The Senate is in a renewed state of panic one day after the first bombshells from a much anticipated — and not yet public — report on Senate spending from auditor general Michael Ferguson dropped.
For the Conservatives, Friday arrives with questions about how a high-profile senator whom Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed to be a victims-rights advocate could soon be under investigation by the RCMP.
For Liberals who have cut ties with their brethren in the Senate, there are questions about the six party members making up the largest contingent of nine misspending senators about to have a date with the RCMP.
I think the Senate should tell everyone to go f0rnicate themselves. They should have told everyone that 2 years ago. They should tell everyone they have it under control and will review and approve their own expenses. This whole thing arose because Senate leadership had no idea what they were getting themselves into. The useless exercise of auditor general spending $20 million to uncover less than a $1 million in questionable spending was stupid. Much of the stuff uncovered was nit-picking beyond belief.
It is kind of interesting that the official 911 Kean Commission spent $14 million investigating the 911 attack, and here we have everyone crowing about $1 million in “reckless” spending that the guy we’re praising for “rooting out” spent $21 million to uncover.
Methinks this is a witch hunt…not to defend crooks, but who (and how is possible to) spends 21 million to find 1 or two million in “lining of pockets free spending” by thirty people over 10 or 15 years?
Something ain’t right here.
This attempt by the MSM to make Stephen Harper look bad is backfiring,as 7 out of 9 Senators mentioned are LIBERAL appointees, regardless of the fact that Justin Trudeau has disowned them.
The Mike Duffy trial has garnered more headlines than World War 2 or the O.J. Simpson trial, almost as much as the time Paris Hilton made a porn video!
Priorities,priorities,and right now the msm’s priority is to do ANYTHING to damage Stephen Harper so we have to endure a hundred stories a week on the fat Senator and his equally corrupt buddies.
Typical is the article read today at NatNews in which they pictured two Senators under investigation, one clearly identified as a Conservative, the other merely mentioned by name,Colin Kenny,had to look it up but he WAS a Chretien appointee.
I hate to admit it but I agree with Muclair on this one issue – dump the stupid Senate.
I’m in favour of exposing them. So it costs money, but let there be openness and accountability from now on.
I think it is worth it if it fixes the problem for good. Let the chips fall where they may.
I think Colin Kenny was a trudeau appointment. I think? he was a PET’s message therapist or maybe it was maggies? Seems to me those we his credentials for the job.
Not sure the Senate can survive this mess. I think the only was it can is if it asks to be accountable (elected). No elected politician would touch it with a barge pole and maybe the best thing to do is just run out the clock. Pay these guys and tell them to stay home. Let it die. Constitutionally we probably cant do that but it’s over the way it has been.
Trudeau tarred all his Senators with the same brush, ejecting all 29 from caucus and telling them they’re not welcome at party functions or on the campaign trail. Talk about a rookie mistake. What poor judgment. He really is toast, isn’t he?
Lorne, even if you agree with Mulcair’s sentiment to “dump the Senators” it smacks of his inability to inject reality into his opinions. He is leader of a now Quebec based party and that province wants no part of getting rid of the Senate. To do so would require unanimous consent of all federal, provincial and territorial legislatures, including of course Quebec. Then the Senate would have to agree to their own dissolution. Not gonna happen, any more than Canada is going to stop global warming by shutting down the oil sands. Now the NDP is on the voter radar so they have nowhere to go but down because they won’t repudiate their neo-Marxist/Big Labour tendencies.
Additionally, they are involved in their own scandal with satellite offices and have been ordered to pay back funds, which possibly they don’t have(?) and are arrogantly refusing using the charade their shenanigans have been exposed for partisan reasons. Can they spell hypocrite, yes N-D-P.
Former PM Mulroney apparently has some ideas for reforming the Senate that won’t require “constitutional amendment” and let’s remember also that the opposition fought Harper tooth and nail when he tried to reform the Senate, so he’s just playing the hand dealt him.
Let the games begin.
It doesn’t matter the political stripe of the Senators under investigation or charged, it’s all about the Senate itself,why it has rules that can be broken with no oversight. The PM’s who appointed them have no control over the Senate beyond kicking out of caucus those who break rules, take advantage of loopholes in expense accounts or abuse their privilege in any way.
If the loons in the media Consortium and the elected opposition want to make it an issue they’re really bankrupt for stuff that really concerns the voters that affects them in their daily lives. It’s not about the Mike Duffy side show they’re highlighting ad nauseum.
Trudeau is looking weaker by the day and Mulcair has to be taken to court to pay back the money he and his party owe the taxpayers. Fine pair to even be considered fit to run the country.
The Senate should not be elected. We have an elected House of Commons which is, as it should be, superior. The Senate can study legislation, propose amendments, even delay its passage for only for a limited period of time. These are, in the long run, useful and prudent functions. The worst possible approach to Senate appointments is that suggested by Mr Trudeau (and possibly by Mr Mulroney)is to take appointments away from the Prime Minister and put them in the hands of unelected, unaccountable, inter-bred elites of “eminent persons”. Honestly, given the number of appointments that Mr Harper has made, most of them have been fair to very good indeed, although there are a few bad apples who have been wormy.
Reforms that will impose House of Commons rules for expenses will go a long way toward solving the problem, but the Mr Harper would be far better advised to leave the clapped-out politicians to enjoy their pensions and corporate board appointments and, instead, appoint persons who are committed to advancing his project for Canada, who would respect the rules for spending, and who would make their expenses transparent – people like Kate and my own good self.
My beef with all this crap is that every time someone misbehaves, according to the pundits and experts, it all comes down to the fact the offender is a Stephen Harper appointee. The slightest gaffe or the biggest fraud is aha! Stephen Harper’s responsibility. Any misdeed apparently can be traced back to Harper, who must bear responsibilty for them. So goes the critics’ call.
So … what about Benjamin Levin? Who? This Levin: “Levin pleaded guilty to three charges relating to making and distributing child pornography.” (Wiki)
Are the people who hired or appointed Levin being held responsible for his actions by the same tongue-waggers who ask Stephen Harper to assume responsibility? No? Why not?
Another thing … the pundits and experts are calling for Senators Housakos (CPC), Carignan (CPC), and Cowan (Lib) to recuse themselves. Are the same pundits and experts asking Chief Justice McLachlin to recuse herself from any case involving First Nations, given her recent pronouncement that Canada committed “cultural genocide” in its dealings with aboriginals?
Duffy, Wallen and Brazeau were suspended for expense irregularities. It is only fair that all Senators with expense irregularities shall be considered as suspended as of the date those three were suspended and have to pay back any salary of benefits received since January 2014. Lets not forget those Senators who retired to save their pensions.
So who is auditing the auditors? Over $20M to ferret out $1-2M sure looks like auditors lining their pockets to me.
abtrapper…. I think it could be made a non-paying appointment. the person selected would have to accept to accept it as such. I do not think that would be unconstitutional.
Let us hope the miscreants have shown some elan and joie de vivre in their machinations.
Having the scandal scenario dissolve into careless and dull witted expense account padding would really embarrass the whole country in the eyes of the world.
Think the ex…lol Liberals will get the same media scrutiny as Mr. Duffy, Ms. Wallin and Mr. Brazeau have?
Guessing Mr. Trudeau will be lionized for having cut ties with ex…lol Liberals.
Meanwhile my local liberal rag the Kitchener- Waterloo Record continues to slag PM Harper on a regular. Tim Harper seems to be full of liberal talking points.
Harper did this this and this wrong.
Harper has to do this this and this.
This this and this is Harper’s fault…you get the drift.
Gawd it annoys me my wife insists we waste $17 a month on this crap.
Luckily their lousy delivery service is stating to turn the tide!!!
you know, what I missed here was when the Senate Rules on expense compensation was published for public perusal.
Personally I would like to see a couple of dozen senators/year set adrift on sea ice as a ritual cleansing until they are all gone, but hey, I just pay taxes, what would I know?.
There is something about betraying ones oath sworn duties and breach of public trust, that brings to mind rather violent retribution.
For while countries and societies are mostly symbol and illusion, these illusions are important to maintain public trust and to keep the illusion of civilization going.
These paid actors in the perpetual morality play, wield great power and hence must bear great responsibility .
The Elected ones begged us for the opportunity to perform their roles, failure to perform must be ruthlessly punished.
The appointed ones mostly begged the political ones for their roles, so same for them.
The farce of a part time drama teacher seeking to be chief actor of the land, is a symptom of how far the current crop of actors have fallen.
States require statesmen, few if any of the current crop give a damn for Canada as Country or future country.
Wallowing in welfare seems good to go for all of them.
Now if we canadians are all as educated as our bureaucrats keep congratulating themselves over, is it not time to accept full individual responsibilities?
As simple change, pay all employees their full gross wages, no employer mandated deductions.
Let each canadian individually pay their own taxes, CPP,EI, WCC…and any other government fee and extortion.
I find this a truly charming concept that would set the statists back and leave them screaming for mercy.
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the senate, whatever purpose it may have once served, is now a reward handed out to political bagmen and faithful water-carriers by whatever party happens to be in power.
sure, mike duffy is a venal greedhead… but as long as every other serving senator comes under the same sort of 24/7 months long media scrutiny for the same sort of offenses, i say “full speed, damn the torpedoes”.
a life long (qualification-free) appointment by the reigning pm, with a six figure pension if you chose to step down before you die… (or more importantly go to jail)? outrageous!!!
shut this thing down and be done with it. use the money to subsidise the failing healthcare system.
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