PMO paid for Duffy's fraud

[Spiderfish]

I think most Canadians don`t care which party the senator is from, if they have broken the rules, they need to go.

You obviously do...

Duffy should be tossed out, he tried to scam the taxpayer and nearly got away with it. I wish the federal election was this fall to get rid of this government.

I'm not sure what the connection is between Duffy's alleged improprieties and your dissatifaction with the current government.

[Boges]

Apparently a sitting Senator has never been removed in the history of Canada. Apparently you not only have to be convicted of a crime, you have to be sentenced for 2 years or more to be removed from the Senate.

[waldo]

I wonder why the media and pundits are ignoring the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration. This committee is formed under Section 19.1 of the Parliament of Canada Act and is charged with ensuring the rules of the Senate are followed including allowances paid to Senators. Where has this Committee been hiding? How have these alleged abuses been allowed and by how many.

If the committee has acted with due diligence, there would be no scandals. If the committee has not acted with due diligence, taxpayers have the right to know why not and to have the committee made to perform the functions it is required by law to undertake.

Maybe because the media and their servile pundits are ignoring this Committee because it’s irrelevant to their self-imposed mission to destroy the party in power and the PM along with it — or vice-versa. The so-called scandal is being whipped by the CBC in particular but it has lots of help from the rest of the Press gallery goons.

would that be the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration... chaired by a Conservative Senator, where a majority of its members are Conservative Senators?

the Senate has yearly independent audits; however, it was the Auditor General's recent audit that first brought to light, as you call him, the "Duffster's" impropriety alleged fraud. Ostensibly, as I interpret, there was no questioning or challenge of the "Duffster's" documentation that supported his alleged fraud and accordingly his expense claims were approved... something about a reliance upon the "honor system". As I interpret, it was the AG's audit that teed-up the latest independent Deloitte audit that zeroed in on expense claims... in this case, it appears the "honorable Duffster" refused to cooperate with Deloitte auditors, refused to provide Deloitte any documentation. As I read, Deloitte auditors had to rely upon records of Senate-issued cellphone and corporate credit cards to attempt to piece together the "Duffster's" alleged fraud.

.

Bonus for them if they could nail the PM in their gotcha game, a game in which the residency and housing claims of past Liberal senators will not even get so much as a thought.

but the Liberals! But the Liberals!!! By the by, are those initial claims that Duffy showed "courage and leadership" in paying back the money reinforced when it's now revealed the money came to him as a gift from Harper's Chief of Staff? What courage! What leadership!

.

[scribblet]

Apparently a sitting Senator has never been removed in the history of Canada. Apparently you not only have to be convicted of a crime, you have to be sentenced for 2 years or more to be removed from the Senate.

True. I doubt he'll leave especially if he's having financial difficulties. I think it's time the committee and ethics commissioners did a full investigation into ALL Senators going back at least 10 years.

[BubberMiley]

I think it's time the committee and ethics commissioners did a full investigation into ALL Senators going back at least 10 years.

I agree. They need to go as far back as necessary to find anyone who isn't conservative who scammed the system. I also agree that whenever conservatives break the law, it is the media's fault. That's just a given.

[scribblet]

zzzzz yawn

[waldo]

The so-called scandal is being whipped by the CBC in particular but it has lots of help from the rest of the Press gallery goons.

"so-called scandal"!!! Strange to have you, per norm, target the CBC's "so-called whipping"... considering it was CTV's Bob Fife who broke the story of Harper's main man gifting Duffy.

Duffy showed leadership in repaying taxpayers

... don't look a gift horse in the mouth, hey Duffy!

[silver72]

Hey, Mother Nature doesn't even like what's happening in Ottawa and shook the ground!!!

[Signals.Cpl]

I agree. They need to go as far back as necessary to find anyone who isn't conservative who scammed the system. I also agree that whenever conservatives break the law, it is the media's fault. That's just a given.

Well there are two options, one of them seems to be the preferred method of ignoring everyone but the conservatives and pointing out how bad they are while the other is meant to find who has abused the system and recover the funds stolen and find a way to prevent it from happening again. You seem to be against looking in to all senators simply because it might just come out that it is not really only one party committing fraud but both main parties as well as the independents...

Wait I get it, we will wait until the Liberals get to power to start digging for fraud in the senate, can't have all of the fraud uncovered at once now can we...

[Icebound]

...

I am very surprised that all the press is focussed almost exclusively on the $90,000 repayment. Yeah, it smells, but you can write it off as a buddy helping a buddy and making a large error of judgement in doing so.

But the other bit... where he is alleged to have charged taxpayers per-diem on the very same days that he ALSO charged the Conservative party per-diem when campaigning for them.... THAT bit would be outright fraud.

...

[Argus]

...

IBut the other bit... where he is alleged to have charged taxpayers per-diem on the very same days that he ALSO charged the Conservative party per-diem when campaigning for them.... THAT bit would be outright fraud.

I have to confess I've never understood people who have a lot of money who nevertheless risk what is a secure, comfortable life where they are well-respected, upstanding citizens honored by many people by stealing. Both Duffy and Pamela Wallin spent years at the top of their profession, very well paid network broadcasters, before going on to a well-paid senate job. What, they can't make ends meet on their six figure salaries? That PEI place Duffy allegedly lives in looks like a cottage. What's he done with his money, snorted crack?

I bet the next guy who recommends to Harper that he appoint some high profile journalist to the senate is going to go out the door with the imprint of Harper's shoe on his ass.

[Spiderfish]

I bet the next guy who recommends to Harper that he appoint some high profile journalist to the senate is going to go out the door with the imprint of Harper's shoe on his ass.

Well, you can be pretty sure that person won't be Nigel Wright. Looks like he's sporting a size 10 boot print of his own.

[Argus]

Well, you can be pretty sure that person won't be Nigel Wright. Looks like he's sporting a size 10 boot print of his own.

That's a loss for the country. By all accounts he was a brilliant, hard working man who was very honest and well-liked by almost everyone.He made an error in judgement, but it wasn't one of trying to profit himself (rather the reverse), and as someone commented in the paper the other day, a man of his brilliance and dedication ought to be running the government, not supporting those currently in power.

[The_Squid]

That's a loss for the country. By all accounts he was a brilliant, hard working man who was very honest and well-liked by almost everyone.He made an error in judgement, but it wasn't one of trying to profit himself (rather the reverse), and as someone commented in the paper the other day, a man of his brilliance and dedication ought to be running the government, not supporting those currently in power.

Someone who is honest does not tell a fraudster "don't cooperate with the audit". Nor does he promise the fraudster that the "government will go easy" on them.

There was nothing honest about what Nigel Wright was doing.

Edited May 19, 2013 by The_Squid

[ReeferMadness]

That's a loss for the country. By all accounts he was a brilliant, hard working man who was very honest and well-liked by almost everyone.He made an error in judgement, but it wasn't one of trying to profit himself (rather the reverse), and as someone commented in the paper the other day, a man of his brilliance and dedication ought to be running the government, not supporting those currently in power.

Clearly, you are accepting the Conservative line that Nigel took 90K out of his own pocket just to help his not-too-bright friend Duffy who was caught with his fat fingers in the cookie jar. Does that sum it up? And now, we should all be sad because of this tragic tale of this brilliant man whose only flaw was to try to help his friend??? Get out the violins and kleenex.

Face it. We're never gonna know who paid whom for what? Did Nigel's money come out of his own pocket or was he compensated by some board or some bonus or some other way?

What bugs me most about this whole thing is that the senators caught stealing (and that's what happened) didn't even bother to cover their tracks. Right wing idealogues repeatedly use the word entitlement when referring to welfare recipients trying to pay the rent on their miserable apartments but I don't hear it when the PM's buddies are caught stealing from the government. I don't have a lot of confidence but I hold out a tiny ray of hope that the criminal investigation will uncover what really went on here.

[The_Squid]

A week ago, Harper was praising Duffy for his honesty, leadership and integrity.

The only difference between now and a week ago is that the truth has come out!

[waldo]

I bet the next guy who recommends to Harper that he appoint some high profile journalist to the senate is going to go out the door with the imprint of Harper's shoe on his ass.

ya, journalists have peaked now... Harper needs to appoint more hockey-players!

[waldo]

Well, you can be pretty sure that person won't be Nigel Wright. Looks like he's sporting a size 10 boot print of his own.

ya! No kidding... never saw that coming.

“It is with great regret that I have accepted the resignation of Nigel Wright as my chief of staff. I accept that Nigel believed he was acting in the public interest, but I understand the decision he has taken to resign.

[Topaz]

I don't blame Wright for quitting, who needs all that stress but in the end as the Tories kept saying its the Minster in charge that has to answer and in this case is the PM. I sure on Tuesday, QP will be very nasty , to say the least. The opposition will hammer the Tories on the senate and then the Tories will come back at the NDP about its leader being offered money under the table when he was part of the government of Quebec. The one thing Tom can say to the Tories, well... I didn't take the money!.

[ironstone]

Would anybody here be as pissed off at Duffy had he chose to fight the results of this audit in court like Brazeau and Mac Harb?They still feel they are fully entitled to this money.

"Entitled to my entitlements!"

We have seen this mindset before.

[The_Squid]

I don't blame Wright for quitting, who needs all that stress but in the end as the Tories kept saying its the Minster in charge that has to answer and in this case is the PM. I sure on Tuesday, QP will be very nasty , to say the least. The opposition will hammer the Tories on the senate and then the Tories will come back at the NDP about its leader being offered money under the table when he was part of the government of Quebec. The one thing Tom can say to the Tories, well... I didn't take the money!.

If Duffy didn't get this "gift" of $90k I would venture a guess that he would be fighting for his "entitlements" tooth and nail.

[Spiderfish]

I don't blame Wright for quitting, who needs all that stress but in the end as the Tories kept saying its the Minster in charge that has to answer and in this case is the PM. I sure on Tuesday, QP will be very nasty , to say the least.

I would venture a guess that Wright "offered up" his resignation under considerable persuation by Harper to mitigate the damage and soften the blow that is surely coming next week. I don't think it's going to help, there's blood in the water and the feeding frenzy has begun. There will surely be more fallout to come. If anything good comes out of this, maybe it will generate some motivation to clean up the garbage in the Senate.

[The_Squid]

...maybe it will generate some motivation to clean up the garbage in the Senate.

...and in the PMO, which tried to cover up corruption in the senate.

[ReeferMadness]

If only Harper and Wright had consulted with Derek before they made the rash decision for him to resign! Derek could have told them there's nothing wrong with cutting Duffy a cheque for $90K to try to avoid an audit of his expenses.

[jacee]

I have to confess I've never understood people who have a lot of money who nevertheless risk what is a secure, comfortable life where they are well-respected, upstanding citizens honored by many people by stealing. Both Duffy and Pamela Wallin spent years at the top of their profession, very well paid network broadcasters, before going on to a well-paid senate job. What, they can't make ends meet on their six figure salaries? That PEI place Duffy allegedly lives in looks like a cottage. What's he done with his money, snorted crack?

I bet the next guy who recommends to Harper that he appoint some high profile journalist to the senate is going to go out the door with the imprint of Harper's shoe on his ass.

It might be wise too for Harper not to appoint people to represent provinces that they haven't lived in for decades.