Wednesday, April 29, 2015

The Duffy Trial Starts to Suck In Stephen Harper



Ever since the Mike Duffy scandal erupted one question has never been properly answered.

How on earth did Duffy think he could get away with posing as a Senator from Prince Edward Island, when he had lived in Ottawa for decades?

And yesterday that question was finally answered.

It apparently wasn't Duffy's idea to pass himself off as the Senator from P.E.I., it was the fond wish, or the command, of his depraved patron Stephen Harper. 

Mike Duffy was concerned with the issues of eligibility of his Senate seat from almost the very moment he was appointed, and he raised those issues with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, sources tell CBC News. 

Duffy was so concerned, he asked Harper if he could represent Ontario, the province where he had lived for three decades. But sources say the prime minister needed to fill a P.E.I. seat and insisted Duffy represent the Island instead.


And since Harper later claimed that Duffy signed his declaration of residency before he appointed him, the revelation couldn't be more embarrassing.

Opposition NDP Leader Tom Mulcair asked about when Duffy had signed his declaration of residency. "The prime minister says Duffy signed it before being named. It is not true. Can the prime minister please tell Canadians which declaration he was referring us to, and when exactly did Mike Duffy sign it?" 

The prime minister did not directly respond to the question, but later said he would leave the matter to the courts.

Not just because it appears he bent the rules to appoint Duffy.

But also because it appears he also bent them, to appoint to the Senate, his VERY good friend Carolyn Stewart Olsen.



Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair moved to drag another Conservative senator into the Senate scandal Tuesday, questioning whether Carolyn Stewart Olsen met the residence requirements when Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed her to the upper chamber. 

“Carolyn Stewart Olsen not only lived in Ottawa, she worked side-by-side with the prime minister day in and day out as his press secretary,” Mulcair told the House of Commons during Question Period. “She was his communications director and frankly, his closest political confidante. So how is it possible that the prime minister thought Carolyn Stewart Olsen actually lived in New Brunswick when she was showing up to work for him here in Ottawa every single day?”

Which was another embarrassing question that Stephen Harper didn't want to answer yesterday.

“I certainly would not accept by any means the premise of that question,” he shot back. “What I would say is what is very clear, is that Mr. Duffy’s actions are before the court. The government has been assisting the RCMP in its investigation and the Crown in its presentation of the case. Those matters are before the court. We will let the court adjudicate those matters.”

But since Stewart Olsen has been summoned to testify at the Duffy trial, no doubt to explain, among other things, why she tried to whitewash a Senate report.

Conservative Senator Carolyn Stewart-Olsen moved a motion to revise the report on Senator Mike Duffy’s expenses, according to new details obtained by Global News. The source, a senior member of the Senate, said the report ended up dropping “tough language” against Duffy.


It's not a question that is going to go away.

And it will come back to haunt him, along with the question of Duffy's eligibility...



Because had he not bent the rules to appoint him, there would have been no scandal.

And that's before Nigel Wright is called to the stand to explain how the PMO tried to cover it up. And what Stephen Harper meant when he said the plan was "good to go."

Because it's now clear he did have a lot to cover-up.

And what also seems clear is that with every passing day, Harper is slowly being drawn or sucked into the heart of the Duffy trial.

And that by the time that trial reaches its climax, hopefully in the middle of the election campaign.

All the makeup in the world might not save him...



He corrupted the process, he appointed the wrong people, he tried to cover it up.

And with a little bit of luck, that freak show will degrade him beyond recognition.

And it will help destroy him...

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19 comments:

thwap said...

Why that bloated psychopath isn't being asked to testify is a very serious question. Listen to the cowardly asshole not-answering Mulcair with his "it's before the courts, we're cooperating" bullshit.

Yeah, just like you cooperated with Elections Canada by canceling meetings and withholding information.

I really hate this guy.

Anonymous said...

I'm with on that last statement thwap and all your previous ones.

Cheers,
Mogs

We can't let him drag us down because he will get his just desserts.

Anonymous said...

good post with one error: 'will degrade him beyond recognition' is not possible as it is by his degradation that we know him.
regards

Anonymous said...

Looks like Duffy likely has grounds to sue Harper for his troubles if he does get convicted based on his non residency status in PEI. Seems that there is a paper trail establishing that it was Harper who had insisted he represent PEI despite Duffy's own misgivings. Harper will have a tough time if he tries to claim good faith in appointing Duffy since he had also appointed at least two others with dubious residency qualifications: Stewart-Olsen and Wallin. Karma's a bitch, isn't it? Hope Harper spends his retirement fighting these charges, just as Mulroney had to fight his in a public inquiry.

Cathie from Canada said...

I only wish Harper would be tarred by this, but here's the rub: irregardless of what Harper believed or Duffy believed or anybody else believed, nobody forced Duffy to file expense claims for living in his home in Ottawa -- he did that all by himself.
The trial is about Duffy, not Harper -- unfortunately.

rumleyfips said...

It gladdens the heart of this cynical old fart to see the leaks spring forth with spring. That Senators are using burner phones and blabbing to reporters is evidence that Harper's control by intimidation is working. I'm sure there will be more brown envelopes left unattended in the next few weeks. Maybe the super secret privliged Senate report will make its way to some ink stained wretch's shell like ear.

Harper's next move may be to ban Nigel and look for a dismissal foe lack of evidence.. Hopefully the Duffy dossier will be leaked in its entirety if this happens.

rumleyfips said...

I meant that Harpers control by intimidation is no longer working. Does anyone know a good proof reader?

Simon said...

hi thwap....I understand how you feel, but be patient who knows where this case is heading. Harper would never agree to testify, but if he is asked and refuses, or if the public comes to believe that he is hiding something the political damage will be done, and as I said in my post, in a tight election it could make a difference...

Simon said...

hi anon....well I suppose that's true, but since Harper likes to use the word all the time I can't resist using it against him. ;)

Simon said...

hi anon...if Duffy manages to avoid a jail sentence I'm pretty sure we will never hear another word from him. His health is frail and his court costs crushing. However, I am hoping for a XXX-rated book...

Simon said...

hi Cathie...this case is like one of those Russian dolls, with one doll after the other hidden under the one you see. So while it's true that Duffy has an expense problem, the doll the Cons are desperate to hide is the residency question, and of course the cover-up. The Cons didn't go wild because their star senator had nickel and dime his per diems, it's because they knew that should the shit hit the fan, Harper's bending of the rules would hurt him. Also remember that beyond the legalities of the case is the fact the these days perceptions everything. Harper is already distrusted by many Canadians, so raising doubts about him can only increase those negatives and do him real damage. Politics is perception, everybody should remember that, I don't care what happens to Duffy as long as this case hurts the Con regime, and believe me it will...

Simon said...

hi rumleyfips...as I said a few months ago, we will know when the trial is approaching the fiery core, or the locked door, when leaks started to appear in the media. And sure enough after yesterday's story, anonymous Cons are now claiming that the Barton story is wrong. The fact that they are doing that tells me they know that the trial is getting too close to their Great Leader. Stay tuned, for this case is only going to get even more interesting...

Anonymous said...

I'd like to know how Ms Olsen avoided charges for doing what Duff did. Was there an RCMP 2 for 1 sale on at the time? "Take Duff and Wallin from the senate, and Nige from the PMO and we're good to go".
We've only scratched the surface of this abomination but I believe Duff's lawyer will keep slowly turning the screws on Harper until he either resigns, loses the election, or my favorite, is reduced to a babbling, drooling, inmate for the criminally insane..
JD

David said...

When will Carolyn Stewart Olsen be called to testify at the trial?

When will Stephen Joseph Good-to-Go Harper be called to testify at the trial?




David said...

Can't get this link to work. Can anyone else?

http://www.conservative.ca/cpc/happy-birthday-prime-minister-harper/

*

From: "Laureen Harper"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 3:48:24 PM
Subject: Shhhhhh

Friend,
I may be a little biased, but tomorrow is a very special day -- It’s my husband’s 56th birthday.
To celebrate, I wanted to invite you to sign his birthday card.
You can sign your name and add a special greeting here!
This is going to be a big surprise for him, so I want to see his card get as many signatures as we can.
Needless to say, with the election coming up in less than 200 days, it’s been quite busy in Ottawa. Adding your name will be a BIG show of support for him and the whole Conservative team.
Can I count on your signature? It only takes a minute, and would mean a lot.

Thank you,
Laureen Harper

e.a.f. said...

Stevie knew darn well Duffy, Wallin, and Olsen all did not live in the provinces they were appointed to represent. He just didn't care. He thought he could get away with it. Now, not so much.

Stevie's refusal to answer questions from Mulcair, in the House, ought to be used in election ads. They ought to work well. Having stevie come and "testify" not a great idea. Stevie could simply develop a form of the B.C. Rail trial dementia or give his version of the "truth". None of this would work well for Duffy. Its better to have those moments in the House in ads and leave it at that. Then list all the cons we have been convicted, went to jail, etc. What more needs to be said about the cons during an election except how they really are cons. They make a Hell's Angels chapter look good.

Anonymous said...

I think it's okay to hate what a person does, but not hate the person themselves. Yes, I know it's hard not to. I struggle with this myself!

Marmalade said...

This has to be a joke????????????????????

Anonymous said...

It worked for me. This is actually a great opportunity to get what you feel off your chest... just do it from a public computer somewhere.