Reality Check: Senate expense scandal cover-up: a failure of leadership PART IV

“We must clean up corruption and lift the veils of secrecy that allow it to flourish. We must do nothing less than replace the culture of entitlement with the culture of accountability.”

– Stephen Harper, November 4, 2005

Strong words – that were then followed by seven years of complacency. And now the Stephen Harper Conservatives circle the wagons to defend their entitlements.

In fact the PMO is doubling down by claiming they bank-rolled Mike Duffy’s housing expense repayments:

“Mr. Duffy was not in a position to pay them himself. So what we have here is that Nigel Wright did an exceptionally honourable thing. He reached into his own resources, wrote a personal cheque out of his own bank account to cover the costs of these ineligible expenses.”

– Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Poilievre, CBC, May 15, 2013

As ridiculous as Mr. Poilievre sounds trying to defend this ninety thousand dollar payout, the excuses got even more implausible after emailed statements from Senator Duffy were released that contradict the PMO and undercut the Conservatives’ defence.

“The Royal Bank helped me…I dealt with my bank personally. Nigel played no role”

– Senator Mike Duffy in email to CTV, CTV News, May 14, 2013

No, Mr. Poilievre, with conflicting stories and shady backroom deals, there is nothing “honourable” to be found in the actions of these high ranking Conservatives. (Guys, the first rule of any cover-up is to get your stories straight from the start!)

Canadians deserve better.