OTTAWA – Sen. Pamela Wallin is expected to address the Senate, Wednesday, as the upper chamber considers a motion to suspend her and two colleagues without pay.
On Tuesday, Sen. Mike Duffy insisted he was the victim of a “monstrous conspiracy” orchestrated by the Prime Minister’s Office to appease voters.
He said he was in a room with Prime Minister Harper and his then-chief of staff Nigel Wright in February to discuss his improper living expenses and Duffy’s pleas of innocence.
However, Duffy claims Harper said the perception of guilt was all that mattered and ordered he pay back $90,000.
When Duffy complained he couldn’t, he said Wright offered to write the cheque.
Also addressing the Senate was Sen. Patrick Brazeau, who said he too has never been given due process to address his improperly claimed expenses.
He put forward a motion to hold a public hearing of the same committee into his expenses.
Brazeau emphasized that an independent audit firm hired by the Senate wrote in a report that he met all the criteria set out by the Senate for declaring a primary residence.
Duffy, Wallin and Patrick Brazeau are defending themselves against a motion to suspend them from the Senate without pay for “gross negligence” in how they managed their expenses.
