Senator Duffy's Showstopper at the Senator
Channel: GroundHog News
Date: 2013-10-23

http://www.peoplestandup.ca
Duffy's Showstopper

Rex Murphy talks about the mingled fates of Senator Mike Duffy and Prime Minister Harper.
hen Duffy complained he didn't even have the money to repay expenses, he related, "Nigel Wright said, 'Don't worry, I'll write the cheque.'"

The Senate was debating motions Tuesday brought by the Conservatives to suspend Duffy and fellow senators Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau without pay in response to allegations involving their expense claims.

Duffy related, once the news of the cheque became known, the Prime Minister's Office reneged on its deal with him. "The PMO came back with a vengeance", he said, "the deal was off."

Duffy implicated the prime minister's current chief of staff, Ray Novak, saying Novak phoned him at his home in P.E.I. and said if he didn't resign from Conservative caucus, he would be thrown out.

Novak, Duffy said, threatened him further, telling him he would have to appear before the Senate ethics committee and would likely be expelled from the Senate.

The Government Senate Leader Marjory LeBreton was also on the call. "You've got to do this Mike, do what I'm telling you, quit the caucus within the next 90 minutes. It is the only way to save your paycheque," LeBreton said, according to Duffy.

Duffy said his wife and his sister were on the line listening to the entire call.

Duffy also said the deal for him to accept $90,000 and to promise, in return, to be publicly contrite about repaying the money, was negotiated between "the several lawyers involved who were taking instructions from their clients — lawyers for the PMO, for the Conservative Party and me."

An extensive email chain was created, he said, contrary to indications the PMO has no documents about any alleged deal. "If they're not in the PMO, they're in the hands of my lawyers and I suspect in the hands of the RCMP,'' he said.

Duffy said he was speaking against the order of his own doctors because of a heart condition, and asked the Senate, if he was suspended without pay or benfits, how would he pay for his heart drugs, especially since he said the Senate has the power to remove him from the Senate health plan.

At one point Duffy referred to the Prime Minister's Office as the "kids in short pan