Roundup: More documents and arguments

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With more Duffy-related documents being filed and their separate proceeding going ahead in trying to get that secret internal report on residencies going ahead, there is a flurry of stories in the news related to the ongoing expenses issue in the Upper Chamber. Those new documents filed show that the steering subcommittee of the internal economy committee – meaning particularly Senators Carolyn Stewart Olsen and David Tkachuk – altered the section of the report on Mike Duffy seven times to tone down the criticism of his residency and travel patterns after he repaid the $90,000 (as it turned out thanks to Nigel Wright). It does seem mystifying that other Conservative senators are not insisting that Stewart Olsen and Tkachuk be removed from that committee to clear the air, but these kinds of decisions tend to rest in the Senate leader’s office, and well, the current Leader of the Government in the Senate is a yes-man for the PMO, and those two senators did the PMO’s bidding. It does stink, and one would think that the rest of their caucus would take issue – but then again, they may be but it would be happening behind closed doors. And the current rumour is that the Auditor General is going to recommend that the RCMP look at 10 senators’ expenses, but said rumour also says that most of those 10 have seen retired. I guess we’ll see what happens when the report is released, but the Senate Speaker has said that they will send files to the RCMP if that is what is recommended. As for that internal report that the Senate refuses to turn over to Duffy’s lawyers, they seem to be making the argument that Duffy has been treated unfairly by having his expenses turned over to the RCMP but others haven’t – which isn’t true, considering that Patrick Brazeau and Mac Harb also had theirs turned over and had charges laid, while the RCMP continue to investigate Pamela Wallin’s expenses. And they may have more company on the way, but the Senate is in the process of making its rules more stringent, and hopefully the next time appointments are made, they will be vetted a little better than those of the Class of 2008.

Good reads:

  • The Governor General won’t wade into the Senate residency issue for Charlie Angus, which is how things work in our system of government.
  • Harper’s former director of communications is pretty much admitting they don’t want the Consortium debates because the incumbent has a tough time in them.
  • The government’s $20 million fund to help people exit the sex trade is oversubscribed. You think?
  • The government finally unveiled their final compensation package for Thalidomide survivors.
  • Quebec’s former lieutenant governor is getting four years for fraud and breach of trust.
  • The Alberta NDP are starting to learn some tough lessons, from linking swearing-in ceremony invitations to donations, to an MLA being suspended (already) for poor Instagram judgement.
  • Susan Delacourt looks at some of the ways in which the upcoming election may be different from years past.

Odds and ends:

Pierre Poilievre is taking credit for a number of government policies like the child fitness tax credit.

The Ottawa Citizen looks at some ridings where the NDP are in play in the next election.

Laureen Harper has installed a bat house on the grounds of 24 Sussex.

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