Brian Mulroney is bringing his wife, Mila, and their children to sit behind him on Thursday while he explains at a parliamentary investigation why he accepted $300,000 in cash from Karlheinz Schreiber.
The former prime minister, who often cites the need to honour and protect his family name, is expected to refer to them often as he answers questions on his financial dealings with Schreiber, the German-Canadian businessman who paid Mulroney shortly after he left 24 Sussex Dr. in 1993.
New Democrat MP Pat Martin scoffed at the plan to have Mulroney's family in the hearing room "lined up within the camera shot.
"You might as well have a chorus singing `O, Canada' softly in the background," he remarked.
The scheduled four-hour stint (beginning at 9 a.m.) as a witness before the Commons ethics committee could be the make-or-break performance of a lifetime for Mulroney. His reputation in the eyes of Canadians could hinge on his justification for his ties with Schreiber, who is wanted in Germany on charges of bribery, fraud and tax evasion.
It is the first time in memory that a former prime minister has testified at such a legislative investigation. Source...
