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Senator's visit questioned Mike Duffy's 2011 campaign stop to Norman Wells examined
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 3, 2013
LLI GOLINE/NORMAN WELLS
Norman Wells has been caught up in the controversy swirling around Sen. Mike Duffy and his expense claims - a scandal that is shaking Ottawa and the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The Western Arctic Liberal Association is pointing to Duffy's stop in Norman Wells on April 8, 2011, during the last federal election.
It is among the campaign stops listed in recent national media reports for which the embattled senator may have inappropriately submitted expense claims.
"It turns out that the Northwest Territories was one of Duffy's taxpayer-paid campaign stops," said Kieron Testart, president of the Western Arctic Liberal Association. "An audit of Duffy's campaign expenses shows he claimed a per diem while here, because he claimed it was 'Senate business.' Meanwhile, Western Arctic Conservative candidate Sandy Lee tweeted on April 8, 2011, that she was campaigning with Duffy in Norman Wells."
A tweet from Lee on from April 8, 2011, reads, "Off to Norman Wells and Tulita for (sic) with MLA Yakeleya and Senator Mike Duffy."
A Senate audit of Duffy's activities indicated that he was in an "other location," as opposed to Ottawa or his primary residence - and was on "Senate business" that day.
At the time, Duffy was a Conservative senator representing Prince Edward Island. As a result of the ongoing scandal, he resigned from the Conservative caucus in mid-May and now sits as an Independent.
When contacted by e-mail for information about the campaign stop in Norman Wells, Lee responded, "As you are aware, this issue is about the expenses a senator claimed during the 2011 campaign and it is currently under audit examination and investigations by various parties. The senator and the Senate has to answer to questions arising from them."
Lee added her campaign filed all required reports in accordance with Elections Canada legislation and guidelines.
"They are public documents and posted in the Elections Canada website," she stated.
The website shows her campaign paid Duffy $209.01 on May 1, 2011. The payment was described as miscellaneous expenses.
"When a senator does come to campaign, it is common practice for an association or a campaign to reimburse them because that is part of their job as a senator, as a member of caucus for a political party," Testart said. "But that doesn't mean (senators) have the right to claim Senate business on that day and receive compensation from the Senate in addition to the cost paid by the association. That's the whole point of paying the senators for their time, so they don't have to claim a per diem."
Testart dismissed the possibility that Duffy may have been in Norman Wells for some senate business in addition to the campaign appearance. "I have no doubt in my mind that he was there to campaign and he was not there for Senate business."
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