Roundup: Charges laid against Brazeau and Harb

It has finally happened – charges laid against errant senators. In this case, one count each of fraud and breach of trust against retired senator Mac Harb and suspended senator Patrick Brazeau. (The RCMP said that there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Harb with mortgage fraud, for what it’s worth). Both will appear in court at a later date, and each professes their innocence. And yes, the RCMP are continuing their investigations into the dealings of Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin, so we may yet hear about future charges being laid.

The Fair Elections Act was tabled yesterday, and it contains items like a robocall registry, supposedly clearer interpretations of spending rules, higher spending caps, closed loopholes around leadership donations, warnings of investigations, allowing MPs under investigation to remain in the House, and removing the Commissioner of Elections from under the Chief Electoral Officer and moving him under the Director of Public Prosecutions. Oh, and the government didn’t give Elections Canada or the Commissioner the ability to compel testimony like they’d asked for, but it does end the blackout on elections results across the country. For what it’s worth, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, the former Chief Electoral Officer, gave the bill an A-, so perhaps it’s not worth getting entirely hysterical about it. You can find the text of the bill here. Paul Wells gives his initial reaction to the bill and the way its announcement was handled. Canadian Dissensus offers his initial reading of the Act – which is pretty scathing – and gets into the real problems once he gets into the text of the bill, especially where it concerns the Commissioner of Elections, and the fact that there is no requirement that the Attorney General table his reports in the Commons. Kate Heartfield recaps the sordid history between Harper and Elections Canada, to give you a background as to the grudges being settled. Brent Rathgeber is concerned that the institutional bias given to parties in the laws remain, which handicaps independents like him.

CBC obtained a copy of the provinces’ counter-offer on the Canada Job Grant proposal, and they want a six-month delay in implementation, a longer phase-in period, and proposals for funding from different streams than the current Labour Market Agreements.

The Liberals’ opposition day motion on parliamentary oversight for national security agencies went down in defeat, because apparently the status quo is good enough and Monday’s Senate committee hearings were an example of how great the system is working. No seriously, those are the excuses that the Conservatives gave.

The Correctional Investigator says that Corrections Canada isn’t responding to his reports, which means he can’t do his job properly. The minister insists that the responses will come “in due course.”

A report on a 2009 ruptured natural gas pipeline wasn’t released publicly, apparently by administrative error. Energy critics are claiming conspiracy because it’s the same company – TransCanada – that is seeking approval for the Keystone XL pipeline.

The government went on a citizenship blitz in January, conferring citizenship on some 16,000 new Canadians – twice the number of the same time last year, and just before they unveil their new bill on reforming the citizenship laws.

CBSA documents show that border guards have drawn their weapons 216 times since they began being armed in 2007. Of those 216 times, they were only fired three times, each to put down a wounded animal.

Jason Kenney has been getting into a slap-and-hair-pull fight with Oxfam over Soda Stream and support for Israel, thanks to the whole Scarlett Johansson thing. No, seriously.

The Hill Times has a glimpse into the ongoing reorganisation efforts within the Senate Liberal caucus, as they make their transition to their new organisational structure.

Constitutional scholar Peter Russell approves of Trudeau’s Senate changes, for the record. At least one Senate Liberal is talking about building cross-party regional caucuses and getting provincial intergovernmental affairs ministers on board to better serve their regions in Parliament. Conservative Senator Pierre-Claude Nolin is encouraging his fellow caucus members to be less partisan, as they can’t continue to be partisan at all costs.

Kady O’Malley’s look-ahead to upcoming private members’ business shows that the threats of abortion-related motions have been dropped.

More bad news for Elections Canada as Pundit’s Guide points out that their transposition of population figures don’t add up.

CBC won’t disclose what it paid to broadcast the Olympic games.

My column this week looks at the resurrected Senate reform talking points as they concern the idea of a “Triple-E” Senate, and why that model of reform wouldn’t actually work.

And Maclean’s shows 75 “uniquely Canadian moments,” which contain some pretty cool photos from over the years.