Senate expense scandal: A failure of leadership

"There's going to be a new code on Parliament Hill: bend the rules, you will be punished; break the law, you will be charged; abuse the public trust, you will go to prison.”
– Stephen Harper, November 30, 2005

Those were heady statements from soon to be Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Let’s fast forward to last week.

According to reports released last Thursday, (because the Senate doesn’t work Fridays,) from the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, the following Senators broke the rules and abused the public trust:

• Patrick Brazeau (Harper appointee) – $48,744 for false residency claims
• Mike Duffy (Harper appointee) – $1,050.60 for Florida per diems he wasn’t entitled to and $90,172.24 for false residency claims
• Mac Harb (Chretien appointee) - $51,482 for false residency claims

And what did Canada’s former accountability crusader come Prime Minister have to say about these abuses? He turned into an apologist and defended his rule breaking Senators.

The rule-breakers suffered no consequences for their actions – but that is as we would expect from a Prime Minister who has repeatedly turned a blind eye when his ministers have been caught bending, breaking or twisting the rules.

Since Stephen Harper became Prime Minister, the PMO has remained a black hole where accountability goes to die.

Canadians deserve better.