Andrew Coyne: The only right thing left for Mike Duffy to do now is resign - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

longsuffering · 05-16-2013, 07:45 AM

Quote:

The bailout of Mike Duffy by the prime minister’s chief of staff is so astonishingly ill-judged it is difficult to know where to begin.

It would be questionable, at best, for anyone to make such a large payment to a senator, whose responsibilities, let us remember, include voting on government bills.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com

I agree.

Stephen Harper should also explain WTF is going on.

Cue the "The Fiberals were worse" crowd in 5 ... 4..... 3...

burn_this_city · 05-16-2013, 08:10 AM

He should resign, it's ridiculous that he hasn't already.

Northendzone · 05-16-2013, 08:17 AM

i wonder if someone in Harpers government would be interested in taking care of my expenses......

CaptainCrunch · 05-16-2013, 09:05 AM

Nope he absolutely needs to go as do several other, no argument here. Harpers COS needs to come completely clean as well as does Harper.

The Senate has pretty well been the poster boy for entitlement based corruption for years, its time to go through that place with a blowtorch.

Plett25 · 05-16-2013, 09:11 AM

To: PM Harper's Chief of Staff

Thank-you

Sincerely,
Justin Trudeau

St. Pats · 05-16-2013, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

This is pretty ridiculous. There is no way the staffer does this without Harpers knowledge or direction.

Who cares about that boob Duffy, Harper is the one who should be looked at.

We all know there is cronyism but this is blatant and unequivocable. Thieves.

Nope that is completely the wrong emphasis. What should happen is there should be no Senate. This is just yet another among the other thousands of reasons why the institution should no longer exist.

Cowperson · 05-16-2013, 11:39 AM

It's beyond belief that a guy of Duffy's media experience would find himself in this kind of PR pickle.

Pure dumminess and/or greed and certainly destroys his reputation.

He feels shame. I hope.

Cowperson

Minnie · 05-16-2013, 11:41 AM

Oi. I haven't watched much of the news in the past few days, as I've been ill. Holy crappoli. Yeah, he needs to be gone, like yesterday. Harper et al need to get real transparent about this in a big fat hurry.

I don't care which party pulls this crap - Liberals, Cons - whichever one does it, it's total bullpucky. There's no worse here - it's all crap.

Parallex · 05-16-2013, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

This is pretty ridiculous. There is no way the staffer does this without Harpers knowledge or direction.

Of course not, I don't think there is any way that the PM's Chief of Staff cut's a $90,000.00 cheque to a Conservative Senator currently in the midst of an investigation (for the purposes of repaying misappropriated public money) without telling him (The PM) about it.

This is a damage control payoff pure and simple.

afc wimbledon · 05-16-2013, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parallex

Of course not, I don't think there is any way that the PM's Chief of Staff cut's a $90,000.00 cheque to a Conservative Senator currently in the midst of an investigation (for the purposes of repaying misappropriated public money) without telling him (The PM) about it.

This is a damage control payoff pure and simple.

Damage control as in driving your car off a cliff because the check engine light comes on.

First Lady · 05-16-2013, 11:52 AM

How come I don't have generous "friends" like this...

Gawd what a mess.

Tinordi · 05-16-2013, 12:50 PM

There are no outs for Duffy other than resignation. Once this starts to infect public sentiment into the PMO they'll turn the knife and go hard after him.

Parallex · 05-16-2013, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Once this starts to infect public sentiment into the PMO they'll turn the knife and go hard after him.

I don't think that they will (if by "they" you meant the Prime Minister and his Office). The ability to do that ended today because the story is no longer a simple case of Duffy being caught having his fat-fingers in the public cookie jar.

The story is now that the PMO, Harper's chief of staff no less, is basically paying off Duffy's theft. Duffy won't even have to pay back any restitution to the public because Harper's guy is doing it for him... in effect he's getting away with stealing from the public. I'm sure that there's no documentation proving that Harper gave it (the $90,000.00 "gift") the thumbs up but it's inconceivable that he knew nothing.

Duffy may end up resigning but the Tories will not go after him hard since he can easily make this a very very very uncomfortable situation for them if they were to put the screws to him and he were to take umbridge at it.

I mean really... what other reason is there for them to pay the money back for him? Duffy makes $135,200.00 in salary for the senate job, by his own admission he owns multiple properties, and I'm pretty sure he made some nice coin during his TV career... even if he doesn't have the money to pay it back (which I doubt) it's not like he can't easily get a bank loan to pay back the money himself. Seems pretty likely to me that this was "keep your mouth shut and help us make this go away as quickly and quietly as possible" money. Obviously backfiring on them but that's what I think this was intended to be.

Byrns · 05-16-2013, 02:52 PM

This will be a non-issue in 2 weeks.

Devils'Advocate · 05-16-2013, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Byrns

This will be a non-issue in 2 weeks.

I agree.

I believe that this is just one more example of government waste by the Conservatives.

I also believe that it won't hurt them one bit as they are very good at sweeping these things under the rug.

edslunch · 05-16-2013, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I agree.

I believe that this is just one more example of government waste by the Conservatives.

I also believe that it won't hurt them one bit as they are very good at sweeping these things under the rug.

Probably. I cannot overstate my hatred of those #######s

Dion · 05-16-2013, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by First Lady

How come I don't have generous "friends" like this...

Gawd what a mess.

I haven't won the 6/49 yet

rubecube · 05-16-2013, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I agree.

I believe that this is just one more example of government waste by the Conservatives.

I also believe that it won't hurt them one bit as they are very good at sweeping these things under the rug.

I don't think it's going to be that easy this time. There's likely going to be an independent investigation, if not a parliamentary hearing. By the time that wraps up and we get all the results from the various hearings and inquiries, we'll be fast approaching election time. I wouldn't be shocked to see Harper pull a Chretien and let the next leader fall on the grenade.

Devils'Advocate · 05-16-2013, 07:57 PM

Well, sorry Mr. Coyne.... it appears the best you are going to get is that Duffy is quitting the Conservative caucus and will sit as an independent. There. That seems sufficient punishment. Well done. End of story. Nothing else to see here. Move along....

Vulcan · 05-16-2013, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubecube

I don't think it's going to be that easy this time. There's likely going to be an independent investigation, if not a parliamentary hearing. By the time that wraps up and we get all the results from the various hearings and inquiries, we'll be fast approaching election time. I wouldn't be shocked to see Harper pull a Chretien and let the next leader fall on the grenade.

I guess Chretien learned from Mulroney. Sometimes I feel real sympathy for Kim Campbell.