Just the Facts: Top 10 Questions Stephen Harper Must Answer on the PMO Ethics Scandal
May 23, 2013
Liberal press conference on the PMO ethics scandal (May 23, 2013)
Left to right: Liberal Senate Leader Sen. Jim Cowan, Liberal Whip Judy Foote, Deputy Leader Ralph Goodale, Natural Resources Critic Marc Garneau. Photo : Greg Kolz
In recent days, serious questions have emerged about the ethics of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). First, it appears the PMO whitewashed and obstructed an audit report on Senate expenses; then Mr. Harper’s right-hand man apparently cut a $90,000 cheque to cover-up potentially fraudulent expenses.
Instead of providing Canadians with the answers they rightfully deserve, Mr. Harper skipped town.
Canadians deserve transparency and accountability from this Conservative government. Canadians deserve the truth.
The Prime Minister must stop running and answer the following key questions:
#1 – On Monday, May 20th, the PMO told CTV News that they had forwarded a copy of the agreement between Senator Duffy and Nigel Wright to Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson. On Tuesday, Conservatives said that the document couldn’t be released because no such agreement existed. Which is it? And when will the government publicly release all documents and emails relating to this deal so they can be reviewed by the Canadian public?
#2 – Two former Chiefs of Staff to a Conservative Prime Minister have said that there is no way that Stephen Harper could not have known about the deal. How could Mr. Harper continue to say he had the utmost confidence in Wright for nearly a week when he was allegedly kept in the dark about this serious undertaking?
#3 – Media reports indicate that Stephen Harper’s former senior legal advisor negotiated the agreement between Senator Duffy and Nigel Wright. That lawyer says he didn’t participate in the decision to write the $90,172 cheque, but has not denied drafting an agreement. Who drafted the agreement?
#4 – The Senate committee’s report on Senator Duffy was whitewashed. Who ordered the members of the committee to whitewash the Duffy report and why did a majority of Senators on the committee agree to co-operate in the cover-up?
#5 – Senator Duffy was told by the Prime Minister’s Office that they would repay his expenses and “go easy” on him in exchange for his silence. What else did the PMO expect in exchange for over $90,172 and a whitewashed Senate report?
#6 – Conservative Senator David Tkachuk tipped off Senator Duffy that he had billed inappropriate expenses. Was Sen. Tkachuk – or any other Conservative senator – ordered by PMO to give Senator Duffy the heads-up as part of the deal to “go easy” on him?
#7 – Once Senator Duffy repaid the $90,172 he immediately stopped co-operating with the Deloitte investigators who were auditing him. Was he ordered to quit co-operating by the PMO?
#8 – Why is the Conservative Leader in the Senate refusing to allow committee hearings into this whole affair to be held in public? Why does Stephen Harper continue to have confidence in the Conservative Senators who whitewashed the report and who are now being asked to review it?
#9 – The audit of Senator Pamela Wallin’s expenses has yet to be made public. Had the Duffy-Wright deal not come to light, would she have received similar treatment?
#10 – Despite being required to disclose a gift of over $500 to the Senate Ethics Commissioner within 30 days, Senator Duffy did not disclose the $90,172 gift from Nigel Wright. Why?