[andyt]

raydan raydan:

Now I understand everything...

Conversation between Nigel Wright and Mike Duffy
"Listen Duffy, I'll give you the 90,000 bucks to pay back the expenses but there's one condition, if this ever gets out, you step down from Conservative caucus... do we have a deal, Mikey?"

Actually the whole point of the effort was to be able to keep Duffy in caucus since he's such a money maker for them. They just got caught, is all.

[raydan]

That's why I wrote "...if this ever gets out".

[andyt]

$1:

PM's chief of staff Nigel Wright resigns in wake of Duffy controversy

OTTAWA - The prime minister's chief of staff announced his resignation early Sunday, saying he left his post in light of the controversy around his handling of expense payments involving Sen. Mike Duffy.
Nigel Wright said Stephen Harper had accepted his resignation.
The Prime Minister's Office said earlier this week that Wright personally paid off $90,000 in inappropriately claimed housing expenses for Duffy, prompting critics to complain that the bailout violated ethics rules that prohibit senators from accepting gifts.
Throughout the fallout prompted by the bombshell announcement, the PMO stood firmly by Wright, saying his position remained secure.
In a statement issued Sunday morning, Wright reiterated that the prime minister had not been involved in the matter.
"My actions were intended solely to secure the repayment of funds, which I considered to be in the public interest, and I accept sole responsibility," Wright said in a statement.
"I did not advise the Prime Minister of the means by which Sen. Duffy's expenses were repaid, either before or after the fact."
Wright said he regretted the impact the matter had on the government, the Tory caucus and all his colleagues.
"I came to Ottawa to do my part in providing good government for Canada, and that is all that I ever wanted and worked for in this role," he said.
In a separate statement Harper said he accepted Wright's resignation with "great regret."
“I accept that Nigel believed he was acting in the public interest, but I understand the decision he has taken to resign," the prime minister said.
"I want to thank Nigel for his tremendous contribution to our government over the past two and a half years."
The ethics commissioner is looking into Wright's repayment of Duffy's expenses.
Duffy quit the Conservative caucus late Thursday.

It's reassuring that Harper didn't know about this deal, anyway. Guess the scandal's over now. Wonder how long Duffy will have to remain in purgatory before he's cheered back into caucus?

[jj2424]

andyt andyt:

$1:

PM's chief of staff Nigel Wright resigns in wake of Duffy controversy

OTTAWA - The prime minister's chief of staff announced his resignation early Sunday, saying he left his post in light of the controversy around his handling of expense payments involving Sen. Mike Duffy.
Nigel Wright said Stephen Harper had accepted his resignation.
The Prime Minister's Office said earlier this week that Wright personally paid off $90,000 in inappropriately claimed housing expenses for Duffy, prompting critics to complain that the bailout violated ethics rules that prohibit senators from accepting gifts.
Throughout the fallout prompted by the bombshell announcement, the PMO stood firmly by Wright, saying his position remained secure.
In a statement issued Sunday morning, Wright reiterated that the prime minister had not been involved in the matter.
"My actions were intended solely to secure the repayment of funds, which I considered to be in the public interest, and I accept sole responsibility," Wright said in a statement.
"I did not advise the Prime Minister of the means by which Sen. Duffy's expenses were repaid, either before or after the fact."
Wright said he regretted the impact the matter had on the government, the Tory caucus and all his colleagues.
"I came to Ottawa to do my part in providing good government for Canada, and that is all that I ever wanted and worked for in this role," he said.
In a separate statement Harper said he accepted Wright's resignation with "great regret."
“I accept that Nigel believed he was acting in the public interest, but I understand the decision he has taken to resign," the prime minister said.
"I want to thank Nigel for his tremendous contribution to our government over the past two and a half years."
The ethics commissioner is looking into Wright's repayment of Duffy's expenses.
Duffy quit the Conservative caucus late Thursday.

It's reassuring that Harper didn't know about this deal, anyway. Guess the scandal's over now. Wonder how long Duffy will have to remain in purgatory before he's cheered back into caucus?

Yes it's over but that won't keep the left wing media from going on about it and blaming Harper for the next two years.

I wonder when Marc Harb will be allowed back in too.

[andyt]

$1:

Why Stephen Harper should be held accountable for Senate scandals

According to Post Media News, Stephen Harper is "losing his patience" at the ongoing tumult.
Cue the cheesy 1980s sitcom laugh track.
Harper is the one who handpicked the three maligned senators — Wallin, Mike Duffy, and Patrick Brazeau — not because of their service to community or intellect but for their loyal partisanship.
What the heck did he expect? It's time that he takes responsibility for the senate shenanigans.

As explained by The Hill Times, he's appointed several former party staffers:
- Doug Finley: National campaign director in 2006 and 2008
- Don Plett: Former president of Conservative Party Council
- Carolyn Stewart Olsen: Former press secretary to the prime minister
- Stephen Greene: Former chief of staff to Preston Manning
- Irving Gerstein: The Conservative Party's chief fundraiser
He has also appointed failed Conservative candidates such as Claude Carignan, Josee Verner and Larry Smith.
He's appointed visible minority candidates who seem to be expected to fundraise for the party within the ethnic communities.
There's David Braley who, interestingly, donated $30,000 to Harper's leadership campaign in 2004.
And then, of course, there's Duffy and Wallin. Some suggest that Duffy was chosen as a reward for publicly shaming then Liberal leader Stéphane Dion during the 2008 election.
Wallin, like Duffy, is an active fundraiser for the party.

The Harper gang initially argued that they made those appointments because their minority government needed a majority in the Senate.
Since earning their majority, they have introduced Senate reform legislation and recently have asked the Supreme Court for clarification on what is required to reform or abolish the Senate.
In the meantime — since earning their majority in both houses — Harper has continued rewarding Tory insiders and contributors with Senate jobs.
He had a choice. He didn't have to appoint a cadre of failed candidates, party donors and friendly media.
He could have found another way: how about setting up an independent committee to appoint senators? Or, at the very least, introduce a patronage watchdog.

If you are a leader in the business world, you are judged on your personnel decisions. If you hire some duds, it reflects badly on you.
If the people you bring-in keep messing up, you're the one who is responsible and at some point it will cost you your job.
Political leaders should face the same scrutiny. Maybe it's time for Harper to take responsibility for his Senate hires.

[fifeboy]

jj2424 jj2424:

andyt andyt:

$1:

PM's chief of staff Nigel Wright resigns in wake of Duffy controversy

OTTAWA - The prime minister's chief of staff announced his resignation early Sunday, saying he left his post in light of the controversy around his handling of expense payments involving Sen. Mike Duffy.
Nigel Wright said Stephen Harper had accepted his resignation.
The Prime Minister's Office said earlier this week that Wright personally paid off $90,000 in inappropriately claimed housing expenses for Duffy, prompting critics to complain that the bailout violated ethics rules that prohibit senators from accepting gifts.
Throughout the fallout prompted by the bombshell announcement, the PMO stood firmly by Wright, saying his position remained secure.
In a statement issued Sunday morning, Wright reiterated that the prime minister had not been involved in the matter.
"My actions were intended solely to secure the repayment of funds, which I considered to be in the public interest, and I accept sole responsibility," Wright said in a statement.
"I did not advise the Prime Minister of the means by which Sen. Duffy's expenses were repaid, either before or after the fact."
Wright said he regretted the impact the matter had on the government, the Tory caucus and all his colleagues.
"I came to Ottawa to do my part in providing good government for Canada, and that is all that I ever wanted and worked for in this role," he said.
In a separate statement Harper said he accepted Wright's resignation with "great regret."
“I accept that Nigel believed he was acting in the public interest, but I understand the decision he has taken to resign," the prime minister said.
"I want to thank Nigel for his tremendous contribution to our government over the past two and a half years."
The ethics commissioner is looking into Wright's repayment of Duffy's expenses.
Duffy quit the Conservative caucus late Thursday.

It's reassuring that Harper didn't know about this deal, anyway. Guess the scandal's over now. Wonder how long Duffy will have to remain in purgatory before he's cheered back into caucus?

Yes it's over but that won't keep the left wing media from going on about it and blaming Harper for the next two years.

I wonder when Marc Harb will be allowed back in too.

[raydan]

Do the same thing Duffy did but in private enterprise. You'd be out of there faster than you can say "I'll repay", and you'll probably spend the rest of your career sweeping floors at the local Tim Horton.

***Edited to get ShepherdsDog off my case.

[ShepherdsDog]

not bad change if you're a member of CUPE

[raydan]

Nope, you'd be working for a private contractor... not much over minimum wage.

[ShepherdsDog]

Not at the schools in our division... the drivers, cleaners and TAs are all CUPE members

[raydan]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Not at the schools in our division... the drivers, cleaners and TAs are all CUPE members

You do realize that I just made up that story to make a point... stop nitpicking details.

[jeff744]

This about sums up my feelings upon seeing Wright resign too.

[raydan]

raydan raydan:

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Not at the schools in our division... the drivers, cleaners and TAs are all CUPE members

You do realize that I just made up that story to make a point... stop nitpicking details.

I edited my original post... better now?

[BRAH]

This is news because? Sorry all political parties are guilty of doing things like this because that's why they get into politics it only sucks for them when they get caught.

[raydan]

Ah, the old everybody does it defense.