Tunagate was a 1985 Canadian political scandal involving large quantities of possibly tainted tuna that were sold to the public under order of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, John Fraser. This article is about the year. ... A political scandal is a scandal in which politicians engage in various illegal or unethical practices. ... Species Thunnus alalunga Thunnus albacares Thunnus atlanticus Thunnus maccoyii Thunnus obesus Thunnus orientalis Thunnus thynnus Thunnus tonggol Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. ... The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is the person in the Cabinet of Canada responsible for supervising the fishing industry and administrating all navigable waterways in the country. ... John Allen Fraser (born December 15, 1931) is a retired Canadian parliamentarian, and former Speaker of the House of Commons. ...

The story broke on September 17 in the CBC program the fifth estate. Fisheries inspectors had found that StarKist tuna, made by a New Brunswick plant, had spoiled and declared that it was “not fit for human consumption,” or even fit for cat food. September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Cipher-block chaining ... The correct title of this article is the fifth estate. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope restored) Official languages English, French Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 10 10 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 11th 72 908 km² 2. ... Cat food is a type of food specially engineered for the feeding of cats and naughty children. ...

A St. Andrews, New Brunswick plant had processed the tuna, and the forced destruction of a million cans of tuna would likely cause the plant to close down. The owners of the plant thus lobbied fisheries minister Fraser who decided the tuna should be allowed on store shelves. He later defended himself saying he felt the business owners were right that the inspectors were too severe, or that the inspectors could have made a mistake. He also stated that he had two other independent groups test the tuna, but the lab that did these tests later revealed that their testing was not complete when Fraser made his decision. For the parish in New Brunswick with the same name see St. ...

The day after the story broke, both opposition parties attacked Fraser, and on Thursday, a recall of the tuna was announced. The following Monday Fraser resigned, mostly settling the affair.

The main unanswered question was how much Prime Minister Brian Mulroney knew at the time. Fraser at first stated that he had informed the Prime Minister’s Office. Mulroney originally said so as well. Almost immediately afterwards both recanted and stated that Mulroney had not been informed until the story had broken. Mulroney was also accused of being liberal with the truth when he told the New York Times he had fired Fraser as soon as he had heard of the affair, when in fact it had taken six days. The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney, PC, CC, GOQ, LL.D (born March 20, 1939), was the eighteenth Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

Despite intense national coverage for many weeks, in the end, the story ended up being mostly forgotten. Today there remains no evidence of any people getting sick from the tuna that was sold. Fraser’s career recovered and eventually he became Speaker of the House of Commons. The reputations of both StarKist Canada and the Mulroney government were hurt, however. StarKist, who had enjoyed a thirty-nine percent market share, saw it collapse to near zero, and eventually it pulled out of Canada. The four hundred employees of the New Brunswick plant were put out of work as the largest employer in Charlotte County shut down. In Canada the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the lower house and is elected by fellow MPs. ... Charlotte County(2001 population 27,366) is located in the southwestern portion of New Brunswick, Canada. ...

Many conservatives in Canada argued the entire scandal was essentially a manifestation of an anti-Mulroney media bias in Canada. Mulroney himself would later quip that the Canadian media gave the scandal more coverage than the Gulf War. Media bias is a term used to describe a real or perceived bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media, in the selection of which events will be reported and how they are covered. ... Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders General Norman Schwarzkopf, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell Saddam Hussein Strength 660,000 600,000+ Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 100,000 dead, 300,000 wounded, 60,000 prisoners 35,000 civilian The 1991 Gulf War was a...

External link

• The September 17 CBC report