Photo of Mike Duffy by Ayelie / Creative Commons
Jane Lytvynenko
CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief
OTTAWA (CUP) — Former Conservative senators Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin stood before the Senate today facing suspension without pay following the recent Senate expense scandal. After a heated session, the Senate decided to continue the debate tomorrow.
Speaking under privilege, meaning they cannot be sued for their words, the senators recounted the details of the affair. The most shocking speech came from Mike Duffy who received a $90,000 cheque from former chief of staff to the Prime Minister, Nigel Wright to repay Duffy’s Senate expenses. When the issue came to light nearly a year ago, Wright claimed the cheque was a “deal between friends” and the Prime Minister knew nothing of it. Those are not the details Duffy laid out before the Senate Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Duffy claims Wright and Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with him telling him to repay his expenses. Duffy alleged he tried to explain the $90,000 in expenses are constitutional but the two were “not interested in the truth.” They told him to pay the money back and Duffy says Wright and Harper threatened to throw him out of the Senate if he didn’t. When Duffy said he didn’t have the $90,000, Wright wrote him the infamous cheque.
Duffy also expressed surprise at the lack of documentation on the case, saying there was a long email chain on the issue. He said he will not release the emails in case there is a trial. Once CTV broke the news about the deal, Duffy says he was ordered to resign by the prime minister’s office or he would be fired.
Senator David Tkachuk denied Duffy’s claims, but Patrick Brazeau also echoed Duffy’s sentiments. Brazeau said the Senate committee stuck to investigate his affairs did not know what questions to ask, alleged he has never been contacted by the RCMP for documentation. Brazeau urged senators to make their meetings public and said should they go ahead with suspension, they “better be clean.”
With the words, “Stephen Harper, you lost my vote,” Brazeau ended his speech and the Senate adjourned. The debate is set to continue at 2 p.m. on Oct. 22.
