Senators kick-out loosing 6 figues income
Channel: GroundHog News
Date: 07/11/2013

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OTTAWA—Three senators suspended from the upper chamber could still enjoy some perks of office — including building up their pensions — as Senate officials scrambled to sort out the terms of their punishments.

While Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised the Senate for handing out the tough sanctions, Senate administration and even the Conservative caucus seemed in the dark about what the move means for some of their perks.

In an unprecedented vote Tuesday, the Conservative majority in the Senate suspended Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau and Pamela Wallin for two years without pay, although they retain their health and dental benefits, as well as their life insurance.

The RCMP has been working with the provincial Crown's office during the investigation, and has referred the Brazeau case for a final review before deciding whether to proceed with charges of breach of trust and fraud. He has maintained that an independent audit by Deloitte found no wrongdoing on his part regarding his living expense claims.
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    Senators Patrick Brazeau, left, Pamela Wallin and Mike Duffy may still see their pension grow during their two-year suspensions. zoom

Lead investigator Cpl. Greg Horton said he had "reasonable grounds to believe" those charges are warranted in an affidavit last month seeking Brazeau's bank statements. The other three — Mac Harb (who has already resigned), Wallin and Duffy — are still under investigation.

Brazeau also already faces assault and sex assault charges after police were called to a Gatineau, Que., residence in February.

Treasury Board President Tony Clement told reporters that the Conservative caucus has requested a legal opinion whether the two-year suspensions will count as contributable service toward the pensions of Duffy, Wallin, and Brazeau.

Harb, a former Liberal senator, had 10 years' service in the Senate when he quit, and so retained his pension.

Sen. Claude Carignan, the government leader in the Senate, said the spirit of the suspension motions was clear.

"The intention of the motion, the spirit and the letter, it's to suspend without pay . . . (including) the pension plan," Carignan said. "We asked the administration to apply this resolution and to take every step that they need to apply the spirit and the letter of these three motions."

Senate administration was unable to say how the two-year suspensions would affect the three senators' pension plans, or how their health and dental benefits would be calculated now that the Senators have been stripped of their $135,200 annual salaries.

Senate administration also could not say how the suspension motion affects Duffy's earlier request for medical leave. Duffy has suffered from heart trouble.

"The information is not available at this time," Senate spokeswoman Annie Joanette said in an emailed response to the Star's questions.

Carignan did not take further questions before entering the Senate chamber.

But in a later statement, Carignan's office said that the Senate administration was "studying the technicalities" of the suspension motions.
Canadians Senators kick-out  6 fugues income to  EI. benefits
Senators are not eligible to collect their pension before six years of contributable service. Duffy, Brazeau and Wallin were appointed on the advice of Stephen Harper in December 2008.