Mike Duffy claimed expenses during week when Senate wasn’t sitting

OTTAWA—Sen. Mike Duffy claimed Senate expenses and per diems for a week in Ottawa when neither the Senate nor any of its committees sat, but during which Duffy got paid $5,000 for a speech to the publicly funded Ontario police services boards, the Star has learned.

The Ontario Association of Police Services Boards released to the Star its $5,000-contract with Mike Duffy Media Services Inc. that was booked through an agent.

Duffy was booked for an hour and a half to speak to about 300 people at the association’s annual general meeting at Ottawa’s Westin Hotel. He delivered a speech about government relations and how the civilian-led police services boards could deal with the federal government, say sources who attended.

Duffy was a replacement for hockey writer Roy MacGregor who had been booked through the National Speakers Bureau but could not attend the event, confirmed the association’s chair Eli El-Chantiry, head of Ottawa’s police services board. But it wasn’t a last-minute booking. The contract for the April 19, 2012 speech was dated March 5, 2012.

The speech was delivered at the association’s annual three-day meeting, but Duffy did not attend the full meeting, El-Chantiry said.

While the Senate is not sitting, senators may continue to carry out their parliamentary functions, but it is not clear what Duffy — a senator for P.E.I. — was doing in Ottawa during the week of April 16-20, 2012. The Senate communications office refused comment. It confirmed there were no public Senate or committee meetings that week in Ottawa. It referred the question to Duffy, whose office did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment.

Duffy did not co-operate with auditors and the Senate has not released the details of his expenses.

On Wednesday afternoon, Duffy released a written statement pledging full cooperation with the Senate and “all other authorities” that are reviewing his claims, and would not comment further “until those processes are complete.”

Nevertheless, despite having resigned from the Conservative caucus, Duffy was defiant.

He welcomed the Senate’s decision to revisit his expenses through its internal economy committee, and said he would be exonerated.

The Deloitte audit, which examined Duffy’s cellphone records, confirmed only that Duffy was in Ottawa for that particular week for which the senator — who claims PEI as his main place of residency — claimed expenses, which could cover meals, incidentals or mortgage.

In the wake of the Senate spending scandals, the Conservative government is proposing changes, which include limiting to 20 the number of non-sitting days that senators can claim expenses while in Ottawa.

“The system was never intended to allow senators to stay in Ottawa over the summer months, pop into the office for an hour, and claim a $90 per diem,” said Conservative Sen. Marjory LeBreton on Wednesday. “The system was meant to assist senators while attending the business of the chamber and its committees.”

The Star and other media have already reported that Duffy claimed Senate expenses during the 2011 federal election for days when he was also getting reimbursements from Conservative campaigns because he was out stumping for Conservative candidates.

Original Article
Source: thestar.com
Author:  Tonda MacCharles