CTV News Ottawa

JP
Is this news.This is typical Conservative.Who really cares.

Wade Ens
Jaffer is not a member of the government. Margaret Trudeau beat a drunk driving charge saying her Charter rights were violated.

g. davies
I marvel at the blind eye the Govt. has imposed with this criminal act. Just how corrupt is this pack of jackals ? To think this act will protect the reputation of the party , has another think coming

FACT CHECK
Senator Ted Kennedy who left a party in 1969 and drove off the road and the the girl died. Ted never reported it until the next day even though she lived for several hours he did not call a ambulance that night. The Chappaquiddick is a serious crime with lies about the accident, death of an innocent young lady this is nothing. Of course Ted was known as the Lion of the Senate or as some say the Lion Senator, punn intended.

James T Murphy
Jaffer was convicted of careless driving. He got a $500 fine. Thats reasonable. As for cocaine and drunk driving, those charges were dropped because the crown didn't have a case. Should he be convicted anyway? According to lib tolerance I guess so.

elisha
I think Mr. Jaffer needs to be given a much more harsh sentence than just $500 fine. If a normal individual had done it they would have been behind bars by now , this is just hypocrisy and must be set straight immediately!

John in Canada
"Jaffer failed a breathalyzer test and was arrested....Crown prosecutor Marie Balogh told an Ontario court judge Tuesday that there was no reasonable possibility of conviction". Really? What does it take then, to be passed out drunk? While I think I great disservice has been done here to the public, I dont think political interference is the call of the day. A judge thought he could pass along a favour presented by the prosecutor, albeit innapropriate in any circumstance. Many citizens have done time for less.Meanwhile, to see Kinsella and the libs jumping about this is equally appaling. This is not a partizan issue but an issue about justice for all. Makes you wonder what MADD Canada thinks?

Cait
And this just gets better - Judge Doug Maund, a federal Tory, was appointed in 2000 by Jim Flaherty, then Ontario's attorney general.

Carl
So now the opposition wants the government to interfere with court decisions? This is a justice issue, not a political issue. Liberal MP Neville says Mr. Jaffer has "flouted the law" and committed a "crime", but he has not been prosecuted for any crime, let alone found guilty. Ms. Neville should be more careful not to let her hyper-partisan rhetoric cross the line into the realm of slander and defamation.

Prof. Pye Chartt
More political opportunism for Liberal Warren Kinsella. (His job of desperation is to spin anything and everything against the Conservatives, in order to prop up his drowning boss, Michael Ignatieff.) While, clearly, the public was ill-served in this case, as a careless, arguably reckless, and certainly foolish individual benefited from the common, yet abject, failure of our justice system, the "blame" appears to reside solely with law enforcement and/or prosecutors who levied two other serious formal charges against Mr. Jaffer (cocaine possession and drunk driving) that had to be tossed in the trash, seemingly for technical legal reasons. It's fine to ask PM Harper and his Conservatives for a comment, based upon the party affiliation; however, to directly imply that a higher hand must have been involved is to be a political ass. (Hello, Liberals.) Instead of expending more worthless partisan political energy, perhaps the Opposition could engage in a constructive effort to make silly outcomes such as this one a rare, and not common, occurrence. The public professionals (police, crown attorneys, etc.) that we employ to protect us and ensure our safety appear to have dropped the ball. Let's focus our attention there.

Tyrone: Minorities Pulled over more
A growing perception in Ontario is minorities are more likly to be pulled over. As a minority I can tell you I beleive it. Thats the double standard.

john g
Why is the Canadian Press and CTV pressing the federal Conservatives for answers when the charges were dropped by the Province?Shouldn't your outrage be directed at the provincial Liberals?

charlie
Interestingly, the Ontario Attorney General has commented that the case was handled like any other case - is the Ontario AG up for Opposiyion castigation now? Last time I looked, the AG was not a Tory stooge. The Crown's position is that there was no "reasonable expectation"of a conviction - but some Liberal and NDP back benchers obviously know better than those directly involved - just like they know of all the "torture" in Afghanistan, even though they cannot prove any of it, of course. The issue -Jaffer's conviction, is not one which the Federal government has a stake in, directly, and a specific comment by them would be out of place during the appeal period. Don't they know this? Is it the wish of the Opposition that Jaffer's sentence be appealed simply because he is a former ConservativeMP - that is hardly "equal justice". Is their position that the judge acted improperly? - then ley them say it directly, and back it up or face the consequences, instead of resorting to innuendo and "wink-wink, nudge, nudge references on their blogs. Enough of this smarmy sliming that seems the Opposition's choice when theyy have nothing solid to offer. Let the Liberals comment on the sentences in Adscam if they are so interested in "justice" for high profile characters. Put up or shut up! That being said, I don't think that Jaffer's sentence was sufficient, assuming he was guilty of the offences originally charged - but I do NOT know the facts anymore then the back benchers - and he can only be sentenced for the offences for which he is CONVICTED! If I see any more of the phony outrage displayed by the Opposition over this, and so many other issues and non-issues - I am reaching for the air sick bag!

Andy
What a load of nonsense..why should politicians (of any stripe) be expected to get involved with or comment on court cases? The guy is NOT an MP anymore, and the matter was handled according to the laws of the province of Ontario. Are the opposition implying that the courts are susceptible to being influenced by elected officials? That's a pretty serious accusation. Is there any evidence to support that? I suspect not..really, this is political grandstanding at its worst. I'm no partisan Conservative supporter but where the opposition is taking this is way out of bounds and really diminishes them in my eyes.

mikel
As the lady from MADD says, it happens all the time and the only reason it's making news is because he is an ex politician. Liberals wants to stand on the banner 'hugs for thugs' so they should be happy that this sentence is a slap on the wrist instead of something effective.

Maxwell Hammer
Hmm. Honestly would an average Canadian charged with the same things get off so leniently?Very doubtful. This is a scandal.

Yolanda Thunderbay
Its OK to charge a Minority and for the Liberals to drag their name through the mudd. Thats the real story.

Frank Buchan
This guy is not a conservative in even the most basic sense of the word. Don't blame the government for this, blame the justice system.

Leroy ENOUGH !
Mr. Jaffer said sorry. Some members of the house of commons seem to think he is their Rod King. Back off, enough already!

GWWH
The Judge: Lifetime Tory party member, appointed by the Tory gov., served under mulroney, Campbell, Harris Flabberty, a coincidence? LOL ... I think not!

Mike
For those of us who see the justice system everyday.....this is nothing new. I agree it only got attention because of who he is. Drunk driving needs to be dealt with more seriously. The judges seem to think pleading it down to a traffic ticket is ok. Sad.

Terry
I thought P.M. Harper is leading a tough on crime agenda? Oh yes that is just for the common folks . Two types of justice here folks, one for them and one for us.

CW. FC. Farkwarketh
This has absolutely nothing to do with the Tories. Perhaps the Coalition parties should contact the Premier of Ontario, but really it's not a political issue, it's a private issue between a Citizen and Prosecuters.

BAR
Where there's smoke, there's fire. Why would he have been charged with possession and DUI, if drugs had not been found, and he apparently blew over. Referencing Ted Kennedy's incident has nothing whatsoever to do with Canadian justice, and yes, Canadian, not Ontarioan. The man is a former MP, not MPP. In the future, anyone caught with drugs and drinking should be given a slap on the wrist, a little fine, and some hours of community work, or a donation to a favourite charity. Once again, the joke's on us and it's who you know and who you are.

Adam in Ottawa
Most likely the arresting officer messed up the arrest somehow and the Crown realised they wouldn't get a conviction. At least I hope that's what happened. The alternative is that the husband of a junior Cabinet Minister had someone at a very high level intervene on his behalf to save the Government embarrassment. Both scenerios are plausible and I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out someone in the Tory camp pulled some strings to fix the outcome. The thing that kinda smells is if the Crown didn't have any evidence then why make a deal at all? Why not just drop the charges? Why would Jaffer plea to anything if the case against him was weak?

arc
It proves that there are two different justice systems in our country, one for "Elite" and one of the rest. Can't believe it.

Tracy
They should have made an example out of him! Every 'non high profile' person now will expect the same treatment...and do you blame them?Drugs dont just dissappear, neither does your alcohol level! Absolutely disgusting!

Samual
Conservatives tough on crime, not tough on conservative crime. His breath alcohol reading was over the legal limit, he was in possession of cocaine, speeding on a public road. What kind of message does give our children> That it's ok to drink & drive, do cocaine & speed on our roads. This makes me sick. His wife's actions at the airport were also totally unacceptable, behavior I would expect from a coke addict. Make matters worse it was a conservative judge.

Francine
Could you media folks go find some real news to chase please? Who cares? Regardless of who he is, it was a first offense, and most first offenses recognize a break when they see one.Drop it already, we don't give a crap about this, never did.

SpinMeNot
More gossip and inuendo from the Liberals.

Cheryl B. from Guelph,Ont
McGuinty should answer why the PROVINCIAL crown reduced the charges. Its not up to the feds to explain McGuinty's people actions.

Frank
I need to activate my Conservative Membership fast. It's my GET OUT OF JAIL card....

Scott
I'm 100% Conservative, but the charges being dropped is simply disgusting.

Max
I like how Jaffer says he should have been more careful. Yes Jaffer you should have hide the cocaine better so the police couldn't find it & you should have drove slower because you were impaired. Tough on crime doesn't look like a conservative thing.

Steve in Manotick
This smells worse than a truck load of 10 day old fish! I am so disgusted I am almost speechless Open and Transparent HAH

Paul
Margaret Miller, the naional president of MADD Canada, said the plea deal involving Jaffer was a typical one and had gained attention only because of his prior involvement in politics. "This happens every day in our Canadian courts," Miller said Tuesday. Does this mean she thinks this is ok or is she upset. Can't tell.

Kris D.
To the guy who posted about Ted Kennedy:What, exactly, was the point of that? We're talking about Canada... in the year 2010... bud. Surely you can undertsand the outrage when a supposedly "tough on crime" politician gets a slap on the wrist for something most of us would do a little time for. Druck driving, excessive speeding, possession of cocaine... wow.

Sue
This is a great message to tell our children! If you become a card carrying conservative, it's ok to drink & drive, do cocaine & drive on public roads.

Rick in NB, Ste Marie
The real judge will pass a sentence on election day.

Senior Don
The PM wil pick a crony for Governor-General later this year. I suggest Rahim Jaffer. He'd be chauffeur-driven and that would get one more speeding drunk off the roads, his shameful-cabinet-minister-wife would bypass airport security and might stop abusing people, and we could all go to the Governor-General's garden party and snort coke with the G-G. Oh Canada!

derf trebor
Just s comment to the person who wanted to know how you could "fail a roadside screening device" but there be no "reasonable chance for conviction"The road side screening device is simply for screening. The real test is done at the station after. He may have passed that one, many do.

Portes
Sad that the Liberals are attacking our Justice System, the same ones that said it is the best in the world. They are really desperate. Time for them to bring down the Government, i f they are this dissatisfied with them. The Justice department is free from Government control. What about all of those drug addicts, who murder and cause mayhem, they get light sentances, so why not ask about them too. I guess once it is something to do with the Govrnment it is wrong. What a bunch of losers these Liberals are

Edm Vic
What is the problem here; he is a private citizen NO LONGER AN ELECTIVE OFFICIAL! His problem has been dealt with by a PROVINCIAL JUDGE and still you Liberal whiners want more. Unbelievable!!!

shawn
First of all he's a former MP... not a current serving MP. Why would the Harper Government need to comment? If he was sitting in the House of Commons they would have every right to demand an explanation. Opposition parties are grasping at straws again. Judges need to hand out tougher sentences across the board. Not just in this case. It is questionable if they would have had enough evidence to convict him of a more serious crime or not. Either way he got off light, and he's not the first person to ever get off easier than they should have!

odatjo
It does not sound right... how does one go from a charge of drunk driving and cocaine possesion to careless driving?? Did Jaffer's lawyers make a deal, now the Cons blame the Provincial Liberals for this little favour? All sounds unreal to me.. then Jaffer apologizes for his careless driving, my , my, masters of the spin... Harper taught his ex-Cons well, they continue with the spin always... Too bad, drinking and driving is a serious crime, innocent victims often get killed, does Jaffer know that? He did not even lose his licence? Good thing he did not run someone down, not yet !

CraigW
I don't know why anyone is asking questions, we all know exactly what happened. It happens at all levels of government and through all parties.

m t
when i applied a job ,most companies asked a drugs test,should the govt workers at all level do the same thing like (this is may not including lawmakers)

AMAKAROW
Hmmm.... different rules for the Conservatives and the rest of us Canadians. Harper and friends, you do this at your own peril.

Janine
Anyone surprised by this has obviously not spent much time watching what happens in our criminal court system. Plea bargains and charges being dropped is common for many, not just the elite.If thing are found during an illegal search, they are inadmissible in court which leaves little choice for the prosecution except to drop the charges.If you agree to give information to the prosecution, they will drop charges as a "gift" for your info.If your bothered by things like this happening, you need to contact your MPP and discuss with them how changes can be made to the system.Personally, I say let it go. If we let the police use evidence obtained illegally, we open ourselves up to planted evidence and heresy being used to convict. If we stop bargains for information how will we get the info needed to go after the real criminals, the ones who deal the drugs in large quantity's.JMO

Prof. Pye Chartt
The mouth-frothing comments from the Liberal peanut gallery crack me up. Always drafting a conspiracy theory to finger the Conservatives. The lovely irony, of course, is that Liberals are notorious for their soft-on-crime ideological wrongheadedness. (Yesterday's poll indicating that 79% of Canadians support more tough-on-crime legislation goes right over their mushy craniums.) Quit pretending that you think Mr. Jaffer should be locked up. If he was a former Liberal MP, you folks would be arguing passionately and compassionately for his immediate freedom and against the "cold-hearted" ways of the justice system, as per usual. If you bothered to read the article, with a shred of comprehension and common sense, you'd grasp that the outcome of the case quite likely and quite simply had to do with law enforcement (and a supporting prosecutor) messing up and being unable to make two of the three serious charges stick...something that, unfortunately, happens frequently. Put down your wacky blazing torch and march in the opposite direction, people.

happy
Tyrone: Only the minorities who are speeding while drunk and in possession of cocaine should be pulled over or do you think all people of colour should be given a free pass? That my friend is reverse discrimination but it seems to be okay to discriminate against white people. A loser is a loser no matter what shade he is.A Tory judge let a Tory criminal off the hook with only a slap on the wrist. It doesn't surprise me at all. I wonder when the Tories will get tough on crime or do they mean they'll only get tough on non-Tory criminals? Once again Conservatives have embarrassed this country.

RJ in Halifax
It's interesting to read the comments from both sides -Conservatives and Liberal supporters. First, the charges were dropped by a Provincial Government and they alone should be the ones to explain why. Second, when MADD goes on record as saying this is a common sentence for these offenses across Canada, why is there so much "poiltics" attached to the story? MADD Canada is a very respected and credible organization and their words should be the final ones - this is only a "story" because of Mr. Jaffer's prior political role.

Kevin
Won't trust our legal system anymore.

Dayton
Public humility is a great deterent. Time will tell if Jaffer has learned a lesson.

Shaz
elisha said: I think Mr. Jaffer needs to be given a much more harsh sentence than just $500 fine. If a normal individual had done it they would have been behind bars by now , this is just hypocrisy and must be set straight immediately! The key point in your statement is 'if a normal individual had done it' - well he is/was a politician therefore he automatically is NOT NORMAL. My theory is even if they go in to politics NORMAL and HONEST, they don't come out that way and if they try to maintain their morals they are bullied out of the system because the don't fit the corupt criteria.Oh, and by the way, it can't be set straight at this point, any more than they can correct the POLITICAL DISGRACE: Karla Homolka (and really that didn't hurt anyone politically when all was said and done) I just call things like this 'HOMOLKA POLITICS'

DCR-Toronto
Well, this is another witch hunt. Why do they not go after the Ontario Justice system?These people sure do like to make themselves look like fools.

Jim Nasium
Well, if Liberal attack Dog Warren Kinsella wants to know more he should talk to his Liberal counterparts in the Ontario gov't. This is a provincial matter.

Sandy NS
This isn't the feds, he isnt even in cabinet.As Ontario so called justice system what went wrong

CMM
Its mind gboggling that a MADD spokesperson would be so understanding with this. What kind of example does incident set for young people..its ok at drink and drive if you are politically connected? No wonder people are dissillusioned and the corruption grows in Ottawa!

Wendy
@Prof Pye Your comments always make me laugh, there is no substance, just you constant whining about the liberals. This guy blew over the legal limit, was in possession of cocaine & was speeding. It was a conservative judge that gave him a slap on the wrist. Are you disappointed he was voted in on his tough on crime platform & you were stupid enough to swallow his lies. That's ok soon all Harper's lies will be exposed & you can swallow them too. Have a great day!

Larry I Ontario
This guy has been a trouble maker for a very long time. People forgot that he got someone to impersonate him on a radio show. This is a ridiculous charge and the judge is the one that should immediately be suspended for lack of sound judgment. Jaffer should have recieved a stiff sentence for what he did. The convervatives should be asshamed of themselves!! This is not justice its a mockery of our system. He should be watched like a halk to see if he reoffends which I am sure he will.

Don'tUnderstand
I'm confused how the police can make a mistake and charge someone with Cocaine possession, and they not have cocaine on them? That's what I'm reading in the plea bargain...no cocaine, no charge, hence the police should be investigated for wrongfully charging Jaffer, and ruining his reputation? Else if he had cocaine he should be charged with possession, and given a criminal record like the other low lifes.

Chuck
The Optics in regards to this issue are indeed negative. However, I am increasingly uncomfortable with members of parliament vicously attacking a private citizen on the decision of a Crown prosecutor and a Provincial Court Judge accepting the deal. Mr Jaffer cannot defend himself against Mr Neville and other opposition members unless he sues them and thier party for character assasination and or slander. Is this what Liberals have come to? now that they cannot give our tax dollars to Ad Agencies? Give the Government some credit for not being that stupid to make idiotic statements about (once again) a PRIVATE CITIZEN!

Robert
Get tough on crime!! Don't make me laugh!! Only if it applies to non-Conservatives . This party loses more credibility each day they manage to stay in power. As taxpayers ,we have a right to know why the two most serious charges were dropped.

Lz in Edmonton
Wow political stupidity uniformed pack animals. Here are the FACTS: ONE this was a provincal court decision, not a federal one. TWO: This was handled like all other court cases. aka pleabargin. THREE: This guy, and I say that word for a reason, is NOT in politics anymore. FOUR: Since this was provincial, shouldn't the so called anger be directed then towards the province of Ontario? FIVE: The liberals are in power provincially in Ontario (if you want to get political) SIX: I doubt this guy will EVER be in politics again...... oh maybe the green party wants him.

Eric
That's it. I'm done. This is absolutely the most childish thing I've ever seen. The charges were dropped by the prosecutor, not the judge. $500 for reckless driving is hardly unheard of and it was in a provincial court, not federal. I'm done with following politics in Canada at all, trying to turn it into some kind of scandal is a testament to the uselessness of the Liberals. Their supporters will continue to scream and howl, and the Conservative supporters will continue to scream and howl, and NOBODY, neither liberal nor Conservative will meet in the middle. That's why we're screwed.

junebug
It seems all Politicians get off with a kiss on the cheek! Gordon Campbell got off with his teary eye " I'm sorry" but if it was just an ordinary joe he'd be thrown in the clink & fined a heck of alot more then $500.00.The Judgist system in Canada is sick along with the Capitalist Government we have.

PB
This isn't punishment for wrongdoing it's encouragement for others to do the same.

odin
No way, i also failed a breathalyzer test and had the book thrown at me, the government gave me a $700.00 fine, 1 year prohibition and also wanted me to take a drinking and driving course that took nine months to get into and costed a $1000.00 up front before you could register in the course and how this guy gets away with not only d.u.i but speeding AND cocaine posession is criminal and the judge should be given his/her walking papers and he should be re-tried and his wife helen should be fired for her little stunt.

Kel in Victoria
After reading many of the comments seemingly in support of the Conservatives, they raise historical referance to the poorly handled examples of the past (Margret Trudeau, etc). The reality is that the Federal Conservatives promised to address the problems of the past... here is their chance to do so, instead they are not. "When these guys were in opposition -- from Harper on down -- every time there was a sentence they didn't like, they'd weigh in on it and say: ‘This is a disgrace and we're going to get tough on crime, and so on,'"Shame shame shame on the Federal Conservative Government.

Anne M
I hope the Justice system remembers that this is a precedent, that has been set. So everyone who is charged with possession of cocaine should be fined $500 and have the conviction dropped. Thanks Raheim for the favor.

Silly you
Why all these endless Federal Con/Flib bashing ?this is an Ontario judge and an Ontario case. If you want the judge replaced it's the Ontario government you should be complaining to. Or do you really want Ottawa to always be putting it's long nose into provincial matters?

Mel Blake
I don't like the Conservatives much, but the fact is that this actually looks like a minor incident that, as MADD acknowledges is not really atypical. Are the Liberals suggesting that the Conservatives should have been pressuring the judiciary to give Jaffer a heavier sentence than anyone else would get? I certainly wouldn't want the government routinely interfering in court cases and pressuring judges and crown prosecutors. Are the Liberals saying that's OK? To me this looks like a private matter not a political matter. The Liberals had more than ten years of majority governments to bring in heavier sentences on DUI and didn't do it.

proud soldier
what does this have to do with the cons a liberal judge did what he wanted like they always do there is not even a hint of goverment interferance, the liberals have blocked all the bills to make judges give out stiffer penaltys . so you lib lovers can crawl back under your rocks this man got a break not uncommon today happens EVERY DAY go sit in a court room for one DAY!

Kel
A long-time Conservative supporter myself, I must admit that I am now at the point of reconsidering my membership. Every bit of news that comes from the Federal Conservatives is disapointing and embarrasing. This is no exception. Shame on them.

rob
Once again, more Liberal hypocrisy. Just for arguments sake, not one Liberal commented after John Mcallum was kicked off a plane for being drunk. Too bad it wasn't in the air at the time. Instead, McCallum has risen through the Liberal ranks and has been consisitently promoted. Here is an interesting idea, how about helping to run this country instead of constantly looking to regain power at all costs. Parliament is a joke, only the politicians care and the rest of us tuned out years ago. Abolish parliament, the constitution is a fraud and lets start over and do what is right for this country, Quebec included. Enough of this farce, the whole world is laughing at us.

Svend still in 1st
I still think Svend Robinson's theft of a $75,000 ringthen getting off totally free takes the cake. And he actually was a sitting MP.

Art
The Ontario provincial prosecutor AND the judge that approved this deal MUST be fired. The charges can be re- introduced by the attorney general of Ontario. This must be done or the public will again have no respect for the law or the system. Totally unexceptable, to have an obvious two teir system of law and I'm sure the police aren't too happy either , this makes their job of laying charges a lot harder .

JMB
Isn't is funny how people conveniently forget Liberal government officials who have gotten off easy (or not even charged) with crimes. This isn't a "Conservative" issue. It's an issue where ANYONE with money and/or power can get treatment not afforded to us mere peasants. Assuming of course, that the man wasn't guilty in the first place.

Retired in Burlington
People better get used to the fact that there is a two-tier legal system. One for general public that will come down on you like you were the worst criminal in the world and give you most severe punishment and then there is legal system for the "haves" which just goes through the motions and gives you a liitle slap on the wrist. I used the word "Legal" instead of "Justice" because we all know that justice was not served in this matter. I think Mr. Jaffer should meet with the MADD group and tell all the people who have lost loved ones killed by drunk drivers how he managed to get such a light penalty.

Evan in Athabasca
I think he had remnants of a jelly filled powder coated donuts on his seat :-)As pointed out (MADD), this kind of deal happens all the time in the courts in dealings with Drunk driving.Must have been a liberal viewed cop that wanted revenge on the cons'

Pip
I suspect that the Liberals would be the first to defend a person's right not to have government interfere with the judicial process - if they happened to be in power. But they aren't, so can accuse the Conservatives of obeying the law. Hypocritical, eh?

Prof. Pye Chartt
@ Wendy: Thanks for staying true to your regular partisan form. Your comment purposely ignores and, thus, misses, that I was mocking hypocritical Liberal whining and, more importantly, that I was reminding misguided Liberals such as yourself that the Conservatives, in fact, had/have nothing to do with this decision. The judge, as per normal course, acted on the direction of the crown prosecutor who (if you actually read the article) indicated that the two charges in question couldn't be sustained, presumably for technical reasons, which is quite common. The final rendering of "justice" had nothing to do with Conservatives in Ottawa or (allegedly) a "Conservative" judge. It was a provincial court decision, made with the specific recommendation of a provincial crown attorney, based upon (it would seem) a botched charge founded by provincial law enforcement. Your goofy attempt to lay this outcome at the foot of federal Conservatives, and make it a partisan political issue, is entirely commensurate with the desperation and vacuousness of overzealous Liberals. What "substance" does your comment carry? Absolutely none; for it dispenses with fact and engages in juvenile allegations that don't even adhere to the information put forth in CTV's story. Thanks, Wendy. Better luck next time.

Doug # BC
IT's always a toos up betwen "Wendy" and "Mary" as to who gets my award for commedy routine of the day.But then again,there are a lot of good "spin doctors" working on this story today.Most,including myself,have only the media as s source of information.THat's not exactly what passes as evidence in any court of law. This man getting off so lightly annoys me in a big way..I have to admit,I too thought they had him by the throat.But,it should be noted that a $500 fine is about the same as any "ordinary" Canadian would face by being convicted of the same thing.I see no special treatment there. However,the issue,at least from where I sit,is the charges that were dropped.While I am not happy about the fact that they were dropped,I tend to believe the director of MADD,that this happens every day in Canada.I know for a fact that is the truth.It should not,but it does.And this dufus's treatment was exactly the same os the treatment most others get.In fact,after being convicted of drunk driving in Vancouver,it took years and to deport the men who actually killed a woman.this,under a LIBERAL government. Our court system sucks.Of that I have very little doubt.But really folks,since most of Harpers crime bills have been stuck in the Seante,and we had almost 40 years of Liberal governments in Canada,blaming the Harper government is a reall stretch. So,since non of us will be well served by spin and rhetoric,lets check with the prosecutor,the police,the judge,and the attorney general of Ontario so we all know wich pieces of evidence they seem to think were missing,or if this case was dropped because his precious "Charter Rights" were violated,thus leading to the plea bargain. The goal,after all,is to repair a system.

Don in toon town
Typical Warren Kinsella trying to make something out nothing and blaming the federal conservatives for a matter that should be dealt with by the Ontario Justice system. The man doesn't even know the case how can he pass judgment on something unknown to anyone but the judge and police, was a typical liberal message.

edd-medhat
This is a provincial issue. It is the responsibility of the Ontario Atty General to press cases that he has evidence on. The judge has nothing to do with the withdrawals etc. A judge cannot re-instate a case.This case has become a Liberal witch hunt without any facts, just innuendo and falsely planted rumours.Remember the Liberals will do anything to discredit the Cons so that they can get back to the trough because this is their entitlements to their entitlements.

Mead
Repeat after me: "the cocaine did not exist". If you say it 10 times, you will eventually believe it.

Goldens
Government has no right to interfere into the affairs of the court. Governments right is to pass laws, it is the courts right to interpret that law . This is why they are separate to stop political interference. John W Bridgetown NS

Paul
Sounds like typical plea bargaining to me. Happens all the time but you only hear of it when it is someone famous. The courts and jails are WAY over burdened and the buck has been passed to the police and the crown prosecuters to deliver plea bargains the shunt people through the system as quickly and cheaply as possible. And that is what just happened. An instant guilty with a guaranteed sentence on a lesser crime to save a long expensive court hearing that could have led to an aquittal. It is a compromise that some feel gets justice done, if only on a limited scale. Does it? That is still up for debate.

Mike Webster, Mississauga ON
@Paul....maybe you ought to educate yourself before posting. Rhaim Jaffer has two univeristy degrees: a degree in political science and and a degree in economics from the University of Ottawa. Dual degrees sounds like a pretty good education to me. Of course you probably didn't even bother to find out what kind of education he had before yeou made your baseless comments.

John from B.C.
Is that all the oposition is capable of?. Forever trying to insinuate and fabricate, every negative on Harper,s shoulder. What a bunch of people are you? cheese! Address your anger to where it belongs. Can you not read? PROVINCIAL.

Jim - North Saanich, BC
How in the world this is a parliamentary issue is beyond me but others obviously think differently. Call the Ontario Government and its Solicitor General to task if you believe there has been a massive injustice done here and determine if an appeal of the conviction is possible or the judge was acting in a prejudicial manner which is clearly grounds for an appeal as this is a provincial and not a federal matter.I would agree that in all likelihood this individual probably escaped the full wrath of the law but until you know all the facts of the case, the element of reasonable doubt always exists and the prosecution certainly felt a conviction was unlikely.As an observation, I wish had seen the same degree of outrage expressed over the Liberal "Sponsorship Scandal" which truly was a federal matter and some of the individuals involved in that fraud, and who should have gone to prison, escaped without even so much as a $500 fine.

Sarah James
This guy ran against marijuana legalization and he gets caught with coke and driving drunk, reminds me of the Republicans and conservative religious leaders of America who are against gay rights then they get caught with their boyfriends. Enough is enough! Vote this party out in the next election.

J.R
Hmmm!! So this is what's at the political heart of All Canadians?? Well excuse me I have to go out and make another million all thanks to the Conservitives, who made it possible for me! Enjoy your day folks! I know I will enjoy mine!

James Nasium
If this doesn't stink of Conservative BIAS...I don't know what is. He's a conservative, married to a politician... conservative, from the area in which she presides over where the incident took place. The judge is a conservative appointed lackey. Man...this is why there is absolutely NO FAITH left for our so-called justice system. My wish is that one day one of these politicians will actually stand up and admit when they do wrong. I know that will never happen, as you have to lie and cheat to become one.

Bob,Calgary,Alberta
Jaffer is a political animal and I expect hoped to hold political office again. This incident has probably ruined any chances he ever had of returning to public life. The real issue here is the lax way our justice system deals with drunken driving. If the Liberals were actually concerned about this issue they would be pounding the table for tougher laws to deal with drunken driving. Year after year we see innocent people killed because someone was knocking back booze at their local bar and then getting behind the wheel. There should be mandatory sentences for drunken driving. One count of blowing over the limit should result in one years license suspension. Another count should result in automatic lifetime license suspension. The other problem is that the police are lax in enforcing such laws as there are for alcohol abuse. There should be car stops and safety checks ongoing all across this country with random checkstops every week. Drunken driving is a constant menace in our society and stiffer action is required from our police and our courts.

chrisdon
I live in Angus, ON so I would like the government of Ontario to let me know when this dope head is going to be speeding in town so I can keep my family safe by staying off the streets. If this had been Joe Anybody the idea of a plea bargain would never have been considered. Sick and tired of preferential treatment for even the lowest level government official.

Fred - Brandon MB
This is not a political issue, but a legal one. Jaffer had his day in court, the government has nothing to answer for. Jaffer was not even an MP when the incident happened.These Liberals are ridiculous.

lard
If ever I am stopped for drunk driving I will plead a "Jaffer." That's the way to go.

Iqbal
If the crown can prove that this is the same type of justice that is available to other citizens..fine.let's move on...however I don't think this is the.case..Pick 5 people charged with a similar offence and see what transpired...I didn't see Rahim's contrition in the press conference...This is justice thru lawyering...How much did this cost compared to what's available to others....He should explain why the other charges were dropped!

guest
Tim Powers is woefully ignorant on the division of powers in this country. The Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act are federal statutes. The Criminal Code is prosecuted by provincial crowns – just like they prosecute all other Criminal Code charges the federal government claims to be ‘getting tough’ on. The CDSA is prosecuted by federal crowns. This is not a matter for the provincial government. His attempt to deflect attention to the provincial government is transparent and very telling.

Frank - Toronto
As someone who has spent alot of time covering court for the media, I can tell you that this has nothing to do with political favours at all. This type of thing happens in our court system every day!!! From what I've seen, I'm astounded there's ever a conviction in this country. Our laws put up so many hoops and hurdles for police and prosecutors, it's unbelievable (all in the name of ensuring the rights of the accused aren' violated. These laws don't care about the victim).I've seen a judge let a drunk driver off of impaired driving causing death, and vehicular manslaughter charges because he felt a witness was "too willing" to work with the crown. It might seem ironic, given the details of this particular case, but if you're outraged by this decision, vote for a Conservative majority, and lets get some teeth into these weak-kneed laws largely implemented by 13 years of soft on crime Liberal governments. As long as we have a minority gov't, tough on crime laws will continue to be watered down/gutted by the left in Parlaiment, and in the senate.

Dave from Saskatchewan
Ask yourself, if this had been a former Liberal, NDP or BQ Mp, would the Conservatives been quiet and expressed confidence in the decision made by the prosecutor. I think not. The hypocrisy is that when when its one of their own who gets lenient treatment from the justice system, they tell us to trust the system and that there were obviously cogent reasons for the favorable treatment. But when its not one of their own, suddenly the system is broken, and its a major scandal, notwithstanding what reasons the prosecutor or judge had for the favorable treatment.

L
Can people read the article? This was a sentence under an Ontario law and therefore has NOTHING to do with the federal government since Jaffers is no longer an MP. He violated an Ontario law and an Ontario court decided his sentence. The federal government has no control over Ontario provincial laws and therefore cannot do anything about it, or change it in any way. This type of thing happens every day, people get off with slaps on the wrist for drunk driving and worse every day. I personally know someone who has been fined for drunk driving 10 times and still just gets the fine and goes on his merry way. Stop making this about federal politics, its not a federal law or federal issue, that is what the seperation of powers does, takes these laws out of federal hands. The real issue is letting people get away with drunk driving all the time, its the provinces that need to do something about it.

JG
what ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

MARG MM
It is apparent that many of you didn't read the article, just the headline. When the president of MADD states that this happens all the time, and the only reason it is getting such hype, is that a former Conservative MP is the one involved, it certainly looks like another witch hunt by the Liberals. Her comments disprove those of you saying that there are separate laws for politicians and regular people. If the prosecutor didn't believe there was enough evidence for the more serious charges, then something must have happened when he was pulled over, perhaps the police made an error in processing, who know's. The bottom line is, while no one is advocating drinking and driving or drug possession, our laws are such that people(yes even regular people with no political ties) get off.This is a provincial matter and blaming the Conservative Government for this is just showing ignorance of how our system works. Hopefully, now that the Conservatives have more power in the Senate, the "tough on crime" laws will finally pass.

Linda in Vancouver
It's a bit rich to hear a Liberal whining about the justice system they essentially built all by themselves.They are hardly the party to discuss the shortcomings in our court system.If the sitting government had intevened in the case against this man,they would be howling about the government and the judiciary not being independent enough.OR,what if the case went to trial,and the evidence was weak,or proper procedures were not followed? Would it then be OK for the government,or the PM,to intevene there too? This is the way our system has been working for a very long time.If you read the news,you will find cases exactly like this every week.Are the Liberals now suggesting that the outcome of any case should be determined by politicians? If that is the case,I have dozens of cases I would like to have looked at again.Dozens folks.And many of those took place on the Liberal watch. Get real.This may not be justice as we would think it should be.But it is not unusual,nor is it exclusive to any one political party.In fact,it smacks of political opportunism and bias. Liberals should learn a lesson I learned long ago,while serving jury duty.The judge advised us that,"if a witness is caught lying about anything material to the case,you may dismiss the lie,or his entire testimony.If the witmess lies about one point,it is not unreasonable to assume he is lying about everything else in his testimony". Be very careful what you ask for if you want the PM to get involoved in this.You may be sorry for a very long time.In fact,your children and grandchildren may also pay a price if the courts become pawns of the government.

Clyde
Is it any surprise that this man got away with this he was a politician and his wife still is. Lets face it.if you are a politician or a police officer you can do what you want in this country and ge off scott free no matter what political party you belong to.These are two of the most corrupt organizations in this country so get used to it unless you belong to one of them or have a lot of money.

R Henry
A breathalizer reading would never be thrown out in a plea bargain for you or me. It would be an automatic one year suspension and a thousand dollar fine.

douglas buckley
There's nothing new here, and just offers proof of a Justice system for the influential and the not so influencial.

Sadie
Police made errors in justifying stopping him - thats why he got what he got.. or didnt get... if you recall what was said people... all the details were not public - which means there were booboos made by the authorities hence no charges - am not defending him - just want fairness on ALL sides !

Gregory D
What has this got to do with the federal conservative party? Maybe this guy got a break and maybe not. The only way he got a break is if they had enough evidence to convict him. Apparently they did not so do you people think because he is a provincial conservative he should just get convicted anyway. But then again, I am not against this method of justice. Maybe we should use the same system for those involved in the sponsor ship scandal. Hmmm

Ali
I am disappoint with this decision and I lost respect for Canadian Justice System.

J.C.
I fail to see what the federal government has to do with this when it is a provincial jurisdiction. I believe they should be asking McQuinty instead of Harper. It is unbelievable what the opposition will come up with to try to win points with the people. I really think they should check on whose responsibility it is for enforcing what laws before they jump on anyone.

Shawn
What does this have to do with the Conservative party. I agree with most of the commenters that the fine is a joke. But to attack the Conservatives on this issue is just as much of a joke, the Conservative Party not bargaining power with the provincial court system. Common sense people!!

Shawn
I will start by saying that I don't agree with this ruling at all. If he blew over during a roadside breathalyzer they should have had sufficent evidence to persue that charge. The cocaine...either he had it or he didn't.What I find truely incredible is the short memory of the liberals. Remember Premier Dalton's right hand man Micheal Bryant (who also was fighting for a better, more fair criminal justice system)? Killed a cyclist with his car - claimed he was in fear of his life. Didn't even stop when the cyclist fell to the ground, didn't call the police. Where is that case?In either case, if it was Joe/Jane Citizen that committed these offences I am not so certain that the justice system would see as much leniency. Perhaps the precident that has now be set will just help the system continue circling its way down the toilet.

Observer
All this criticism coming from the Liberal government over someone being let off easy for drug possession? Pretty rich coming from the party whose leader (Jean Chretien) was days away from decriminalizing marijuana possession and who famously said that once the legislation changed, he would have a joint in one hand and the money for the fine in the other! Lets not also forget that the same bunch of hypocrites gave the thumbs up to a legal injection site in BC where junkies can possess and use hard drugs LEGALLY!! How are those examples about tolerance, but this is about a "criminal left unpunished"? Furthermore, anyone with any understanding of the justice system knows that far worse offenders get off just as easily, if not more so!

Richard in Ontario
This is in Ontario's jurisdiction. To the Libs and NDPers on here, get over it. @poster, "intelligent Liberal" isn't that an oxymoron?