Deadline (40 page)

This week, the show was going to hit the Meech II thing hard. It was the first action in what was so far an undeclared leadership contest between Mowat and Donahoe.

Murphy had covered the Meech Lake accord, the Charlottetown accord and the referendum that followed, and he wouldn’t let anyone tell him that Donahoe’s position wasn’t news. He knew that the issue made the average person’s eyes glaze over, but once again he was watching a politician who had been foolish enough to open a Pandora’s box by suggesting to Quebecers that the federal government would find some way of recognizing their desires in the Constitution. Murphy found it hard to believe that Donahoe was serious about that, but if the guy wanted to be prime minister, he shouldn’t be able to say one thing behind closed doors in Montreal and another in Toronto, and he certainly shouldn’t be able to get away with lying about it. Murphy was looking forward to pinning him down.

Jack took a cab home, dropped off his luggage while the taxi waited, and then went to Dunn’s, a smoked meat sandwich shop on Elgin Street, not far from the NTV studio. He asked the waitress if he could sit near a TV, and if he could change the channel from hockey to NTV.

She didn’t look impressed, but she let him set up camp in the back corner, under a TV.

He ordered bacon and eggs and watched
Sunday Politics
.

Murphy had both Donahoe and Mowat on the show, Mowat from NTV’s Toronto studio, Donahoe sitting next to Murphy in Ottawa.

“So,” Murphy started. “Mr. Donahoe was good enough to tell us this week that he is considering applying for a pretty big job, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, a job that carries with it the office of the prime minister of Canada. How about you, Mr. Mowat? So far you haven’t said whether you’re interested in the job. Here’s your chance to let us know. How about it?”

Mowat smiled into the camera. “Well, Fred, I hope you know I’m not being coy.” He chuckled. “This is not an easy decision to make. Anyone who following the news this week got some insight into the pressure this puts on your family life. I think entering a political race is like jumping in a swimming hole. You better make sure you really want to get wet, because you can’t change your mind once you’re in the air.”

“And you can’t look for rocks in the water from the air,” said Murphy, who didn’t give Mowat a chance to respond before asking his next question.

“Mr. Donahoe, you told voters this week that you’re trying to make up your mind about whether to run, but then you hit a pretty big rock. NTV’s Ellen Simms had a story this week where it looked like you were telling Quebec Tories one thing behind closed doors and some else thing publicly. Here’s your chance to clear it up. Do you believe in opening the Constitution to recognize Quebec’s distinctiveness?”

Donahoe smiled. “Fred, I’ve been in politics for long enough to know that some questions have no simple or right answer,” he said. “The short answer is no, I don’t believe that we should reopen the Constitution, but I also don’t think we should be slamming the door on those Quebecers who have a legitimate desire to renew the federation. I’d like to point out that my comments have been taken out of context and distorted, and I’d also like to note that I was secretly recorded at a private meeting –” Murphy interrupted him. “Hold up there, Mr. Donahoe. I’ve heard the clip. We can play it again and let viewers decide what you actually said.”

Donahoe wore a sour-looking smile. “Well, if you want to, go ahead, but I’m not really sure you want to be focusing on a secret recording of a private meeting when there are a lot of issues out there, really important issues, that voters would rather hear about.”

The screen was filled with the English translation of Donahoe’s comments, superimposed over his face while the French audio clip played. Donahoe looked pained. He actually squirmed in his chair.

“How about it, Mr. Donahoe?” said Murphy. “Do you stand by those comments? Do you have a secret plan to renegotiate the Constitution with Quebec? That seems to be what you’re saying.”

Donahoe struggled to smile. “No, Fred, I have no secret plan. Not at all. No. Fred, this comment has been distorted and twisted. There is no secret plan here, but what we really should be talking about are the issues that Canadians are telling me they’re concerned about. They are talking about crime, taxes, the economy, not this constitutional arcana.”

Murphy turned to Mowat.

“How about you, Mr. Mowat?” he said. “Do you think the government should reopen the Constitution?”

Mowat looked somber. “No, Fred. Jim is right to say that we should never slam the door shut on Quebecers and their aspirations, but I can tell you that I don’t think the way to address those concerns is through the Constitution. We’ve been down that road, and it was a bit bumpy. I wasn’t surprised this week to hear Mr. Tremblay accusing us all of being a bunch of bad apples. He’s a separatist, and we can expect that kind of thing from him. But I was surprised to hear Mr. Pinsent say that we should consider opening the Constitution. I think that’s unbelievably reckless, and I think it should give voters pause. Let the Liberals go down that path if they like. I think the Conservatives should make it clear what we stand for and what we don’t.”

Murphy smiled. “Mr. Donahoe, do you agree?” he asked.

Donahoe wore a sickly smile. “Sure, Fred,” he said. “I think Mr. Mowat is right on this. We don’t need to get mixed up in this kind of divisive question.”

The camera cut to Murphy. “I think we’ve just watched someone swallow himself whole here folks,” he said. “When we come back, our political panel handicaps the race for the Tory leadership.”

Jack jammed a piece of toast in his mouth, put a twenty-dollar bill under his plate and walked quickly through the empty streets to the entrance of the big glass building where NTV had its studios. He waited there, leaning against a pillar across the street, smoking a cigarette. When Dave Cochrane and Jim Donahoe stepped outside, Jack crossed the street, calling out. “Mr. Donahoe,” he said. “I have a question for you, sir.”

Donahoe had a scowl on his face, and his mood wasn’t improved by seeing Jack.

He kept walking. Jack ran to catch up with the two men, then walked beside them, his recorder extended. Cochrane tried to get between Jack and Donahoe.

“Who are you working for?” he asked. “Why don’t you call the office tomorrow and we’ll have a talk then.”

Jack walked faster and stepped around Cochrane, putting his recorder in Donahoe’s face. Cochrane’s face was fixed in a scowl, with his eyes on his car ahead – a silver Toyota Camry.

“Sir, did you sell cabinet secrets to SinoGaz?” Jack asked. “Did you send emails to Ling Cho Wi? Did you receive payment from him in a Panama bank?”

Donahoe’s face twisted as Jack spoke, and he stopped and turned to him, as if to speak. Cochrane stepped between them and steered Donahoe toward the car.

“Sir, I have the emails,” said Jack, as the men got into the Camry. “I need to ask you about this.”

He stood on the snowy sidewalk. “I need answers,” he bellowed. “I have the emails.”

The car took off down the empty street, spinning its wheels, sending jets of snow flying. Jack switched off his recorder and stood on the sidewalk, breathing heavily, his body shaking.

The car stopped halfway up the block and reversed toward Jack. Cochrane rolled down the window. Jack could see Donahoe staring straight ahead.

“Jack, meet me in the Bridgehead in fifteen minutes,” he said. “Okay?”

Jack nodded.

“We need to talk,” said Cochrane.

Fred Murphy was picking up an Americano and a cappuccino at the counter of the coffee shop when Jack came in the door, rubbing his hands against the cold. Murphy took the coffees over to a corner table, where Godin was waiting for him.

“That kid Macdonald just came in,” he said, nodding to the doorway. “The guy who messed up that Mowat story.”

“Jack?” said Godin. “I thought he moved back to Newfoundland.”

“He’s right over there.”

“I’m going to go say hi,” said Godin, getting up.

He walked over and slapped Jack on the back. “Hey Jack. You’re back in town? I thought you moved to Newfoundland.”

“I’m back for a few days anyway.”

“Did you get a job?”

“No,” said Jack. “Haven’t started looking yet. I’m not sure I smell good to employers after that Mowat thing.”

“Email me if I can help,” said Godin. “You’re a good reporter and you deserve another chance.”

“Thanks,” said Jack. “Maybe you can help me figure out how I got fucked.”

Back at the table, Godin sat across from Murphy.

“I’d like to know what happened with that Mowat story,” he said. “There’s no way that kid forged that police report.”

Murphy emptied two packets of sugar into his coffee. “It would’ve been pretty stupid of him. But it was pretty stupid to go with the story without checking it.”

“Yeah,” said Godin. “But sometimes there’s more to the news than meets the eye.” He pulled a memory stick from his pocket and put it in on the table in front of Murphy. “This is a recording here of Donahoe’s Meech II speech,” he said.

Murphy picked it up. “We already have one of those. We’ve been running it for days.”

“I know,” said Godin. “Tell me, do you know the source of it? Would it happen to be Ismael Balusi?”

Murphy smiled at him. “You know I never discuss my sources.”

Godin smiled back. “Well, this recording is different from the one that you played on the air. In this recording, Donahoe brings up the idea of Meech II only to say that’s not what he would do.” Murphy placed the stick back on the table and nudged it away with a finger.

“Listen to it. You’ll find that someone edited the version they gave you to make Donahoe look bad,” said Godin. “I have reason to believe that Balusi did it to fuck Donahoe coming out of the gate.”

Murphy pursed his lips. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t Pinsent’s position been that we should do a Meech II? He keeps attacking Mowat for rejecting the idea out of hand.”

Godin laughed. “I’m not here on behalf of my guy,” he said. “Look, Greg Mowat is headed for 24 Sussex. I doubt very much that Pinsent will ever get there. If you ever quote me saying that, I’ll wring your neck, but it’s true. Greg Mowat, on the other hand, will likely be prime minister in a matter of months. I find him scary. If I’m right, someone working on his behalf ratfucked Donahoe, who I think is a decent politician, and would probably be a good prime minister, for a Tory. I’m giving you this because I don’t think that’s the way our politics ought to work.”

Murphy leaned forward and spun the memory stick while he thought.

“Have you given this recording to anyone else?” he said after a moment.

“No,” said Godin. “And I don’t plan to, not without talking to you anyway.”

Murphy nodded and put the stick in his pocket. “Thank you for bringing it to me. If you’re right, we have a problem on our hands, the kind of thing I might have to handle very delicately.”

“I can imagine,” said Godin.

Murphy took a sip of his cappuccino. “I don’t think I have to tell you that if I find out that NTV has been manipulated into running lies, I’ll do what I can to get to the bottom of it and expose it.”

“No,” said Godin. “You don’t have to tell me that.”

Murphy nodded over his shoulder. “There’s Donahoe’s man there, having a chat with Macdonald.”

Godin looked over his shoulder.

“I wonder what they’re talking about,” he said.