Remember Stephen Harper’s attack on Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin — the one that had her squirmin’ in her ermine? And then there was Dean Del Mastro’s assertion that his guilty verdict on four counts of electoral fraud was only Judge Lisa Cameron’s “opinion.”
The CPC crew has always been happiest being judge in its own cause. It treated the judiciary like interfering busybodies good only for rubber-stamping the government’s agenda, constitutional or otherwise.
So on one level, it’s no surprise to see the Harper appointees who control the Standing Committee on Internal Economy returning at warp speed to a scandal that’s a political shade of kryptonite. They are once again in full-throated pursuit of Senator Mike Duffy for — you guessed it — disputed expense money. Nearly $17,000.
The problem is that Justice Charles Vaillancourt found Duffy's expenses allowable under Senate rules -- something Duffy's lawyer, Donald Bayne, has reiterated:
Bayne points out that this amounts to challenging and attacking Justice Vaillancourt’s finding of facts on those very same impugned expense matters now being regurgitated by the Senate. As Bayne reminds the Clerk of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy in a hand-delivered letter dated June 22, “leading evidence which is inconsistent with findings made in the accused’s favour in a previous proceeding” is precluded from subsequent proceedings. “Thus Justice Vaillancourt’s positive factual findings about all of the impugned expense matters cannot be challenged, attacked or contradicted.”
Justice Vaillancourt had all the evidence available to arrive at his decision. There was no new evidence, as the Standing Committee on Internal Economy originally claimed in their June 8, 2016 letter to Duffy asking for repayment of $16,955 in ineligible expenses.
I have written earlier in this space that perseveration is a symptom of brain damage. One has to wonder if the Conservative caucus in the Senate is brain damaged.
Image: quotesgram.com
4 comments:
Jason Kenny was the swiss army knife of Harper. How dull and how now we can see he was not the best multitool
He never was the sharpest tool in the shed, Steve.
The harassment and attacks on Duffy were relentless. They were meant to annihalate him. They were so sure that they would destroy him or that he would give up. He didn't and was found innocent of all charges and is now back in the Senate. Their continuing to harass him. The Senate was and still is, I see,comprised of Harpers thugs. Duffy is a much better street fighter than these pseudo professional Senators Owen. They once again have underestimated him. Like typical bullies they have to be in a group to go after their victim. I hope Duffy's lawyer will be able to go after them legally.
I'm sure Duffy's lawyer, Donald Bayne, won't take the Senate's most recent foray lying down, Pam.
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