This past summer I got to spend a day with one of the most criticized politicians in Canada.  You might remember, I wrote a piece about it, back in August.  Yes, it was Stephane Dion and me.  Since then he’s been in a heap of trouble, losing Outremont and a host of other byelections in Quebec.

It would seem to be the worst of times.  However, let me tell you something.  Stephane Dion is hitting pay dirt this week and it might launch him into the Prime Ministership.  Who does he have to thank for this none other than Stephen Harper and former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

It all stems from that seamy dealing years ago between German businessman Karlheinz Schreiber and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney over apparent kickbacks Mulroney had allegedly received for paving the way for Air Canada to buy Airbuses from Europe.  Mulroney was cleared of all charges by the federal government in 1997.  In fact not only that but he received compensation of $2.1 million from the federal government.

At the time way back in the early 1990’s the whole affair seemed to waft smelly.  However, nothing ever came of it.  Mulroney moved on and so did the country.  Nonetheless it didn’t end there.  The RCMP accused Mulroney and former Newfoundland Premier Frank Moores of accepting kickbacks from Schreiber on the sale of those Airbus jets to Air Canada when he was Prime Minister.  At the time it looked like a bit of a witch-hunt with Conservatives accusing Liberals of simply piling on because they represented a different political party.  Mulroney sued and the rest was history.

The problem was Schreiber was still languishing in Canada fighting extradition to Germany where he is accused of fraud bribery and tax evasion charges in Germany.  From jail he’s been fighting extradition by launching affidavits against Mulroney over some $300,000 payments made to Mulroney regarding airbus made in white envelopes.  Last week he named present Prime Minister Stephen Harper in his latest affidavit.  So last Friday an ashen-faced Harper went to the National Press Gallery and threw Mulroney out of the boat.  He announced he would name a special advisor to investigate Shreiber’s allegations.

Into this mess steps the cerebral Stephane Dion oozing integrity and not about to allow Stephen Harper a free pass on this sordid, wafting toilet bowl of weasel droppings.  Dion has shot back that the federal government should examine whether that $2.1 million paid to Mulroney was obtained “under false representations”.  In other words did Mulroney get this money but didn’t reveal some of the grubby details that would have stopped it cold.

To be fair Mulroney has said that he’ll cooperate with any investigation.  However, Dion has a real chance to hit pay dirt here.  It is one thing to jump up and down and accuse Mr. Mulroney of all kinds of erroneous things.  It’s another think to remind the Canadian public of the seamy scandalous times, which were part of a long past Mulroney administration.

Much will depend on whom Harper names as his special advisor.  If he’s smart he’ll name a card carrying Liberal, ala John Manley.  When he tapped Manley to head up a panel to advise him on Afghanistan he effectively emasculated Liberal criticism.  This time around appointing a Liberal will annoy Mulroney but it will keep Dion at bay.  Harper needs to ask former Ontario Premier David Peterson or former Liberal revenue Minister Don Boudria.  The end to this distasteful affair cannot come soon enough for Canadians.

It will be good for Dion.  How could it not be?  I’ve met Stephen Harper, even spent a half an hour talking to him just before he became Prime Minister.  Nice man.  However, he still comes across as a cold fish, especially to women.  Being from the same party (perceived the same by the public) as officials associated with Karlheinz Shreiber has large negatives for Harper.  Dion should be able to take real advantage of this.

How it will play out for the Liberal party going forward will be another key.  They lost those riding in Quebec byelections but they’re set to win Ontario byelections with Bob Rae and Martha Hall Findlay.  If Dion can catapult real pressure on Harper from this Mulroney mess combined with some electoral wins he’ll create a lot of momentum going forward.

So it should be quite a show ahead.  Harper will be stick handling like never before.  I’m sure his special advisor will be horrified.  Stephane Dion will fly Airbus all over Canada exclaiming its virtue while Karlheinz Schreiber screams bloody injustice from behind bars.

What’s the truth?  Oh, we’ll never know.  Through the years I’m sure it was beaten to death, but the smell just keeps wafting on.