PMO paid for Duffy's fraud

[Smallc]

Don't know about incompetent,

These aren't his only bad appointments. I'm sure others could come up with a list.

[Topaz]

Har appears to be guilty and if he is, he should go to jail, no one is above the law. Harper wants the senators gone because of the appearance of wrong doing, without them defending themselves and yet he lets Del Mastro stays in the party, who is another Tory being charged under EC. He appoints Finley as senator, as he was one of the guys that made the offer of bribe and was also found guilty by EC and paid a fine to stay out of jail. The problem with Harper now is he has no creditability, most Canadian don't believe him anything he says. So let have a hearing and try to get to the whole truth.

[scribblet]

I agree the Senators should have due process before having to leave/resign... Would Justin Trudeau be treated in the same manner?

This writer has some good points,

Duffy/Wright issue highlights yellow journalism & opposition desperation.

http://cotmblog.com/2013/10/22/duffywright-issue-highlights-yellow-journalism-opposition-desperation/

Edited October 23, 2013 by scribblet

[guyser]

I agree the Senators should have due process before having to leave/resign... Would Justin Trudeau be treated in the same manner?

Why bother asking? Its a really dumb question the author asks.(use the term loosely)

This writer has some good points,

By any chance you could show us one?

Yellow Journalism then praises The Sun.

Yeah, you would be wise to delete that link of crap

[jacee]

I just think that this is minor and is just turning into a feeding frenzy with the sole purpose of unseating Harper, not really because anyone cares about Senate ethics.

It's about Harper's ethics now.

.

[Mighty AC]

The problem with Harper now is he has no creditability, most Canadian don't believe him anything he says. So let have a hearing and try to get to the whole truth.

Harper's trouble with the truth, strong arm tactics and thuggery will barely register with Canadians. Most will just want to see the Duff Man go down for perceived greed and for having more than us. Harper's understanding of how his base would perceive the expense claims was correct. It's unfortunate that he bullied his own chosen team player rather than vowing to fix the broken rules, but that's not how he rolls.

[scribblet]

Yeah, you would be wise to delete that link of crap

That is only your opinion which isn't necessarily fact or worthy of comment.

[jacee]

This writer has some good points,

Duffy/Wright issue highlights yellow journalism & opposition desperation.

http://cotmblog.com/2013/10/22/duffywright-issue-highlights-yellow-journalism-opposition-desperation/

I will repeat the last line in that quote:

" By extension, the term yellow journalism is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion."

If that does not define what is going on in Canada today, I dont know what does. Thank heavens for Sun Media, both TV and print ..."

Edited October 23, 2013 by jacee

[cybercoma]

I'm not sure about 'the left', but yeah, I have a real problem with taking Duffy at his word after what we KNOW he did. Any allegations against Harper are coming from people that seem to be trying to save their own skin after their own dishonesty. There's no question Harper has been incompetent with his appointments, but I'm not ready to label him a criminal based on the allegations of some very shady characters.

Again, why were the inappropriate expenses paid out? Stop focusing on Duffy, Wallin, and Brazeau individually and start asking the important question. Why were so many of these Senators actually paid for this stuff? When I file an expense claim with my employer, they go through it with a fine tooth comb. They do not hand over money for expenses that cannot be claimed. So why were they paid out in this case? It seems reasonable to me that they were told that they could claim this stuff, especially considering how many were doing it. When it blew up in the media, Harper backed away from the hot potato because he's a pragmatist and not stupid.

Edited October 23, 2013 by cybercoma

[Smallc]

Harper wouldn't have seen their expenses. There are huge problems in the Senate though.

[Guest Derek L]

Do you really not see how bad this is for Stephen Harper and the PMO?

I'm not worried the slightest........We’ve seen how far past “scandals” negatively effected this Government ……….

[Bryan]

Do you really not see how bad this is for Stephen Harper and the PMO?

The reporting has been pretty bad. They still keep acting as if Duffy told them something new. Yes, Harper uncovered Duffy's extravagant expenses and ordered him to pay it back. So?

[GostHacked]

Note that the last few weeks/months the left thought Duffy was a lying you know what, but now he’s a really credible source of information who should be taken completely at his word.

Funny how that goes. Flip then flop. I was before it before I was against it. And vice versa. Was Duffy lying before, or is he lying now? Or has he always been lying? How is one to understand what is going on!?

[Guest Derek L]

Harper wouldn't have seen their expenses. There are huge problems in the Senate though.

I agree......time for a triple E Senate!

[Guest Derek L]

The reporting has been pretty bad. They still keep acting as if Duffy told them something new. Yes, Harper uncovered Duffy's extravagant expenses and ordered him to pay it back. So?

Damn that Harper eh.......And now he has the nerve to kick the offending persons, members appointed by him into his own party, out on their ear......What a crook and bully!!!

[Mighty AC]

The home team can never do any wrong.

[Smallc]

I agree......time for a triple E Senate!

Nooooooooo

[Mighty AC]

I agree......time for a triple E Senate!

Or in this case the vague and confusing expense rules could be reviewed and rewritten.

[Guest Derek L]

The home team can never do any wrong.

Well I fully admit to being a card carrying Conservative, I also (on this site) came to the “defence” of the late Jack Layton in several threads we had on this site over the revelation of his visit to a massage parlour, namely opining that I’d hoped he had a decent lawyer and how vile I thought the smear was…….I can’t speak for the other members that have not drank the Duffy Kool-aide, but I will say I won’t condone the Prime Minister for an alleged act, when the accuser has yet to bring forth his evidence……

And even if what Duffy says was true, I wouldn’t blame the Prime Minister, PMO and other Conservative members for putting the gears to the Senator.

Of the entire “scandal”, the only alleged transgression that has drawn my ire is the accusation that Nigel Wright did not write Duffy a cheque out of his own funds, but those of the Conservative Parties…….money given to the party by people like me……..To think that Duffy allegedly benefited from my dime as a taxpayer and then again as party supporter would be the actual (internal) scandal that could bring forth the Four Horsemen by party members to the policy convention next week.

[Guest Derek L]

Or in this case the vague and confusing expense rules could be reviewed and rewritten.

I fully agree.....as the like should be done for the House also......I'd back that 100%!!!

Edited October 24, 2013 by Derek L

[On Guard for Thee]

I'll give old Stevie a little credit. He actually got to his feet today and tried to make a little noise. I guess in the meeting in the PMO last night people pointed out just how pathetic yesterday was. Unfortunately at the end of the day, we have no more real answers. This will continue probably untill The RCMP comes back with criminal charges and people are forced into court. What a waste of time.

[Topaz]

Isn't that what Tories had done, take everything to court and most of the time they lose and WE(taxpayers) ended up for it. IF Harper wants this fast tracked then setup the forum for everyone concerned and lets have the honest truth out under oath, or do the Tories have a problem with that too?

[On Guard for Thee]

Isn't that what Tories had done, take everything to court and most of the time they lose and WE(taxpayers) ended up for it. IF Harper wants this fast tracked then setup the forum for everyone concerned and lets have the honest truth out under oath, or do the Tories have a problem with that too?

They have certainly done a lot of that. Recall the "In/Out" scandal. Some odd millions later harper admitted guilt and paid the fine. Of course a lot of water had passed under the bridge so other issues were blazing the headlines. I suspect we are seeing the same strategy attempted here, although I think this may have tentacles that Harper hadn't planned on....such as emails Duffy's lawyer claims to have.

[cybercoma]

The reporting has been pretty bad. They still keep acting as if Duffy told them something new. Yes, Harper uncovered Duffy's extravagant expenses and ordered him to pay it back. So?

so then Harper knowingly appointed a PEI Senator who did not live in PEI. That's the only way the expenses are inappropriate.

[On Guard for Thee]

Extravagant isn't so much the issue, legal is. And that is an issue, but not the big issue here. If Harper arranged to pay off Duffy to shut up, that is the issue. We as the public certainly don't have the proof of any of this yet so we have to read between the lines. But when I read between the lines I smell a rat so let's get the evidence out on the table so we don't have yet another In/Out scandal swept under the rug.

Edited October 24, 2013 by On Guard for Thee