC OIIP OPDC OAS OSCE OPIC OMS OEXC OPCW OPAD ODIP OVIPPRELUNGANU OIE OFDP OFFICIALS OSCI OHUM OTR OMIG OSAC OBSP OFDA OVP ON OCII OES OCS OIC
PGOV PREL PARM PINR PHUM PM PREF PTER PK PINS PBIO PHSA PE PBTS PL POL PAK POV POLITICS POLICY PERL PA PPA PCI PAS PALESTINIAN PROP PREZ PTE PAIGH PO PROG PJUS POLITICAL PMIL PGOF PINO PG PARMS PDOV PSI PRAM PREO PTERE PAO PRGOV PORG PP PS PKFK PSOE PEPR PDEM PINT PMAR PRELP PREFA PNG PTBS PFOR PUNE PGOVLO PHUMBA PNAT POLINT PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PY PLN PHUH PEDRO PF PHUS PU PARTIES PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PHUMPREL POGOV PEL PINL PBT PINF PRL PSEPC POSTS PAHO PHUMPGOV PGOC PNR PROV
QA
RS RP RU RW RFE RCMP RIGHTSPOLMIL RM ROBERT RICE REGION RO ROOD RELAM RSP RF RELATIONS RIGHTS RUPREL REMON REACTION REPORT RSO
SZ SENV SOCI SNAR SY SO SP SU SI SMIG SYR SA SCUL SG SW SR SYRIA SNARM SPECIALIST SC SEN SF SENVSXE SL SAARC SNARIZ STEINBERG SARS SCRS SWE SN SAN ST SIPDIS SSA SPCVIS SOFA SENVKGHG SANC SHI SEVN SHUM SK SH SNARCS SPCE SNARN SIPRS
TRGY TBIO TSPA TU TPHY TI TX TH TIP TSPL TNGD TP TW TZ TF TN TC TL TV TS TT TK TD TWI TERRORISM TO TRSY TURKEY TINT TFIN TAGS TR TBID THPY
UK UNSC UNGA UN US USTR UZ USEU UV UG UP UNAUS UNMIK UY UR USPS UNSCR UNHRC UNMIC UNESCO UNCHR USUN UNHCR USGS USNC UNEP USOAS USAID UE UNVIE UAE UNO UNDP UNODC UNCHS UNFICYP UNDESCO UNC UNPUOS UNDC UNICEF UNCHC UNCSD UNFCYP UNIDROIT UNCND
VE VM VT VZ VTEG VTIZ VTPREL VENZ VAT VC VI VN
WHTI WIPO WTRO WS WHO WTO WZ WI WBG WMD WWARD WHA WITH WTRQ WEU WMO WA WFP WB
XA XR XW XX XK XL XM XS XF XG XT XH XB XU XY XV XD XC XE XZ XQ XI XTAG
YI YM YL YMCS YE
ZU ZI ZP ZR ZOELLICK ZF ZL ZJ ZO ZB ZEALAND ZN ZA ZK ZANU

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 08OTTAWA529, TORY "BRAND" SUFFERS ETHICAL BLOW

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08OTTAWA529.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
08OTTAWA529 | 2008-04-16 19:03 | 2011-04-28 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Ottawa

`

    VZCZCXRO9995
    PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
    DE RUEHOT #0529/01 1071903
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    P 161903Z APR 08
    FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7697
    INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000529

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    SENSITIVE

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: PGOV CA
    SUBJECT: TORY "BRAND" SUFFERS ETHICAL BLOW

    REF: A.  OTTAWA 305

    -    B.  OTTAWA 452

    ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers
    executed a search warrant at federal Conservative Party headquarters
    in Ottawa on April 15, apparently related to an ongoing legal case
    involving possible Conservative election spending violations in the
    2006 federal election.  The incident thrust a media spotlight on an
    issue that had previously gained scant traction with the public.
    The politically loaded visuals of a police "raid" on a party that
    had vowed to deliver "clean" government likely will dent the
    Conservative "brand," but this is unlikely to be the catalyst that
    will force a new election in the near future.  End Summary

    Bad Press
    ---------

    ¶2. (SBU) With extensive coverage both by the media and by
    representatives of the opposition Liberal Party, the RCMP -- acting
    on behalf of Elections Canada, the independent federal election
    administration -- entered the Ottawa federal headquarters of the
    Conservative Party of Canada on April 15 with a search warrant and
    left with a quantity of unspecified documents.  It was unclear who
    tipped off the press and the Liberals to cover this event.

    ¶3.  (SBU)  In Question Period in the House of Commons later on April
    15, Prime Minister Stephen Harper  deflected opposition charges of
    "scandal," insisting that not only had his party cooperated fully
    with all requests by Elections Canada for documents, but also
    emphasizing that the Conservatives had initiated the civil case
    against Elections Canada, not vice versa.  He maintained that "our
    legal position is rock solid."  Liberal members tried to imply that
    RCMP involvement suggested the possibility of a separate criminal
    investigation, which Conservative members flatly denied. Liberal
    leader Stphane Dion commented that PM Harper "needs to answer very,
    very serious allegations and a behavior that is beyond what we have
    seen for a long time."  The heated exchanges continued in Question
    Period on April 16.

    Complicated case
    ----------------

    ¶4.  (SBU)  Under Canadian law (ref a), political parties and
    candidates are subject to separate election campaign spending
    limits.  Elections Canada believes that the Conservatives in the
    2006 federal election operated a complex and so-called "in-and-out"
    scheme in which the party allegedly transferred more than C$1
    million in national campaign funds to 67 Tory candidates who were
    under their personal election spending limits in their ridings.  The
    candidates allegedly booked the money as local campaign advertising
    expenses, but then wired it back to the party, while applying to
    Elections Canada for reimbursement of the same funds under
    taxpayer-funded election spending rules.

    ¶5. (SBU) After Elections Canada disallowed the claim by ruling that
    the expenses were actually incurred by the national party, the
    Conservatives filed a civil suit in the spring of 2007 to overturn
    the ruling.  The case is ongoing in the Federal Court of Canada.  If
    the Court rules in favor of Elections Canada, the disputed 2006
    expenses would be added to the Conservative Party's national
    campaign expenses and would put the party well over its spending
    cap, in violation of the election law, which prescribes a maximum
    penalty of C$25,000 for the offense.  However, if the Court convicts
    the party of the more serious charge of "willful collusion" to
    exceed spending limits, the party could lose its legal registration.
     Opposition parties have also alleged that the candidates' claims
    for reimbursement amounted to election fraud as well.

    ¶6.  (SBU)  Comment:  The Conservatives campaigned in 2006 on a
    pledge to deliver "clean," transparent, and accountable government,
    Qpledge to deliver "clean," transparent, and accountable government,
    riding a wave of public revulsion over the Liberals' "sponsorship"
    scandal of 2005.  The Conservative "brand" will likely take a
    beating from the unflattering video footage, and even more so if the
    Federal Court rules against the party.  Until now, the opposition
    had been stymied in its attempts to have a parliamentary committee
    investigate the "in-and-out" affair, nor had the public paid much
    attention.  The scheduled parliamentary recess during the week of
    April 21 will provide temporary relief for the Conservatives.
    However, the Liberals will undoubtedly try further to chip away at
    Conservative ethics and the party "brand," and to gain fresh
    traction with their hitherto unsuccessful attempts to link the
    government to other "scandals," such as an inquiry into connections
    between former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and a
    German-Canadian lobbyist, and allegations that the Conservatives
    tried to "buy" the vote of independent MP Chuck Cadman (now
    deceased) in order to bring down the former Liberal government.
    Despite their glee at the Conservatives' latest discomfiture, the
    Liberals are probably still not ready to fight a national campaign
    (ref b), so they will try to embarrass the Conservatives without

    OTTAWA 00000529  002 OF 002

    actually bringing the government down in the near future.  For the
    Conservatives, the fallout could be most damaging in vote-rich
    Quebec, where voter disgust over the sponsorship scandal was
    strongest and where the Conservatives hope to add seats in the next
    election.  At a minimum, the latest developments will make it harder
    for the Conservatives to play the ethics card in the next campaign,
    whenever that may be.
    WILKINS

`