Another Harper trust scandal, same supporting cast

September 2, 2015

Just like Duffy, Harper’s PMO and campaign team are tangled up in Wallin affair 

OTTAWA – Stephen Harper isn’t telling the truth about the ongoing Duffy and Wallin PMO scandals. Harper can’t be trusted.

Harper evaded questions on the Wallin file yesterday, even though he told the House of Commons he personally reviewed Wallin’s expenses, and said everything was fine:

“I have looked at the numbers. Her travel costs are comparable to any parliamentarian travelling from that particular area of the country.” (Stephen Harper, February 13, 2013)

Those same expenses are subject to an RCMP investigation into criminal wrongdoing by Wallin. The RCMP has reportedly turned the Wallin file over to Crown prosecutors for review. (CTV News, August 31, 2015)

Harper previously said he was “not aware of the results of the audit” conducted on Senator Wallin’s expenses. (June 5, 2013) But documents disclosed in court show that key players from Harper’s office and campaign team advised Senator Wallin throughout the cover-up.

After Harper told the House of Commons everything was just fine with Wallin’s expenses, Nigel Wright and then-Senator Marjory LeBreton discussed that Wallin had already quietly repaid some expenses, with more to come:

“I would expect that Sen. Wallin would be given the opportunity to address any unusual expenses through repayment if that is appropriate, as she has already done with some inadvertently claimed.” (Wright email to LeBreton, February 19, 2013)

And LeBreton wrote about Harper and Wallin in emails produced in court:

“With regards to Senator Wallin… On the issues of stop-overs, we will speak personally but I am sure you, the PM and I are all on the same page.” (LeBreton to Wright, February 19, 2013)

Canadians deserve the truth from Harper. They deserve honest leadership.