Senator Mike Duffy is once again clocking time toward his retirement.
The Senate passed a motion Tuesday to reinstate the accrual of Duffy’s pension benefits, retroactive to the date of his acquittal on charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery.
Duffy was cleared last month of all 31 charges against him following a trial that played out over the course of a year. He is about six months away from hitting the six-year minimum required for a parliamentarian to be eligible for a pension.
Duffy was suspended without pay in 2013 after questions were raised about his Senate expenses.
His lawyer, Donald Bayne, told CTV’s Question Period following the acquittal that Duffy should be repaid the $250,000 in salary he forfeited.
But Senator Leo Housakos, who chairs the Senate internal economy committee that administers salaries and budgets, told Question Period there is likely not "much of an appetite" to do so.
Senators are paid $145,400 a year, with additional salary for those filling roles like whip or committee chair.
The average pension paid to senators, according to government figures posted in 2015, is $73,273.
