PM Harper's Fall Guy. Nigel Wright.
Channel: landlogger
Date: 2013-10-30

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Harper blames Wright
PM Stephen Harper says former chief of staff Nigel Wright is solely to blame for payment to Senator Mike Duffy
Duffy revealed Conservative Party lawyer Arthur Hamilton had paid $13,560 to cover Duffy's legal fees in the negotiations with Wright over defraying Duffy's $90,000 in expenses.

Harper has always insisted he had no prior knowledge of Wright's deal with Duffy. He struggled to explain why the Conservative Party Fund — consisting of members' donations — had covered Duffy's legal fees when the prime minister insisted Duffy's claims were inappropriate in the first place.

Yet Harper shook off opposition suggestions that Hamilton, PMO legal counsel Benjamin Perrin, or his issues management director Chris Woodcock — all of whom were in the loop on Wright's move — acted inappropriately, as Duffy alleges.

It is "a regular practice," said Harper. "The party regularly reimburses members of its caucus for valid legal expenses, as do other parties."

Nevertheless, Harper distanced his own office from the legal fees repayment, too, saying, "It is the decision of the Conservative Party whether it chooses to fund certain expenses of members of Parliament and senators."

Opposition leader Tom Mulcair and the NDP caucus guffawed at Harper's explanations.

"The prime minister therefore sees nothing wrong with using the money of the Conservative Party to reimburse the legal expenses of someone he says has broken the law. That is the ethics of the prime minister. Duly noted," said Mulcair.

Harper's singling out of Wright just days after he admitted in the Commons Wright "did seek permission or consultation with others" in the PMO in his Duffy dealings, and the ferocity of the attack surprised many observers including a blue-chip audience of business and industry leaders watching closely the public gallery. It showed Harper has no shred of loyalty to a man who still has a sterling reputation among many of those same Canadian business leaders, who gathered in Ottawa to tout the Canada-European trade deal.

Wright remains a respected Bay Street financier although he resigned in May days after news broke he gave Duffy $90,000 from his personal resources to defray the senator's expenses. At the time, Harper tried to hang onto Wright, and eventually accepted his resignation only "with great regret."

The RCMP has said Wright is co-operating with their investigation.

Harper continued to insist he knew nothing of the affair, and said it was "completely unacceptable for me and for the public to be misled in this way.

The prime minister repeatedly referred to Wright as having been "punished," "sanctioned" and part of a scheme to concoct a "fabrication" for public consumption that Duffy had repaid the $90,000 in living expenses he improperly claimed in the first place.

While all three senators have drawn public ire, it is Duffy's allegations that are most damaging to Harper's claim to be a sound fiscal manager. Duffy contends Harper was tied to a "monstrous political scheme" to condone his lavish senate expenses at first and condemn him only after he became a political liability.

Mulcair scorned Harper's answers, saying "It is true that Mike Duffy has almost zero credibility, but his story is still more believable than that of the Prime Minister."

In turn, Harper mocked Mulcair for choosing to believe Duffy is a "victim" even after he lied publicly about taking out a bank loan to repay the $90,000 he owed the senate.