Nina in the tapes (2)

Nina Grewal (Conservative candidate in Fleetwood-Port Kells) was mentioned several times in the Grewal tapes, which is natural enough given that Gurmant and the Liberals were discussing the defection of both Grewals. The first was when Sadesh Kalia makes clear to Gurmant that both Nina and he are invited to discuss changing parties with Ujjal Dosanjh over pizza. (For the call, see here).

The second moment is a little difficult to untangle. Here is how the Conservative transcript that was released on June 5 records the conversation (yellow, again, marks what they had edited out of the tapes released May 31st):

Next is the same text, with the Punjabi running parallel. (Again, my thanks to Sohn, Raj, and Duldip for their help with the Punjabi text.) Yellow (as before) marks what was excised from the May 31st tape; red marks corrections to the Conservatives final, June 5th, transcript)

UD

Obviously, you would only do if it is the right thing for you. It is always the right thing for us.

Obviously, you would only do if it is the right thing for you. It is always the right thing for us.

GG
Haanji, haanji, personally taan…
Yes, yes. Personally, ..
UD
But you will do the right thing (inaudible). I’ll push as far as I can. At the end I don’t control those things
But you will do the right thing (inaudible). I’ll push as far as I can. At the end I don’t control those things
GG
Haanji
Yes
UD
That why it is important for you to meet him, after the Prime Minister. He just now told me that he will be happy to talk to you, after the discussion, if everything is alright. If it appears that there is some understanding. Je na understanding hove ta pher gal karan di lod hee koi nahin
That why it is important for you to meet him, after the Prime Minister. He just now told me that he will be happy to talk to you, after the discussion, if everything is alright. If it appears that there is some understanding. If there is no understanding there is no use talking to him
GG
Ihde naal, Nina naal ih effect paina hai …., Saade nal ih effect paina haiki (4'48) (inaudible) leadership candidate (inaudible) ethnic minority de vich…(inaudible)
She, Nina, will have the effect that … We will have the effect, that in the (4'48) (inaudible) leadership candidate (inaudible) ethnic minority de vich…(inaudible)
Two things were cut, here. First, Dosanjh's statement that there was no point in Grewal meeting with the Prime Minister unless an understanding had been reached. This was cut (one can only assume) because it was not consistent with Grewal's claim that he'd been offered a Cabinet post and a senate seat. The other deletion was to Nina. But even the corrected transcript that the Conservatives released on June 5th disguise the fact that this passage was about Nina, disguising her name behind the mysterious reference "inaudible (Punjabi name)".

(The text is still highly deficient, and if any other Punjabi speakers out there want to download the recording (here) and see if they can improve the text they are welcome to.)

Why was Nina's name edited out of the recordings in the first place and disguised behind "inaudible Punjabi name" in the Conservative's corrected version. To ask the question is to answer it. Despite the highly fragmentary nature of the text, Grewal is clearly arguing that he and Nina are valuable acquisitions for the Liberal 'stable' because they are both 'ethnics' and Nina is a woman. The fact that he has to work so hard to sell himself and his wife undermined the central pillar of his story--that the Liberals had approached him rather than vice versa.