The Airbus Affair

According to CBC’s The Fifth Estate, Brian Mulroney and Karlheinz Schreiber’s relationship began in the early 1980’s through Mulroney’s emergence as a force in the Tory party. Although this is when their relationship began, both parties have very different views as to what their relationship is. According to the Honorable Jeffrey J Oliphant, Mr. Schreiber came to believe that he and Mr. Mulroney had become friends however Mr. Schreiber is deluding himself if he believes that Mr. Mulroney was ever a close friend. Evidence provided in the Commission report suggests that meetings took place between Mr. Schreiber and Mr. Mulroney particularly twice during Mr. Mulroney’s final month in office: once on June 3, 1993, and again on June 23, 1993. Through this relationship, Schreiber ended up giving Mulroney sums of money that were allegedly taken from the ‘dirty’ money profit from the Airbus agreement with Air Canada. When Airbus was investigated, Mulroney and Schreiber’s relationship evolved into a 15 year investigation leading to one of the longest scandals in Canadian history.
It is interesting to note that after the official inquiries are over, the question still stands on why Mr. Mulroney refused to disclose his relationship with Mr.Schreiber, even after being sued in March 2007 by Mr.Schreiber for $300,000 and several allegations. Although this relationship was eventually explored, from the time of the LOR to proven phone call records; Mulroney deliberately lied on many occasions about this relationship with Karlheinz Schreiber. The question here is what did he have to loose since his families’ reputation was already in shambles and he already lost public confidence? When he first responds to initial allegations at the first press conference he states, “ “he has absolutely nothing to do with Air Canada’s decision to buy planes from Airbus nor did he receive a cent from anyone, he was simply not part of any conspiracy what so ever.” As seen in the Oliphant Commission