Roundup: The Senate invokes privilege

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In his attempt to cast the net far and wide in order to excuse Mike Duffy’s housing claims, it seems that Donald Bayne is trying to show that plenty of other senators were improperly claiming for Ottawa residences, and is trying to compel the release of an internal Senate audit conducted in 2012, where two Senators – retired Senator Zimmer and Senator Patterson – were found to have questionable claims which they later explained away. The Senate, however, is invoking privilege and refusing to turn it over, which is their constitutional right. They are under no obligation to help Duffy’s defence, after all, and as a legislative body they have the right to conduct their own affairs. And before anyone starts getting hysterical, remember that privilege is all about the independence of the institution, and keeping the courts out of parliament so that it can do its job without the constant threat of litigation during the legislative process. Likewise, Parliament doesn’t get involved in individual court cases because that would interfere with the independence of the courts. Otherwise, Bayne tried to bring up Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen yesterday who was part of the subcommittee that “sat in judgement” of Duffy when she was claiming her long-time Ottawa residence as secondary for two years while she was trying to sell it in order to fully move back to New Brunswick (this is the point where I mention that she shouldn’t have been appointed as a New Brunswick senator until she was fully moved back). Also, the Senate finance officer continued to be grilled, and continued to push back against Bayne, going so far as to read more than the passages he indicated in order to provide context, which the judge allowed her to do. Nicholas Köhler paints that sketch with his usual aplomb.

Good reads:

  • The Conservatives remain tight-lipped about how they responded to the Duffy-Enbridge issue, which seems all the more curious (and non-sensical).
  • James Cudmore learns more about Gerry Donahue, the man who allegedly funnelled that Senate money for Duffy.
  • The Prime Minister announced that Lieutenant-General Vance will officially be the new Chief of Defence Staff.
  • Bill Blair officially announced his intention to run as a Liberal and cited Trudeau’s speech on Liberty as his deciding factor. Now the nomination and the questions about his mixed record.
  • The PM’s National Security Advisor says C-51 sounds more frightening than it really is, but wouldn’t answer reporters’ questions about it.
  • A Conservative-led motion to recognise 20th century genocides curiously omitted Srebrenica, even though opposition MPs tried to include it.
  • Peter MacKay confirmed that the government won’t have any kind of legislation on assisted dying tabled before the election, but they will consult “soon,” meaning there is a real danger the Supreme Court’s deadline will pass.

Odds and ends:

Design professionals aren’t too keen on the chosen Canada 150 logo, nor the process by which it happened.

Here’s The West Block’s “Plane Talk” interview with Laurie Hawn.

It’s Dean Del Mastro’s sentencing hearing today, and his lawyer is trying to keep him from jail.