Tape 1: conversations with Sudesh Kalia

To download, go http://www.gurmantgrewal.ca/audio.asp. I'm assuming that this is a translation, because it is not easy to read or understand what the issues are. The reader should also be aware that the transcript is prepared by the Conservatives, presumably with a view to make things as positive as possible for their side.

There is as far as I can see no deal, and although these are the earliest of the released conversations, it is clear that there were other conversations before this, since the opening line is

Ujjal Dosanjh called and asked me if I have spolen to you (GG). I said I have talked to him and explained our discussion.

.A few lines later, Grewal asks what's being offered:

so what is her offering—for one is it Senate and what's for the other.

(I assume there should be a question mark here--these transcripts have not been very well edited.) The answer:

No no, not like this, the procedure is that now it will be a hand-shake and later slowly in a month or two it will be done

At least from this, it would seem that Grewal is asking for a senate seat and something else and Kalia (the Liberal go-between) is telling him that there is no categorical offer.

Grewal: they may not betray this. (Ed.: that is, may not come through with what GG wants? or may go public about the negotiation with Grewal?)

Another problem. The last page of the transcript lists the calls coming into Grewal's Blackberry. There are 11 received calls from Kalia to Grewal listed (and an equal number of missed calls.) The released version of the calls gives transcripts for only 6 calls. Also, the blackberry list begins on Monday the 16th. But the first call (mentioned above) is said to have come from Sunday the 16th (I assume that '16th' is an error in the transcript and the 15th is meant). But there were exchanges even before that (see above).

So, for those who want to know who approached whom, these tapes are of no use.

Outstanding questions:

1. Are there tapes of earlier conversations?
2. If there are, why haven't they been released
3. If there are not, does this imply that Grewal only decided mid-way into the negotiation to tape conversations?