Close X
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
ADVT 
India

Senators Invoke Duffy Trial As They Push Back Against Auditor General's Report

The Canadian Press, 09 Jun, 2015 12:08 PM
    OTTAWA — For some senators, the Auditor General's scrutiny of their expenses sent them hurtling right into the Mike Duffy dimension.
     
    Just 16 months after many of them voted to suspend the former Conservative senator over his contested living and travel expenses, some of them are now invoking his trial as they push back against Michael Ferguson's highly critical report.
     
    The living expenses, the funerals, the office contracts and the poor record keeping — many of the details in the auditor general's report find their echo in the trial of the suspended senator down the street at the courthouse.
     
    Duffy has pleaded not-guilty to 31 charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery, in connection with his office, living and travel spending.
     
    One of the central areas revolves around the nearly $90,000 he claimed for living expenses for his longtime Ottawa area home, while declaring a residence in Prince Edward Island his primary residence.
     
    The Senate's internal economy committee found in 2013 the cases of fellow Senators Mac Harb and Patrick Brazeau they should have understood the difference between primary and secondary residence.
     
    But it would seem those controversial reports are just a distant memory now. Some senators quoted directly from the Duffy trial in their letters back to Ferguson.
     
    In particular, they seemed to hang on the testimony of former Senate law clerk Mark Audcent, who said during the trial there were no real criteria for what constitutes a primary and secondary residence.
     
    Ferguson's team, meanwhile, refers to "normal" travel patterns, and "substantive presence" at their primary residence, terms that the auditor general's office created.
     
    "The auditor general is applying a test that was rejected by the former law clerk in order to reach a conclusion that is not supported by my clear and many attachments to my province while I was a member of the Senate," fumed former Liberal senator William Rompkey, who had $3,134 in living expenses questioned.
     
    Fellow retired Liberal senator Rod Zimmer suggests that the auditor general could be interfering in the entire Duffy trial by pronouncing on residency requirements in his report.
     
    A Senate official who spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday acknowledged that senators could find the residency issue caught up in two tracks — the Duffy trial and on the desk of special arbitrator Ian Binnie, a former Supreme Court justice assigned to deal with the cases raised by the AG.
     
    "Will this be seen as prejudging the conclusion Justice Charles Vaillancourt will reach on the same matter, and what if Justice Vaillancourt does not agree with the Auditor General's interpretation?" writes Zimmer, who is red-circled for $47,132 in living expenses.
     
    Conservative Sen. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu racked up $15,826 in living expenses, while the AG found he was spending little time in Sherbrooke, Que.
     
    "Sherbrooke was my primary residence under the rules of the Senate, the Civil Code of Quebec and income tax rules," Boisvenu retorted.
     
    Retired Liberal Sen. Sharon Carstairs was highlighted for $2,399 in living expense claims. Her response matched that of Duffy.
     
    "There are no rules with respect to the number of days spent in the primary residence," Carstairs said. "Had such rules existed I would have fulfilled them as I did all other rules in the Senate."
     
    Other issues that are raised in the auditor general's report that have also come up during the Duffy trial include questions around what constitutes legitimate public business — such as trips to funerals, or travel where personal visits are mixed in.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Has Rahul Gandhi Shot Himself In The Foot?

    Has Rahul Gandhi Shot Himself In The Foot?
    Unlike the Biblical tale of a prodigal son, the return of a foot-loose family member may not be a cause of great joy to his relatives. In Rahul Gandhi's case, it can be a source of embarrassment and misgivings.

    Has Rahul Gandhi Shot Himself In The Foot?

    Newly Married Woman Found Hanging In Ghaziabad

    Newly Married Woman Found Hanging In Ghaziabad
    A 28-year-old woman, who was married just three months ago, was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her bedroom here on Friday.

    Newly Married Woman Found Hanging In Ghaziabad

    Masrat Alam A Rock Stuck In Mufti's Throat?

    Masrat Alam A Rock Stuck In Mufti's Throat?
    Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed's decision to "provide democratic space to separatist politics" by releasing Masrat Alam has badly backfired. Instead, the decision had made hardline positions on two sides even harder.

    Masrat Alam A Rock Stuck In Mufti's Throat?

    Artistic Freedom Not Above Respect For Father Of Nation: SC

    Artistic Freedom Not Above Respect For Father Of Nation: SC
    The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the plea of artistic freedom could not be advanced to justify attribution of vulgar and obscene expletives to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

    Artistic Freedom Not Above Respect For Father Of Nation: SC

    Facebook Restores Taslima Nasreen's Account

    Facebook Restores Taslima Nasreen's Account
    Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen's Facebook account has been restored on Thursday after being disabled by Islamic fundamentalist for her posts.

    Facebook Restores Taslima Nasreen's Account

    Vacation Over, Rahul Gandhi Back Home

    Vacation Over, Rahul Gandhi Back Home
    Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi who was out of the public eye for nearly two months, was back on Thursday. The BJP, however, said "you just cannot shy away from your duties".

    Vacation Over, Rahul Gandhi Back Home