After observing several inquiries over the years, I can still see the lawyers sitting around like hogs swilling at a trough. They ask inane questions not directly, but after a boring preamble to such an extent that any question and answer has lost all revelancy. The revelations usually cannot be used for criminal charges.
Examples: Toronto inquiry into a 10 million dollar computer purchase that esculated to 80 million. The inquiry cost 110 million and no-one was even prosecuted. Those that were sort of admonished all left the city pay-roll with large buy-outs. The lawyers all filled their pockets and keep the inquiry running as long as possible, since thye were paid by the hour.
Gormey Inquiry was totally boring, 250 million was involved and almost none recovered. The Coal Mine disaster in NS was the same. The Somalia Inquiry was the same, but they did sacrifice a couple lower ranks, a Corporal aand a Private. ( An old British Army Custom).
The curernt. Smith Inquiry about incompetent forensic autopsies will ccomplish absolutely nothing. Most witneses will be so politically correct that nothing will be revelead of substance. Jobs for the boys in my view.
The only inquiry that I ever enjoyed both for its revelations and the way it was conducted was not in Canada, but the US. The Erwin Senate Committee on Watergate. This was the most exciting show on TV for months.
I suggest Canadian Inquiries accomplish almost nothing, except to spread public money amongst a bunch of incompetent lawyers. My view.
Durgan.
http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html
