Conservatives could soften suspensions by letting senators keep health benefits

Published Wednesday, Oct. 30 2013

The Conservative leadership in the Senate appears to be softening its stance on proposed sanctions against three disgraced senators with a plan to allow them to keep their medical benefits if they are suspended from the Red Chamber.

Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau, all appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, face possible suspensions without pay over alleged “gross mismanagement” of parliamentary resources associated with their expense claims. A vote on the suspensions could take place as early as Friday.

Claude Carignan, the government leader in the Senate, hinted last week that he would consider easing the sanctions on the three senators, but has so far declined to explain what that might mean. Sources familiar with the matter said earlier this week that the Conservative caucus looked at the possibility of shorter sanctions and allowing the senators to keep their medical benefits.

Several Conservative senators have spoken against the suspension motions, arguing that they do not allow for due process. The attempt to soften the motions is widely viewed as an effort to ease concerns about the suspensions within the Conservative caucus. Mr. Brazeau, Mr. Duffy and Ms. Wallin all left the Tory caucus after their questionable expenses came to light.

On Tuesday night, the Conservatives attempted to introduce an amendment aimed at allowing the senators to keep their medical benefits if they are suspended. The move was blocked by an independent senator, but is expected to be revived on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Duffy, who has a heart condition, and Ms. Wallin, who has had cancer, both argued in the Senate last week that suspensions without benefits would leave them vulnerable to their medical conditions.

Earlier this week, Mr. Duffy revealed that he had received a second cheque – in addition to the $90,000 provided by Nigel Wright to repay questionable housing expenses. Mr. Wright, the former chief of staff to Mr. Harper, left the job earlier this year after the information was made public. Mr. Duffy said Monday that he also received a cheque from the Conservative Party to cover legal expenses associated with the expenses controversy.

NDP MP Peter Julian said Wednesday that the party will continue to press Mr. Harper on the role of the Prime Minister’s Office in the expenses affair.

“The problem we’re having is that Mr. Harper is changing his story every day. Every day there’s a new interpretation of the events that took place earlier in the year and I think it’s hurting Mr. Harper’s credibility,” he said.

Senators are not expected to vote on the suspension motions until Friday at the earliest. All three senators are under investigation by the RCMP in connection with their expense claims. None have been charged.

 

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Commentary by the Ottawa Mens Centre

Harper has shot himself in the foot and it is next to impossible for Harper to ride out this particular scandal.

The problem is, the evidence against Harper is damming, there is incontrovertible evidence that Harper indirectly instructed Duffy to take the $90,000 that was an amount concocted to claim that Duffy had defrauded the government.

Harper's actions are an abuse of power of the office of Prime Minister.
His lies, deceit, misrepresentations, omissions and diversions are a symptom of the
systemic problems that undermine the Prime Minister's Office.

Its a culture of abuse of power and where absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Canadians need to bear in mind that Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely and
the problems we see in the Prime Ministers Office are just a symptom of the

lack of accountability across Canada that is costing Canadians mega billions of dollars.

Conservatives and Liberals should be outraged by the present Abuse of Power and remember that regardless of what party is in power, that absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.

Every politician of every political persuasion needs to step up to the plate and vote for sweeping changes in society to bring Accountability to public office.

In Ontario, one of the worst most tragic Abuses of Power corrupting Absolutely is exemplified by the 48 private corporations who have a Billion Dollars of motivation to needlessly apprehend, to keep children in foster homes and to criminalize male victims of domestic violence.

If you think Harper is a liar, spare a thought for the children who are needlessly snatched from their parents
as a result of fabrication of evidence
by Child Protection Workers such as
Phil Hiltz-Laforge and even Lawyers like
Marguerite Isobel Lewis for the most corrupt and criminal organization in Canada, the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa,
a classic example of how absolute Power
corrupts absolutely with the result of obstruction of justice
and child abuse by those mandated to protect Children.

www.OttawaMensCentre.com

 

The NDP are another danger of absolute power. They are also called the No Dads Party and their decades long influence has made fathers second class human beind gs devoid of legal rights.

Now fathers, male victims of domestic violence are too scared to call police and
Child Protection workers see it as their role to give children to violent most unsuitable mothers..

Its the NDP who are largely responsible for promoting hatred toward fathers.

OttawamMensCentre