Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair says the results of the auditor general’s investigation into senators’ expenses should be released “as soon as possible,” after CTV News reported that at least 40 current and former senators have received letters about questionable expense claims.
“We’ve seen, since the beginning of this whole sordid affair, Liberal and Conservative senators taking the public to the cleaners. We’ve known about it for some time,” Mulcair told reporters Wednesday.
“We’re hearing now that there will be 40 senators mentioned in the auditor general’s report. I think that report should be released as soon as possible, frankly.”
CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported Tuesday night that Auditor General Michael Ferguson sent confidential letters to at least 40 current and former senators about questionable expense claims.
Sources said former Liberal senator Rose-Marie Losier-Cool has been asked to account for about $100,000. When CTV News contacted her by phone, she refused to comment and hung up.
Sources said that other senators, including Conservative Sen. Dan Lang, have repaid the money. Lang would not confirm that to CTV News.
Most of the senators approached by CTV were tight-lipped about the audit. Conservative Sen. Richard Neufeld told reporters Wednesday, that the audit is not yet complete and senators have signed confidentiality letters that prevent them from discussing it.
‘Ice-cold camembert’
Speaking to reporters, Conservative Sen. Nancy Ruth said that she has been asked to clarify some expenses, but was not asked to reimburse anything and is not “particularly” worried about the final report.
She said most of the questions she was asked “were not very sophisticated.”
“There were a couple of times that my assistant put in for a breakfast when I was on a plane and they say I shouldn’t have claimed because I should have eaten that breakfast,” she said.
Ruth's expense claims over a two-year period include $142,797 in living and travel expenses.
“Well, those breakfasts are pretty awful, if you want ice-cold camembert with broken crackers.”
Ruth said those kinds of questions don’t “really have anything to do with Senate business.
“If I eat cold camembert and soda crackers, is that Senate business?
Forensic investigation
Ferguson’s office has said that the audit of senators’ expenses would be released before the end of June. But Mulcair said that needs to happen sooner.
“We’re learning that senators have apparently been using public money as their personal piggy bank,” Mulcair said.
“Canadians have a right to know what’s in that report and they should stop stalling it.”
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said Parliament and the Senate must demonstrate accountability and transparency.
“I certainly look forward to seeing the auditor general’s final report,” he told reporters Wednesday.
This is the first time in Canadian history that the auditor general has done a complete forensic investigation of the money senators spend.
Auditors are matching travel and expense claims with phone records. They’ve been combing through the expenses of 117 current and former senators who sat in the Red Chamber from April 2001 to March 2013.
In November 2013, the Senate suspended three former Conservatives -- Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau and Pamela Wallin -- over inappropriate expense claims.
Liberal Mac Harb resigned from the Senate in August 2013 after repaying ineligible housing and travel expenses.
Duffy now faces 31 charges, including multiple counts of fraud and breach of trust. His trial will begin next week.
Brazeau and Harb have also been charged with defrauding the Senate by making false or misleading expense claims.
No charges have been laid against Wallin. The RCMP investigation into her expenses is ongoing.
None of the allegations have yet been tested in court.
During question period Wednesday, NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus asked if the prime minister would promise to turn Ferguson’s audit over to the RCMP, “so we can determine if any other of these senators should be up on charges.”
Harper’s parliamentary secretary Paul Calandra answered by saying that the auditor general was “invited by the Senate” to examine the expense claims.
Senate Opposition Leader James Cowan told CTV’s Power Play Wednesday that the auditor general’s report will come back to the Senate “in the form of advice and recommendations.”
“We’ll take those very seriously,” he said.
