Beyond Reproach

Prime Minister Stephen Harper pauses as he answers reporters questions during a joint press conference with President of Peru Ollanta Humala at Government Palace in Lima, Peru on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Following Peru, Harper will travel to Cali, Columbia for the Pacific Alliance summit. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

"I think we've been very clear I did not know. Had I been consulted, I would not have agreed with it.
Obviously, I'm very sorry that this has occurred. I'm not only sorry, I've been through the range of emotions. I'm sorry, I'm frustrated, I'm extremely angry about it. But that is the reality, and I think we've dealt with it promptly."
"I think what's more important about this is not simply that I did not know, but that I was not consulted. I was not asked to sign off on any such thing, and had I obviously been consulted or known, I would not have agreed with it.
"It was Mr. Wright's money. It was his personal money that he was repaying to the taxpayer on behalf of Mr. Duffy ... And he did this in his capacity of chief of staff, so he is solely responsible. And that is why he has resigned.
"That's the right motive, but nevertheless, it was obviously not correct for that decision to be made and executed without my knowledge or without public transparency."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper

This is a man, despite what his detractors claim, whose probity could, but should not be questioned. Simply because he is, above all other things, a man of honour whose rectitude is held in high esteem by those who appreciate that this is what he represents. He is a brilliant tactician, one who takes no prisoners simply because politics is often played out as a war game, and it always has been.

It is the art of appealing to the masses to convince them that you above all are capable of performance in the public weal superior to the capability of anyone else opposing you. And many within the Canadian electorate believe that Stephen Harper, as Prime Minister of Canada, has amply provided the guidance and the sure hand at the helm that Canada has required.

No one is infallible, and although his judgement is sound on so many indices of government concern, his instincts surely let him down when he placed his trust in those whose own track record as outstanding performers led him to believe he could trust their judgement. His own judgement was disappointed when his chief of staff made a decision impacting on the prime minister's reputation.

The prime minister himself, however, erred when he decided that he would take no questions from reporters invited into the caucus gathering where Mr. Harper explained to his caucus how he felt about the situation revolving around the Senate where three Conservative-appointed senators and one Liberal senator chose to file claims for financial compensation they were clearly not entitled to.

His disappointment extending to the discretionary work of his own PMO, and that of his chief executive officer. By delaying a response to the public's wish to know more Mr. Harper did himself no favours.

The regretful acknowledgement and apology that was extracted at a most inopportune, certainly inappropriate time during a foreign visit while sharing a podium at a press conference with the president of Peru, when trade talks should have been the focus. Prime Minister Harper's acknowledgement of the seriousness of his domestic situation relating to trust and parliamentary apprehensions should have been aired the day before his departure to Peru.

That having been said, it is done with, but not yet completed, since he will be asked to comment and to explain details that he may not yet be in complete command of, on his return. And if sufficient explanation and details relating to the unfortunate events which saw senators milking the public purse in an attitude of entitlement, bringing opprobrium down on the Conservative-led government is not forthcoming, it may become an issue that will haunt this government for the next two years.

An ordinarily forthright leader brought to a period of public umbrage through human fallibility. Greed on the part of a handful of privileged parliamentarians, exacerbated by the desire to shield the prime minister from blame of complicity in seeking to defend their reputations, ending up besmirching his own.

Senators Duffy, Wallin, Harb and Brazeau certainly guilty of ethics violations, of unentitled remunerations bringing shame to the Senate of Canada. Their serious lapses in credible entitlements must still be addressed. These are lapses serious enough to disentitle them to continued presence in the Senate of Canada. A privilege which they have themselves turned themselves away from.

Postmedia News and Canadian Press files   Clockwise from top left: Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin, Mac Harb and Patrick Brazeau have had their expense claims forwarded to an auditor.

 

Worse, harrying the reputation of a fine head of government and performing a dreadful disservice to the country. We all deserve better. A busy and engaged prime minister whose concerns revolving around the welfare of the country deserves better.