CP: Expert contradicts two other experts in Cadman-Harper tape controversy

[tuvor]

OTTAWA — A former FBI scientist hired by Stephen Harper's lawyer in the prime minister's $3.5-million lawsuit against the Liberal party has contradicted two other experts who said an audio tape at the centre of the legal action was doctored, court documents reveal.

The resume of the latest expert Harper's legal team consulted demonstrates the extent to which the prime minister is prepared to go in his claim the Liberals defamed him over allegations of bribery in offers the Tories made to late MP Chuck Cadman as a government confidence vote approached in 2005.

Former FBI special agent Bruce Koenig - who lists expert evidence about former U.S. president Richard Nixon's Watergate tapes and analysis of gun shots in the assassination of John F. Kennedy among his accomplishments - said more evidence is needed to judge the veracity and integrity of the disputed tape recording.

The Conservative party cited the opinions of the first two experts last month when Tory MP James Moore held a news conference to challenge B.C. author Tom Zytaruk's claim that Harper knew Tory operatives offered Cadman a financial incentive to help defeat the Liberal government in May 2005.

...

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gughIv61FVeRrz4hhAJ6rziC4Rog

[tuvor]

1. CanWest: Experts at odds over Cadman tape

Juliet O'Neill, Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, July 14, 2008

OTTAWA - One of two Conservative-appointed audio experts who say the tape of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the Chuck Cadman affair is doctored has backed away from a detail of his findings.

Alan Gough says in a court affidavit that he identified Cadman biographer Tom Zytaruk's voice as saying "um" at the beginning of the tape as "a matter of convenience," that he is not an expert in voiceprint analysis and "my findings remain inconclusive" on that point.

In an earlier affidavit Gough said the "um" was Zytaruk's voice. That contrasted with another expert, Tom Owen, whose affidavit said it is Harper's voice and matches two other "ums" on the tape.

...

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=a0aaa27e-0fa2-42e7-8f4f-7ea323ce2eb0

[daleo]

2. "Um"

Just "um".

[Caradoc]

3. "Umm"...

As in 'ummm, how do I spin this?' Harper's an idiot...my guess is by this time next year he's gone, replaced by a minority Liberal government cautiously backed by the Bloq Quebecois. NDP leader Jack Layton has played footsie with Harper and led his party into irrelevance. Look for the Greens (who also have a cautious operating agreement with the Liberals) to absorb some of the NDPs traditional support base. By refusing to ditch traditional tory operating methods (aka cronyism, secret orders of counsel etc.) and govern more from the centre Harper continues to back himself into a corner.

[daleo]

4. Your analysis seems very probable

I am not entirely sure about the NDP, however. If their collapse supports, it may mean a slim Liberal majority. As you say, the Greens may benefit too. It should be interesting.

A Conservative majority is a very long shot now, and even a Conservative minority seems rather unlikely now.