Harper gang helps fellow gang member after scam discovered

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

OTTAWA — The Prime Minister's Office was dragged into the Senate housing allowance scandal Wednesday with the stunning development Stephen Harper's right-hand man cut a $90,000 cheque to help Sen. Mike Duffy.

A spokesman for the prime minister confirmed that Nigel Wright, Harper's chief of staff, wrote a cheque from his personal account to help his friend repay inappropriately claimed housing benefits.

http://www.lfpress.com/2013/05/15/mike-duffy-given-90k-by-nigel-wright-to-pay-back-housing-expenses-...

[art-in-the-making]

Harperites tripping over themselves racing for the elevators.... the weekend can't begin soon enough!

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

And on the way to the elevators they should be checking the want ads. Some of them will be needing them after the next election.

[ilurkthereforiam]

Some loophole! - you misrepresent where you live AND are dumb enough to think that people won't notice. Then you get paid off by a Conservative bagman. Good gorf.

You're right Art.

I used wikia to find out more about Duffy.

This is not someone trying to use a loophole to avoid paying taxes. Duffy has been living in Ottawa for several years.

This is criminal and Duffy should charged by Revenue Canada for making false claims.

I really think it is time to change the senate.

One suggestion that I heard the other day was to make the an elected senate with 4 years terms. Since we have 4 year terms the senate could have 4 year terms as well and we end up with elections every two years. One to elect parliament and two years later to elect the senate. This would make it the house of sober second thought.

[stevephinn2012]

That would be like a married couple in parliament that gets 2 "housing" allowances and only rents 1 house.

Wonder if that has ever happened.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

Do we need a Senate at all? Really? There are on average 105 Senators, a big payout, not including loopholes they find and forever pensions. They are appointed by the Gov General but at the behest of the PM which leaves the Senate open for padding by any party.

[stevephinn2012]

Senate should have been done away with years ago. Think this is what might tip the scales to get it done.

[bb_cool_stuff]

I actually am glad these politicians are getting caught red handed.

It is nice seeing them squirm. Looks good on them.

Wish I was a politician, like the Mayor back east, so i could have received a subsidy for my daughters wedding expenses last saturday.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

I actually am glad these politicians are getting caught red handed.

We should have a 'Crime Stoppers' for politicians and pay people for information.

Those people with supposedly the vid of Ford doing coke......that's true entrepreneurial spirit and.........legal.

[ilurkthereforiam]

I would like to see an elected senate that actually has power.

Otherwise we end up with majority governments that can become 4 year dictatorships.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

To the best of my knowledge the Senate rarely rejects bills passed by the government.

What we need are no more majority governments, just representatives of the people to discuss issues and the people vote more on the important issues.  

[ilurkthereforiam]

If the senate is elected they will have to answer to their voters and not to any party.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

Do you think it would make much difference, really? More elections, more cost, more politicians, and we're never happy with them eventually anyhow......no matter what party it is.

[art-in-the-making]

Do we need a Senate at all?

Unfortunately, yes.

The Senate is the only thing we have in Canada that provides checks and balances within the political system.

Given that the other significant check on the political structure, the media, is mostly subverted to serve corporate interests (i.e. - 29 out of 30 major newspapers supporting the Cons in the last election), the Senate becomes even more important.

In short, the Senate is needed to protect the country from the weaknesses of democracy.

Unfortunately, it could be possible for an unscrupulous or fanatical demagog to attain power through the electoral process and then begin to ravage the country for his/her own maniacal purposes.

If the Senate were elected every four years (or, even worse, appointed to short terms), then there is a good chance that the same voter sympathies that elected a dictator would also elect the dictator's pals to the Senate.

It is uncertain to be sure, how effectively the Senate could contend with a malicious dictator. However, until something better comes along, I'll continue to be content with the fat cat senate we know, rather than take a chance with an alternative that "someone" might come up with. 

The biggest problem with the current senate is the PM in charge of appointing the senators. Senators should be people of integrity, substance and achievement. If Stephen Harper cannot find a few such worthy people in this great country, then he is even less competent than I thought.

[tobyshitzu]

Its a shame the fed Liberals and Lib premiers have blocked CPC efforts to reform the senate for so long

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

Unfortunately, it could be possible for an unscrupulous or fanatical demagog to attain power through the electoral process and then begin to ravage the country for his/her own maniacal purposes.

If the Senate were elected every four years (or, even worse, appointed to short terms), then there is a good chance that the same voter sympathies that elected a dictator would also elect the dictator's pals to the Senate.

So we never really get rid of the problem.

It's actually kind a sad that we feel a need for 'leaders'. Where have they ever really 'lead' us. 

[tobyshitzu]

Glad to see Art supports Harper's longstanding desire and effort to have elected senators

[art-in-the-making]

So we never really get rid of the problem.

What makes the system borderline functional is that a critical mass of the senators has always been there long enough to be vetted by time, as inefficient it may be.

If a charismatic crackpot is elected PM in 2015, the people's trump card is that not a single person in the Senate is beholden to the new PM.

Even now, only about half of the senators were appointed by Harper. We have already seen many of his appointments fall by the wayside - and even some of Mulroney's appointees have balked at supporting Harper's whims.

The Senate doesn't necessarily have to block legislation to make its voice heard.

That all being said - I would support an alternative Senate - if someone could come up with a better idea.

[tobyshitzu]

"If a charismatic crackpot is elected PM in 2015, the people's trump card is that not a single person in the Senate is beholden to the new PM."

True, the ndp have no senators

[art-in-the-making]

True, the ndp have no senators

Regardless of the party, party loyalty in the Senate only goes so far.

As far as that goes, Harper's appointees will probably be some of the most unpredictable after his departure. He is running such a mercenary, dysfunctional regime - now he's reduced to bringing in the guy who used to live above his garage (no fooling) to be his chief of staff - loyalty extracted by coercion is not worth much once after the fact.

[pierrelebel]

"Its a shame the fed Liberals and Lib premiers have blocked CPC efforts to reform the senate for so long"

Do you really and honestly believe that your comment will convince anyone to support Harper and the Conservative party in the next election?

Honestly?

Trying to "spin" the blame for the current mess away from the ruling party does not fool anyone and may prove counter-productive on the long run. 

When you screw up you are expected to accept responsibility and some may appreciate your honesty. However, blaming your opponents directly or indirectly for your problems show how weak you are and even your own supporters may eventually walk away in disgust.  It has happened before to the Conversative party (Mulroney). I expect it will happen again, to Harper this time.