Canada's Biggest Political Scandal You Never Heard Of

It's probably the biggest political scandal you've never heard of.

The tale involves Big Oil, millions of taxpayer dollars, call girls and someone the RCMP describes as "one of the prime minister's longest serving advisors": Bruce Carson.

And it largely took place at Stephen Harper's alma mater: the University of Calgary between 2009 and 2011 with a cast of industry CEOs as well as several Harper ministers and aides, including Nigel Wright.

PMO’s role in Senate scandal is what should be on trial

It’s as if the Senate of Canada has a death wish.

Exactly one year after his retirement speech from the Senate, Hugh Segal penned a special article for the Globe and Mail about his former workplace. His words connect some interesting dots between events.

On June 12, 2014, Segal delivered a graceful farewell to his former colleagues that included these words on the proper role of the Senate:

“And finally, above all, the central and indisputable importance of the rule of law, due process, presumption of innocence as cornerstones of our democratic way of life, whatever dark forces elsewhere — sometimes in government, sometimes in opposition, the police or the media — might seek to dictate or impose upon us.”

Peter MacKay Pushed To Enforce Parliamentary Law In Senate Scandal

OTTAWA - Federal Liberals are trying to drag Justice Minister Peter MacKay into the Senate expenses scandal, urging him to ensure no legal stone is unturned in the quest to prosecute all those involved.

Liberal justice critic Sean Casey wrote MacKay on Friday, arguing that he has a legal duty to ensure that public affairs are conducted lawfully.

In particular, Casey said MacKay has a statutory obligation to ensure enforcement of Sec. 16 of the Parliament of Canada Act, which so far appears to have been ignored by the RCMP as it investigates allegations against Sen. Mike Duffy and Nigel Wright, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former chief of staff.

Tories on Senate scandal: from denial to obstruction

The government having left town, as it were, in a hail of bullets — one day before the post office announced it is ending home delivery — we are left to marvel at the prospect of a government, and a prime minister, who are quite literally hiding out from the public.

Not only was the House of Commons conveniently shuttered, but neither the minister responsible, Lisa Raitt, nor any Canada Post executives were on hand to answer questions regarding this drastic reduction in public services. But then, in this they were only following the example set by the prime minister, who has for months avoided answering questions about the scandal that is slowly destroying his government.

Who’s who in Senate expenses scandal

The Senate expense scandal started with a look at Senators claiming ineligible housing and travel allowances and has sparked into arguably the Conservative government’s biggest crisis. It erupted in the spring when news broke that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff got involved by giving Senator Mike Duffy $90,000 to cover his ineligible expenses. So far the scandal has claimed three Senators’ suspensions, five resignations, sparked six investigations, the opposition calling for Senate reforms and abolishment, and a deep soul searching in Parliament. The scandal received new legs when the RCMP filed an 80-page document with more explosive details about the Wright-Duffy deal, the communications strategy, and just how far some PMO staff went to try to change a Senate report. Here is the definitive guide to Senate scandal.

Is the senate scandal Canada's Watergate?

The Senate scandal is no longer about Mike Duffy, Nigel Wright or the future of the Senate. It's about Stephen Harper's integrity -- his credibility and trustworthiness.

The Prime Minister's most senior advisers first tried to orchestrate a deal to play down Mr. Duffy's offence of cheating on his expenses so he could remain in the Senate. When this ploy became untenable, they succeeded in arranging his suspension from the Senate. From the beginning, the Prime Minister's inner circle in his office (the PMO) and the Senate were also attempting to cover up these schemes.

If we abolish Senate, why not the Commons

It’s a website designed to give us a laugh, but askpaulcalandra.com is accidentally revealing the broken state of things on Parliament Hill as this scandal-filled year in politics draws to a close.

In case you haven’t seen it, the website is pretty simple comedy. You merely have to type in a question, click a button, and you receive a recording of Paul Calandra, the prime minister’s parliamentary secretary, talking about something totally off-topic.

This is what Calandra, also the MP for Oak Ridges-Markham, has been doing almost every day since Parliament resumed this fall. He’s regaled us with tales of his daughters’ lemonade stand, for instance, and, memorably, Eugene, the Filipino immigrant who delivered pizzas at the Calandra family restaurant.

The scandal surrounding the Prime Minister is not about the Senate

Stephen Harper is not fit to be prime minister of Canada. His performance speaking to the Conservative Party of Canada convention last Friday in Calgary revealed flaws of character, temperament and personality that would disqualify him from occupying a leadership position in any public institution, let alone the highest office in the land.

Dividing the country into "us" and "them," his speech was designed to shore up support from people in the room, not address Canada as a whole.

The Prime Minister denigrated the contribution to Canadian life of public sector workers, academics, the media and the judiciary.

Bringing down Stephen Harper by a Senate scandal of his own making

Could it be that our very own Senator Mike Duffy -- if he can call P.E.I. home without having lived there for decades, surely we can tag the Round Mound of Sound for Amherst's CKDH radio a Nova Scotian for his 1960s stint as a disc jockey and news reporter there -- will succeed in doing what decades of NDP policy wonks have failed to do?

Bring down the Senate of Canada.

And, perhaps, a prime minister in the bargain.

It would be a delicious irony if Duffy -- who liked to be called "The Senator" long before he was one, who lobbied Liberal and Tory governments for his appointment to the chamber of entitled-to-their-entitlements and whose journalism career ultimately became one long suck-up, appoint-me-please job application/supplication -- should go down in history as the architect of its demise.

The Senate scandal uncovers Harper's real downfall

When caught up in some slippery scheme, your downfall is often the banana peel underfoot as you run for the getaway car, not the bank heist itself.

And let's understand this: the Senate uproar is a mere banana peel compared to the real Harper scandal -- the slyly evolving plan to turn Canada into an authoritarian petro-state, bulldozing democracy, due process, national institutions, the law itself and whatever other detritus stands in its way.

The Senate stuff is highly entertaining -- great hubristic flameouts, reputations in tatters, partners in the enterprise of fleecing the taxpayer clawing for small shreds of dignity -- but in the end, it's mostly about a few bucks and "who knew what when." Very perishable stuff as scandals go.

Senate scandal: Mike Duffy allegations bring RCMP to PMO doorstep

The RCMP are looking for a chain of emails and documents that support Mike Duffy's allegations that the Senate expenses scandal reaches right into the Prime Minister's Office, CBC News has learned.

"The existence of such documentation may potentially be evidence of criminal wrongdoing by others," says Supt. Biage Carrese from the RCMP National Division in a Nov. 1 letter obtained by CBC News and subsequently released publicly by Duffy Tuesday.

The Mounties are particularly interested in Duffy's claim that his initial story about repaying his disputed expenses by taking out an RBC loan was concocted by senior advisers to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Senate expense scandal: The Harper brand of politics

Stephen Harper showed Canadians once again this weekend that he doesn’t flinch when challenged or alter course to avoid an obstacle.

Facing a political scandal that reaches directly into his own office, the prime minister hit back at his critics before a receptive audience of a few thousand party supporters. He told them exactly what he’s told his political opponents for weeks now — that the blame for the Senate expenses fiasco lies everywhere but with him.

Senate Scandal: Tories Just Want To Move On

OTTAWA - Conservatives are hoping a vote to suspend three errant senators without pay this week might help turn the page on a scandal that has jammed their political momentum for months.

MPs and a handful of senators are returning to Ottawa from Calgary after wrapping up a two-day biennial policy convention that just might have added another chapter or two to the saga however.

"Honestly, what most of our MPs are hearing from constituents is that they're sick of the whole story and the issue, they want to see something decisive done in terms of accountability and then to move on," Employment Minister Jason Kenney said in a weekend interview.

Harper Doesn't Apologize For Senate Scandal In Party Convention Speech

CALGARY — Stephen Harper’s troops are lining up firmly behind him.

The Prime Minister may not have provided any answers or shown any remorse about a Senate scandal that has his party sinking in the polls, but his caucus and delegates at the biennial Conservative convention say he didn't need to.

Harper delivered a rallying speech Friday at the BMO Convention Centre in Calgary. In it, he mocked his opposition, praised the government’s economic record and said senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau had to go.

Harper's Credibility In Expense Scandal On Par With Senators'

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Conservative leader who promised to usher in a new era of accountability when his government came to power in 2006, is seeing his credibility erode following months of controversy surrounding a Senate expense scandal, a new poll suggests.

Harper promised during a speech to his party in Calgary on Friday that the Conservatives will "do the right thing" and suspend senators Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin without pay, but new poll numbers suggest his credibility is on par with that of the senators who are under investigation by the RCMP.

Harper and Ford: Two scandals, same problem

Prime Minister Stephen Harper must be loving Toronto Mayor Rob Ford right now. In a minute-long press conference (if you can call it that) Ford ripped the spotlight away from another big, balding Tory troublemaker, Senator Mike Duffy, and trained it squarely on his own shiny pate.

While the Conservatives moved on a combined motion to suspend Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau in Ottawa, all eyes were on Toronto City Hall and the Ford Family Gong Show.

A government running on fear

Secrecy, corruption, deficit, lies and lapdogs: Happy Canada Day from the land of strong, stable government.

While Conrad Black, that non-Canadian, prison-savvy ex-tycoon and lineal descendant of Polonius, thinks Canada is in the poll position in the wreck ‘em race of global politics, we actually went off the track several laps ago. On the roof, tires spinning, obscured in a cloud of dust.

There is no surprise in Lord Black’s blitheness about the government’s shortcomings. There are many Bilderberg Brethren, current and former, who would like to see Canada become the odalisque of the biz gods.

No rule changes for MPs despite expense scandal

If you were imagining that these past months of Senate expense scandals would surely lead to tighter controls on how MPs and senators spend taxpayers' money, you will just have to go on imagining.

This week, MPs headed home for their summer vacations having changed not a single rule affecting their own expenses, and how they will blow through almost $450 million this year on everything from office supplies to martini dinners.

Harper finds changing channels hard amid bad news

The Senate expenses scandal has left the Harper government understandably desperate to change the channel with new legislation, amendments to old laws, regulatory changes — anything to attract public attention away from so many politically damaging horror stories.

Problem is, there’s nothing much left to change the channel to — the Conservatives have virtually run out of agenda, leaving the Senate mess to dominate media coverage and hold public attention, day after politically punishing day.

Why Canada’s expense scandal resembles trench warfare

Canada’s expense scandal has settled into a form of rhetorical trench warfare, where neither the opposition nor the government nor journalists are giving an inch on their various questions and answers about a gang of now-independent senators—and, more recently, a Member of Parliament—who either allegedly, or admittedly, claimed expenses improperly.