Thomas Mulcair in Question Period The leader of the NDP has done Canadians, and Canadian democracy, a service through his dogged, skillful, meticulous and highly professional questions posed to the Prime Minister during Question Period. Mulcair has clearly spent a great deal of time researching the facts of the Sentate
Continue readingTag: Senate Expenses Scandal
CuriosityCat: The Duffy Saga: The Mounties Close In
Mounties closing in Amazing how some politicians fail to understand one simple fact of a modern democracy such as Canada: The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine. Our justice institutions are highly developed, well staffed, with advanced methods that are applied to serious cases. Our court
Continue readingCuriosityCat: The Duffy Deal: The PMO-Duffy Email and the Mounties
Hot on the trail of the Email The Mounties are as iconic Canadian as you can find. The Mounties always getting their man is so much part of the Canadian DNA that nobody smiles when the phrase is used. It is bedrock Canada, as authentic as the hard, unyielding Canadian
Continue readingCuriosityCat: The Duffy Deal: Persons having dealings with the government
Interesting articleby Crawford Kilian on the Sensitive and International Investigations unit of the RCMP affidavit (that unit is charged with investigating matters of significant risk to Canada’s political, economic and social integrity). Some further thoughts based on that article: If Nigel Wright is a “person dealings with the government” and
Continue readingCuriosityCat: The Duffy Deal: Is PM Stephen Harper from Barcelona?
I know nothing! Poor Manuel, the harried waiter in Fawlty Towers, is often denigrated by Basil Fawlty with the words: “He’s from Barcelona”. Now we face an equally valid question: Is Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, from Barcelona? In this famous episode of Fawlty Towers, Basil Fawlty tries to get
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Senator Duffy: The Tory Big 5 who knew
The Duffy Deal: Up go the numbers The latest news from the RCMP is interesting – the number of people in the know about the Wrigh/Duffy agreement regarding his expenses is increasing: Lawyers for Mr. Wright told the Mounties that while their client kept Mr. Harper in the dark about
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Wright’s $90 000 Duffy gift came from a secret $1 million PMO fund
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s ex-chief of staff Nigel Wright tried to kill the Senate expenses scandal. He cut that $90,000 cheque which paid off Sen. Mike Duffy‘s fraudulent claims. Until now, the Conservatives have insisted that Wright used his own healthy bank account. The money possibly came from a secret $1 million fund in
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Another blow for Harper as Conservative MP quits caucus
Conservative MP Brent Rathgeber (Photo: Alberta Diary) Conservative MPs on the House of Commons’s ethics committee amended Brent Rathgeber’s private member’s bill seeking salary disclosures. He’d proposed forcing disclosures for public servants earning more than about $180,000. The committee upped the threshold to $444,000. Rathgeber, the Conservative MP for Edmonton-St. Albert,
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: NDP Leader Tom Mulcair Grills PM Harper On Senate Expenses Scandal (VIDEO)
Last week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper fled to South America to avoid the unraveling Senate expenses scandal. On Monday, he skipped Question Period in the House of Commons. He did show up in the House on Tuesday and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair roasted him. Prosecutor style. Short, precise questions. The
Continue readingCuriosityCat: A Tale of Two Parliaments: A Stench of Arrogance and Greed
Who shall guard the guards? Our parliament belongs to the citizens, just as the parliament of the UK belongs to British citizens. And when our representatives in our parliaments forget whom they are serving, the citizens are affronted, and the offenders are held to account. In The Telegraph we are
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Harper’s silent treatment of the Senate scandal undermines democracy
Stephen Harper’s silent treatment of the Senate expenses scandal is a dictatorship-style assault on our collective intelligence. The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP), a union representing newspaper and broadcast journalists, says it undermines Canadian democracy. This press release: OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper is undermining Canada’s democratic process by
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Canada Politics News: Thursday Morning Recap
Canada politics news: Thursday morning recap: Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Senate. Senate expenses scandal. Sen. Mike Duffy. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Conservatives. A few of the dominant news issues/topics on Wed, May 22, 2013. But this bold editorial declaration by the Toronto Star stands out: “If the Prime Minister can’t bring himself to
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Mike Duffy’s primary home not P.E.I., unedited Senate report says
Original document says expenses for winterized cottage should not have been claimed A copy of the original report by an internal Senate committee on Senator Mike Duffy‘s expense claims, obtained by CBC News, makes it clear the committee believes Duffy’s primary residence is in Ottawa, and not in P.E.I.
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Prime Minister Harper leaves country while Ottawa burns
The Senate under siege With the press baying at the prime minister, calling for answers to serious questions about a possible deal with a senator accused of fudging expenses, PM Stephen Harper decided to leave Canada and visit South America. Resolute in his own righteousness, Harper refused to allow “distractions”
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: SHAME: Harper snubs journalists after speech to Conservative caucus [VIDEO]
Via CBC News: Journalists aren’t allowed to ask Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the Senate expenses scandal, following his speech to caucus Tuesday. Then they’re kicked out. WATCH: The Canadian Progressive recommends: #PMHarperMustResign: A Twitter storm demanding Harper’s resignation is proposed We recommend:Beleaguered Harper-appointed Sen. Mike Duffy Quits Conservative Caucus#PMHarperMustResign: A
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Senator Duffy Affair: An explosive sentence
Senator Duffy I have underlined and bolded an explosive sentence in the Andrea Janus article about the CTV report on the agreement dealing with the payment to Senator Duffy of an amount of $90,000 regarding expenses he claimed. Remember that one sentence as this affair starts unfolding! Here it is:
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: #PMHarperMustResign: A Twitter storm demanding Harper’s resignation is proposed
Via: KW Protests Greetings, concerned Canadians and global opponents to the Harper Government. We know how ridiculous and scandalous this excuse for a Government of Canada is. The most recent events concerning the Senate have only exacerbated the frustration and anger of average people everywhere. Enough of trumpeting openness and
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Beleaguered Harper-appointed Sen. Mike Duffy Quits Conservative Caucus
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: Scandal-plagued Sen. Mike Duffy quit the Conservative caucus Thursday after his fraudulent Senate expense claims threatened to engulf the Harper government. Duffy, appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2009, now sits as an independent. “It is clear the public controversy surrounding me and the repayment of my
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Harper’s chief of staff paid off Mike Duffy’s Senate expenses
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s chief of staff Nigel Wright wrote a personal cheque worth more than $90,000 to pay back Senator Mike Duffy‘s living expenses, Harper’s office confirmed Wednesday. “Mr. Duffy agreed to repay the expenses because it was the right thing to do,” Harper’s spokesman Andrew MacDougall said
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