Maybe Grewal, Not the PMO, Was Out of Line

As more details have emerged about the Grewal "Votes for Jobs" (that's confidence votes for Senatorial and diplomatic jobs) scandal, it's looking like Grewal may be framing the PMO. The Globe and Mail notes that Grewal is refusing to release the full audio tape of his meeting with Tim Murphy. If Grewal is in the right, why is he so afraid to release the full tape?

Beyond that, there is also the issue of why Joe Volpe, the Immigration Minister, was metioned on the audio tape. Volpe, last week, annouced that he was investigating Grewal for improperly assisting immigration claims. Making such an announcement is a gross breach of protocol and was almost certainly done to discredit Grewal. But, the legitimacy of the claim is unclear. Volpe's involvement in talks about Grewal's potential realignment in Parliament was likely done so that Grewal could get the investigation into him dropped. However, if Grewal was innocent, the smart thing would be to let the RCMP find nothing. Of course, it may well be possible that Grewal isn't doing the smart thing or doesn't trust the RCMP (how can you when they seem to be a part of many political scandals the Liberals have gotten into, including being used to destroy evidence). However, it is somewhat suspicious activity.

Finally, it seems possible that both parties are at fault here. It's noteworthy that neither the Conservatives nor the Liberals have joined Duceppe's call for an RCMP investigation (Layton has joined the call).

We're going to have to wait and see what comes out of this.