Mike Duffy claimed expenses when Senate wasn’t sitting

[ConsƦcons]

And as you read this, remember that Mike Duffy, like Pamela Wallin, is
STILL on pay as a Senator.
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thestar.com - Wednesday, May 22, 2013


Mike Duffy claimed expenses during week when Senate wasn’t sitting


Sen. Mike Duffy claimed Senate expenses and per diems for a week in
Ottawa when neither the Senate nor any of its committees sat, but during
which Duffy got paid $5,000 for a speech to the publicly funded Ontario
police services boards, the Star has learned


OTTAWA—Sen. Mike Duffy claimed Senate expenses and per diems for a week
in Ottawa when neither the Senate nor any of its committees sat, but
during which Duffy got paid $5,000 for a speech to the publicly funded
Ontario police services boards, the Star has learned.

The Ontario Association of Police Services Boards released to the Star
its $5,000-contract with Mike Duffy Media Services Inc. that was booked
through an agent.

Duffy was booked for an hour and a half to speak to about 300 people at
the association’s annual general meeting at Ottawa’s Westin Hotel. He
delivered a speech about government relations and how the civilian-led
police services boards could deal with the federal government, say
sources who attended.

Duffy was a replacement for hockey writer Roy MacGregor who had been
booked through the National Speakers Bureau but could not attend the
event, confirmed the association’s chair Eli El-Chantiry, head of
Ottawa’s police services board. But it wasn’t a last-minute booking. The
contract for the April 19, 2012 speech was dated March 5, 2012.

The speech was delivered at the association’s annual three-day meeting,
but Duffy did not attend the full meeting, El-Chantiry said.

While the Senate is not sitting, senators may continue to carry out
their parliamentary functions, but it is not clear what Duffy — a
senator for P.E.I. — was doing in Ottawa during the week of April 16-20,
2012. The Senate communications office refused comment. It confirmed
there were no public Senate or committee meetings that week in Ottawa.
It referred the question to Duffy, whose office did not respond to calls
and emails requesting comment.

Neither the auditors nor the Senate made available detailed or itemized
descriptions of Duffy’s expense claims.

On Wednesday afternoon, Duffy released a written statement pledging full
cooperation with the Senate and “all other authorities” that are
reviewing his claims, and would not comment further “until those
processes are complete.”

Nevertheless, despite having resigned from the Conservative caucus,
Duffy was defiant.

He welcomed the Senate’s decision to revisit his expenses through its
internal economy committee, and said he would be exonerated.

The Deloitte audit, which examined Duffy’s cellphone records, confirmed
only that Duffy was in Ottawa for that particular week for which the
senator — who claims PEI as his main place of residency — claimed
expenses, which could cover meals, incidentals or mortgage.

In the wake of the Senate spending scandals, the Conservative government
is proposing changes, which include limiting to 20 the number of
non-sitting days that senators can claim expenses while in Ottawa.

“The system was never intended to allow senators to stay in Ottawa over
the summer months, pop into the office for an hour, and claim a $90 per
diem,” said Conservative Sen. Marjory LeBreton on Wednesday. “The system
was meant to assist senators while attending the business of the chamber
and its committees.”

The Star and other media have already reported that Duffy claimed Senate
expenses during the 2011 federal election for days when he was also
getting reimbursements from Conservative campaigns because he was out
stumping for Conservative candidates.
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Mike Duffy's primary home not P.E.I., unedited Senate report says

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/05/22/pol-senate-expenses-wednesday.html