Roundup: Condemning Trudeau for the government’s own programme

The Conservatives are trying to push the narrative that the Liberals don’t have an economic agenda but just want to push pot. As “proof,” they point to the fact that Trudeau’s chief financial officer and senior advisor, Chuck Rifici, plans to open a medical marijuana operation in rural Ontario. You know, under a programme that the Conservatives designed and implemented. When this was pointed out to Blaney’s office, they simply responded with “The statement speaks for itself.” Um, okay. Never mind that the community getting this new operation – which is RCMP approved – will see jobs being created. You know, jobs that this government keeps talking about. And it’s a $1.3 billion industry that’s good for the economy! But – but, Justin Trudeau! (The cognitive dissonance – it burns!)

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Roundup: Digging into Wallin’s expenses

Now that journalists have had a couple of days to really dig into the Wallin audit, they’re starting to turn up all kinds of things. Like how she billed the Senate for some of her activities as Chancellor of Guelph University, while not charging the University as she ordinarily would have. Or how she charged the Senate to attend a couple of functions in her capacity as a director for Porter Airlines – even though it’s part of the director’s remuneration for the airline to pay those costs. Or that she was supposed to attend a function at a Toronto arts club that allegedly had to do with the Afghan mission and was cancelled at the last minute – and yet the arts club has not record of any of this. Glen McGregor even finds that some of her meetings may have constituted lobbying not registered with the Commissioner of Lobbying, because of loopholes in the rules. And then comes the news that Wallin, Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau would all have been told that it was okay to bill some partisan activity to the Senate – so long as it was related to Senate business and not a fundraiser – as part of their two-day “boot camp” upon being appointed. Well then, one supposes that it’ll be a good thing that the Auditor General plans to audit all senators’ expenses, though it will need to be done in phases and an interim report may not even be ready for 18 months. Note that the Commons continues to resist bringing in the AG to look at their own books.

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