The verdict in the Mike Duffy trial shows why the Senate has gotten off track. So claims Independent Senator John Wallace who says there was a lot of contact between the Prime Minister’s Office and Senate leaders at the time but we don’t know how much the Senate leadership was influenced by that contact because they were not called to testify by the prosecution.
Wallace says there was scandalous behaviour but not ont he part of Senator Duffy.
Wallace says the role of the Senate is to be a check on the power of the House of Commons and the executive but can’t be if the P-M-O exerts so much control.
Mr. Justice Charles Vaillancourt said the P-M-O treated Senators as if they were pawns and described Duffy as being just another piece on the chessboard.
Mr. Justice Vaillancourt portrayed Duffy, who he called a credible witness, as an unwilling partner in a scheme to accept a $90,000 cheque from Harper’s former chief of staff Nigel Wright to cover questionable expenses even though they were likely legitimate.
