I’m not normally a fan of going about my Parliamentary news gathering in this fashion but there are some days when there doesn’t seem to be much choice… (see the raw video posted by CBC News above)
Meanwhile, here is the text of what Prime Minister Stephen Harper had to say to his caucus this morning: Read more…
It is rare, believe it or not, for news about federal politics to make the front pages of the country’s newspapers. It is also rare for newspaper editors to give prominent front-page play to stories about another city’s mayor. Not today. The Senate Scandals and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford can be found on front pages all across the country – but not necessarily coast-to-coast . Read more…
Tonight, CTV’s Parliamentary Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported that Senator Mike Duffy tried to use his influence on a CRTC decision involving Sun News Network. Fife cited unnamed sources for this allegation.
The application Sun News Network has before the CRTC is pretty important to me and my colleagues.
Here’s what our network’s vice-president Kory Teneycke has to say about what CTV reported tonight:
Senator Duffy does not, nor has he ever, been employed as a lobbyist for Sun News/Sun Media. Nor have we asked Senator Duffy act as an agent on our behalf.
The CRTC process is a quasi judicial process, not a political one.
We believe we have made a very clear, compelling, and public case for Sun News. It is now in the hands of the CRTC Commissioners, who will make their decision.
We appreciate the support we have received from tens of thousands of Canadians who have mailed letters, signed petitions and emailed the CRTC as a part of their public consultation process.
Just e-mailed to me from Senator Mike Duffy:
“It is clear the public controversy surrounding me and the repayment of my Senate expenses has become a significant distraction to my caucus colleagues, and to the government. Given that my presence within the Conservative caucus only contributes to that distraction, I have decided to step outside of the caucus and sit as an independent Senator pending resolution of these questions.
“Throughout this entire situation I have sought only to do the right thing. I look forward to all relevant facts being made clear in due course, at which point I am hopeful I will be able to rejoin the Conservative caucus.
“This has been a difficult time for me and my family, and we are going to take some time away from the public. I ask the media to respect our privacy while these questions are resolved through the appropriate processes.
The Conservative Party of Canada has been around in its current form for nearly a decade and, in all that time, its one and only leader, Stephen Harper, has never awoken the morning after a day of elections with fewer seats in the House of Commons than he had the day before. Until today.
On Monday, in the federal riding of Labrador, the Conservative incumbent, Peter Penashue — who had resigned his seat and his position at Harper’s cabinet table in March because of serious allegations of multiple violations of election finance law when he won the seat in 2011 — lost to Liberal Yvonne Jones. Read more…
Latest from my Parliamentary Bureau colleagues