Reality check: Liberals can look to themselves for testimony on white collar crime

Today in Ottawa, the Ignatieff Liberals are meeting with experts to talk about white collar crime.

And while New Democrats support tougher rules to protect investors, pensioners and business owners from corporate fraud, it’s difficult to ignore the efforts Liberals have made to put white collar crime in the public spotlight in recent years.

Indeed, with all the work they have done with fraud and embezzlement of late, it’s hard to imagine why Liberals didn’t invite these individuals to participate in today’s roundtable:

Senator Raymond Lavigne: Former Liberal MP currently facing charges of “alleged use of Senate resources for personal gain.”

Benoit Corbeil: Sentenced in December 2009 to 15 months in jail for his role in producing fake invoices while he served as the director of the Liberal Party of Canada’s Quebec office.

Gilles-André Gosselin: Former head of Liberal-friendly ad firm pled guilty to charges of fraud and forgery totaling $655,276 in the Liberal Sponsorship scandal. In November 2009 sentenced to two years plus a day in jail.

Jean Brault: Former head of a Liberal-friendly ad firm pled guilty to five charges of fraud connected to his involvement in the Liberal Sponsorship scandal. Sentenced to 30 months in jail in May 2006.

Suzan Pawlak: former treasurer of the federal Liberal riding association in Elgin- Middlesex-London sentenced to 12 months of house arrest for “committing a fraud that a high-level party official tried to cover up.” (SunMedia, 21 May 2008)