A Man of His Word

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick    A view of the Senate chamber on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Jan. 13, 2011.

Well, that's a huge relief. Here we were, the critical Canadian public, thinking, given past news reportage that Senator Mike Duffy might be a scofflaw, a disreputable flim-flam artist, a swindling cad, a simple crook, an extreme swiller at the public trough. Well, he is none of those, and shame on those of the public who ever permitted such slanderous thoughts to wash through their minds.

Mike Duffy is a man of his word.

He said, months ago, when the scandal over three Senators sitting in the plush red Senate Chamber were brought to public attention for their double-dealing at taxpayer expense, that he would return to the Senate monies paid him under what appears to be a perfectly legal expense allowance, seemingly perverted by those who know how to circumvent ethics and the trust placed in them to act with moral integrity.

The Senate has confirmed that Mr. Duffy had repaid to the receiver general $90,172.24. That's a whopping big sum. At least it is for most people. And most people pay their taxes, and know now that some of their taxes end up this way. In the bank accounts of people like Mike Duffy who, though living in the National Capital for decades, and owning a house in Ottawa, chose to fiddle accounts by claiming a more-recently cottage purchased outside Ottawa his primary residence, and claiming the house a secondary residence.

He didn't have to travel over a hundred kilometres from Ottawa to access his primary residence, as do those who live great distances from Ottawa where they represent their provinces in the Senate, and who receive legitimate financial support for renting premises within the capital where they may live while pursuing their Senate duties.

Since Mr. Duffy was appointed to the Senate in 2009 he has claimed about $90,000 in housing allowances. That for all practical purposes such allowances are meant to be available to those who live well outside Ottawa, requiring secondary housing in the capital, and which category would logically exclude those who have long owned homes in Ottawa, was obviously incidental to Mr. Duffy's plans to enrich himself.