It seems there are a good many senators anxious about the already overdue audit reports into their expenses. Complicating matters is the letter they were cajoled into signing that waives all privilege, both Parliamentary and solicitor-client.
Suddenly we seem to have a Senate packed full of Mike Duffys in waiting. From what I'm hearing they're bringing in sawdust by the truckload to cover the floor of the Red Chamber.
The trick now is to figure how this is going to play out in Stephen Harper's election planning. He's got that place heavily larded with his own appointees. 52 Conservatives versus 30 Liberals and 6 independents.
It's hard to see where this is going but we know that this prime minister never turns his back on something that he can transform into an opportunity.
Heads up.
WIll we actually see these audits before the election??
ReplyDeleteI guess that depends on when Harper pulls the pin, Kirby. The latest estimate is that the reports should begin spilling out in June. What a carrion feast that may prove to be.
ReplyDeleteThis should mean the report will be released before the end of the Duffy trial.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem that way, Rumley. One interesting aspect of that is one of the charges Duffy faces relates to the expensing of travel, accommodation, etc. on an out-of-town trip to attend the funeral of a prominent individual. The trip had nothing to do with his official duties and, as such, the expenses claimed are treated as fraud.
ReplyDeleteA friend brought this up a few months ago. He'd attended a boozy evening with some of his Tory pals in the course of which he brought up this particular funeral. The others, Tory senators, had also attended the funeral and, like Duffy, had expensed it all to the Senate.
When my friend mentioned this was one of the charges on which Duffy was to be tried apparently his fellow senators got a bit panicky. I'm told some of these characters have become quite friendly to Duffy lately.
It will be nice revenge for killing both the climate change and trans rights bills. Let the Senate burn.
ReplyDelete