senate

[blues34ca 100]

anybody paying attention to the senate expense scandal.......

[Guest S*rca****sid]

I guess not too many are following it or care to admit it. I have been loosely following the events over the last few weeks. I was happy to see they suspended all 3 of them and hopefully they will be officially booted from the Senate.

Although, I'm sure most will agree that the issues/problems run much deeper than just those 3.

There may be much more to come.

[roamingguy 300292]

Me thinks that those three are just the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure there are other Senators (and probably MP's/Ministers too, they aren't saints) hoping no one audits their expense accounts

What irks me about Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin, back in their days as journalists, if a story broke about a politician padding his/her expense account, they'd be on him/her like a pit bull on a poodle...now they are Senators and at the trough like the rest of them

These people and JMHO most politicians in no way represent the people of Canada. Political connections got them their jobs which they use to fuel their sense of entitlement

Any wonder I politically speaking have no faith, I'm a political agnostic

Even when I vote it's to pick the least bad choice

A rambling

RG

[Meg O'Ryan 266444]

It's been happening forever. What a great venue to take to task very tv prominent victims in an attempt to clean up the senate? Whatever!

[MightyPen 67414]

I think it's great to nail senators for abuse of their office and the public purse. I don't much doubt that all three deserved to be booted from their positions. But I'm also deeply suspicious of the politicized process by which these investigations are being carried out.

 

Can you just imagine all the backroom meetings throughout the city, and the late-night phone calls jockeying to plot out each coming day's script? All the arm-twisting from the PM's office and all of those with equally dirty hands to channel the investigation HERE and HERE but not THERE?

 

So I sense that it's as much of a grotesque political show as it is a serious investigation of real ethical breaches. Sigh.

[CristyCurves 169032]

Some may not be interested because it's more of the same, It's ring around the roses, goes round and around. Nothing new as Meg stated it's happened before it'll happen again, why they are taking these 3 to task, using them as sacrificial lambs, I do find interesting. As there is always more behind the story than we are made aware of, imo.

[Athos 108589]

Just get rid of it ... it plays no important function in our democratic system.

[olderguy 5797]

Naw.... Too busy watching the Rob Ford Debacle :)

[stand on guard 1186]

I have followed the process and am appalled, but not surprised at the sense of entitlement particularly in the cases of Wallin and Duffy. Duffy in particular disgusts me with his attempt to profit from his appointment as a Senator from PEI, while living almost full time in Ottawa. He should have admitted his error, paid back the money, apologized and the issue likely would have died down. Being the asshole that he is, he refused and brought on all the ensuing damage and bad press. I am personally in favor of abolishing the Senate. Does anyone care???

[roamingguy 300292]

I only care in that it is MY MONEY!!! through taxes paying for these Senators' sense of entitlement

I agree with Meg in one sense, Wallin and Duffy were targeted (victims) because of their high media profile, so in that very narrow sense

they are victims. They got singled out. The flip side of that is they of all people know the media and how it works, so they should have been squeaky clean while Senators. Guess no matter what, once that trough comes, they can't help but feed from it.

But lets not forget the third Senator, well ex-Senator, Brazeau. Besides his travel claim issues, he has also been arrested for domestic violence and sexual assault (caveat an arrest is not the same as being convicted in a Court of Law)

What sickens me the most and this JMHO, those three were sacrificial lambs, sacrificed by the Senate so the remaining Senators can be left alone. If the light was shining on each and every Senator like it was on Duffy, Wallin and Brazeau, the Senate would be an empty chamber.

But the Senate got away with it

My afternoon political rambling

RG

[Guest *Ste***cque**]

I'm wondering why sooo much attention has been given to this. They "claim" they asked for clarification on what could be expensed and received an OK. If they made mistakes, pay it back! When all is said and done will it add up to half a million? The investigation will probably cost 20 times the amounts in dispute. It smacks of a witch hunt as the government is taking action BEFORE all the evidence is in... and I have no love for politicians. It just feels like someone is trying to lead me by the nose to a predetermined conclusion and i'm not sure who that is yet.

 

Frankly, Sometimes I'm shocked and appalled that the public is so easily shocked and appalled.

[Guest A*ro**n]

Rather than abolishing the senate, as some suggest, it should remain with an elected body.

 

I was listening to Q on CBC earlier and one of the guests was referring to the House of Lords in England where they've started electing teachers, doctors, scientists (shhhhh...don't say that word too loud around Stevie). This kind of set-up would allow for more realized "Sober Second Thought"

[Boomer 33202]

I am a bit disappointed with the senate decision to furllow the three senators. It was a political decision which I think was orchestrated by the PMO. If the senate is to be separate and do their job properly I don't think they should be taking their marching orders from the PM. I think it has opened the door to further partisan political abuse in the future. People point to the fact that they would have been turfed in private industry, but I would point out that even there they would have been given the chance to defend themselves and also some avenue of appeal.

 

As for elimination of the Senate, far harder to do than say. My guess is that it would become a constitutional issue, and we know what happened the last attempt to open up the constitution, a real can of worms. We'll know better when we get the reference from the supreme court.

[2Legit 250]

The Senate is a place where people who made lots of fundraising money for a political party get rewarded with a salary of around $130k/year, plus expenses, plus a buffet, plus free haircuts, plus a masseuse...

 

So, lets look at the real problem now: The masseuse has to go :D

[Guest S*rca****sid]

I am a bit disappointed with the senate decision to furllow the three senators. It was a political decision which I think was orchestrated by the PMO. If the senate is to be separate and do their job properly I don't think they should be taking their marching orders from the PM. I think it has opened the door to further partisan political abuse in the future. People point to the fact that they would have been turfed in private industry, but I would point out that even there they would have been given the chance to defend themselves and also some avenue of appeal.

 

As for elimination of the Senate, far harder to do than say. My guess is that it would become a constitutional issue, and we know what happened the last attempt to open up the constitution, a real can of worms. We'll know better when we get the reference from the supreme court.

The senators were not placed on Furlough, they were suspended with out pay. They are suspended so that they can "earn" enough days for a pension. Once that is reached they will be booted out of the Red Chamber like the rest of the trash.

They were investigated by the RCMP as well as by an independent accounting firm, and found of wrong doing.

I'm surprised Brazeau wasn't kicked out long ago. Did we really want a senator who was arrested for domestic abuse and behind on child support?

[Guest *Ste***cque**]

Duffy acquitted of all charges! This was a witch hunt from the get go and it only cost taxpayers roughly 15 million to review half a million in "questionable" expenses. Not illegal expenses, questionable expenses. Your tax dollars at work!

[mrrnice2 157005]

Being from PEI I am a tad embarrassed by the entire Mike Duffy affair. After following the trial quite closely it was quite apparent that he would be found not guilty, under the law. It is pretty difficult to break the rules when there are no rules. That being said he is guilty ethically.

 

At confederation there were 60 senators. 20 from Ontario, 20 from Quebec and 20 from the Maritimes. The intent was to give an equity to the regions of Canada regardless of population. In today's Canada it serves no purpose other than being a political trough.

 

It would take a constitutional change which is not easy to do, but it should either be eliminated or senators should be elected and responsible to Canadians.

[roamingguy 300292]

My question, since Duffy acquitted on all 31 counts of fraud, breach of trust and bribery, and Vaillancourt laid blame at the Prime Minister's Office, when is the Crown going after Harper, Wright and the others in the PMO at the time

And frankly, got to wonder about the competence of the police and Crown Attorneys. With all the investigative resources at their disposal, and they couldn't make even get a guilty conviction on even just one of the thirty one charges.

 

RG

[Phaedrus 209521]

My question, since Duffy acquitted on all 31 counts of fraud, breach of trust and bribery, and Vaillancourt laid blame at the Prime Minister's Office, when is the Crown going after Harper, Wright and the others in the PMO at the time

 

They won't. The system looks after its own.

[Guest *Ste***cque**]

My question, since Duffy acquitted on all 31 counts of fraud, breach of trust and bribery, and Vaillancourt laid blame at the Prime Minister's Office, when is the Crown going after Harper, Wright and the others in the PMO at the time

And frankly, got to wonder about the competence of the police and Crown Attorneys. With all the investigative resources at their disposal, and they couldn't make even get a guilty conviction on even just one of the thirty one charges.

 

RG

 

It's not a lack of competence. Duffy simply wasn't guilty of a crime. Frankly, it's an endorsement of our judicial system that we require proof of a "crime" and not simply a majority feeling someone is guilty, to convict.

 

I doubt anyone is interested in dumping tens of millions more into a similar witch hunt of the previous PMO, with a similar result. Tightening up the senate expense rules was always the solution, IMO.

[Brad 49548]

It's not a lack of competence. Duffy simply wasn't guilty of a crime. Frankly, it's an endorsement of our judicial system that we require proof of a "crime" and not simply a majority feeling someone is guilty, to convict.

 

I doubt anyone is interested in dumping tens of millions more into a similar witch hunt of the previous PMO, with a similar result. Tightening up the senate expense rules was always the solution, IMO.

 

I wish I didn't agree, but from what I've read I think you're right. What was done probably *should* have been a crime, but technically he broke no laws. Hopefully all the wasted time and money will lead to some tightened restrictions and oversight in the future which might make it all worthwhile.

[rebus3 130]

The police and Crown should have been more circumspect in filing a scattergun prosecution against Duffy. The also dropped the ball by not cross examining him properly

[Guest *Ste***cque**]

I just read that Patrick Brazeau's charges have been dropped as relates to the senate expense "scandal". All charges now dropped against Duffy, Wallin, Brazeau, Harb. What a politicized witch-hunt! McCarthyism in it's various forms seems alive and well!

[cinelli 22184]

Strange politics.

Brazeau, Duffy and Wallin were all appointed by Harper and campaigned hard for the Tories. The investigation was conducted under the Harper majority.

Harper may have been pulling the strings all along. Despite running on a platform of openness and accountability he was secretive and paranoid. We will never know what really went on.

 

The Senate has a purpose. The House of Commons is subject to popular opinion which can swing from one pole to the other. The Senate, ideally, should be less subject to the whims of popular culture.

 

It does not seem to be working perfectly at the moment. But neither is the Commons.