Senate votes to suspend Brazeau, Duffy, Wallin

[mentalfloss]

The Senate flexed its muscle Tuesday and in an unprecedented move tossed three of its members — Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau — out of the chamber, cutting their salaries and use of office resources.

Senators were allowed to vote separately with these results:

On the motion to suspend Brazeau without pay, 50 yeas, 29 nays, 13 abstentions.
On the motion to suspend Duffy without pay, 52 yeas, 28 nays, 11 abstentions.
On the motion to suspend Wallin without pay, 52 yeas, 27 nays, 12 abstentions.
The suspensions are to last for the remainder of the session, likely until the next federal election in 2015.

It is the first time in Senate history a senator has been sanctioned in this way over expenses without being convicted of a criminal offence.

The Conservatives voted largely in favour of the motion for each senator, and the Liberals voted against, with some abstentions on both sides. As he indicated he would, Conservative Senator Hugh Segal voted against suspending Wallin, but also voted nay for Duffy and Brazeau. Wallin abstained on her own vote.

Wallin, following the vote, grabbed her purse and walked out of the chamber quickly, pausing briefly to speak to reporters in the Senate foyer. "I think it's an extremely sad day for democracy. If we can't expect the rule of law in Canada, then where on earth can we expect it?" she said, her voice catching.

CBC News - Senate votes to suspend Brazeau, Duffy, Wallin

 

[CDNBear]

http://forums.canadiancontent.net/news/120057-suspended-without-pay.html

Someone beat you to it...

Maybe you should take a break, relax, hit the bong. You know, let your emotions settle.

Then come back later.

 

[Goober]

http://forums.canadiancontent.net/news/120057-suspended-without-pay.html

Someone beat you to it...

Maybe you should take a break, relax, hit the bong. You know, let your emotions settle.

Then come back later.

PS- I will split on the bong with you.

 

[mentalfloss]

Thanks for the tips madbro.

 

[CDNBear]

PS- I will split on the bong with you.

You want me to pack the hit bowl or do you wanna corner big skully?

Thanks for the tips madbro.

LOLZ

Making fun of your emotional state isn't me being mad, it's me laughing at you, lolz.

 

[Goober]

You want me to pack the hit bowl or do you wanna corner big skully?

LOLZ

Making fun of your emotional state isn't me being mad, it's me laughing at you, lolz.

I will leave that up to you- I trust a wise decision will be made- So I will bring these.

To go with these

Is that fair?

 

[CDNBear]

Oh ya, we'll corner big skully and then hit the zah dude.

 

[damngrumpy]

For those who are happy about this, its a two pronged sword
While some are off the payroll its also a mini cover up so we
will forget about what really happened here. We have to know
the truth and make sure those who were part of any illegal
activity pay for their indiscretions.

 

[Goober]

For those who are happy about this, its a two pronged sword
While some are off the payroll its also a mini cover up so we
will forget about what really happened here. We have to know
the truth and make sure those who were part of any illegal
activity pay for their indiscretions.

DG - Not permitted to be on topic in this thread.:smile:

 

[taxslave]

I'm rather surprised many of the Libs voted against suspension. Could be worried they are living on borrowed time?

 

[CDNBear]

I'm rather surprised many of the Libs voted against suspension. Could be worried they are living on borrowed time?

They didn't feel like being hypocrites today?

 

[taxslave]

They didn't feel like being hypocrites today?

Liberal Senators?

 

[CDNBear]

Liberal Senators?

Ya.

To much of a stretch?

 

[JLM]

For those who are happy about this, its a two pronged sword
While some are off the payroll its also a mini cover up so we
will forget about what really happened here. We have to know
the truth and make sure those who were part of any illegal
activity pay for their indiscretions.

I kind of thought what REALLY happened here was theft from the taxpayer!

The Senate flexed its muscle Tuesday and in an unprecedented move tossed three of its members — Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau — out of the chamber, cutting their salaries and use of office resources.

Senators were allowed to vote separately with these results:

On the motion to suspend Brazeau without pay, 50 yeas, 29 nays, 13 abstentions.
On the motion to suspend Duffy without pay, 52 yeas, 28 nays, 11 abstentions.
On the motion to suspend Wallin without pay, 52 yeas, 27 nays, 12 abstentions.
The suspensions are to last for the remainder of the session, likely until the next federal election in 2015.

It is the first time in Senate history a senator has been sanctioned in this way over expenses without being convicted of a criminal offence.

The Conservatives voted largely in favour of the motion for each senator, and the Liberals voted against, with some abstentions on both sides. As he indicated he would, Conservative Senator Hugh Segal voted against suspending Wallin, but also voted nay for Duffy and Brazeau. Wallin abstained on her own vote.

Wallin, following the vote, grabbed her purse and walked out of the chamber quickly, pausing briefly to speak to reporters in the Senate foyer. "I think it's an extremely sad day for democracy. If we can't expect the rule of law in Canada, then where on earth can we expect it?" she said, her voice catching.

CBC News - Senate votes to suspend Brazeau, Duffy, Wallin

Best news this month! -

I'm rather surprised many of the Libs voted against suspension. Could be worried they are living on borrowed time?

Yeah, they sure don't want to set a precedent for when they are in power. -

 

[bill barilko]

[youtube]zqiblXFlZuk[/youtube]

 

[Zipperfish]

They didn't feel like being hypocrites today?

But you're not partisan, right. :lol:

 

[FiveParadox]

This is a tremendously dangerous precedent for the Conservatives to have set here.

Remember, the power of suspension -- and expulsion -- is possessed equally be both Houses, with respect to their own memberships. All it takes to suspend or expel a senator or MP is a simple majority vote. Since we have now established that legislators can be expelled for embarrassing the Government, any party with a majority now has the power, by this precedent, to silence the minority.

The fact of the matter is that three senators were suspended for breaching retroactive applications of rules that did not exist when their expenses were incurred. None of these senators has been charged with wrongdoing -- and in fact, the Deloitte audits put much more blame on the nonsensical expense rules of the Senate that existed at the time, than they did any individual senators. This is not in keeping with the story that the Conservatives have been telling, of course.

 

[CDNBear]

But you're not partisan, right. :lol:

Are you really as daft as you portray yourself?

This is a tremendously dangerous precedent for the Conservatives to have set here.

Remember, the power of suspension -- and expulsion -- is possessed equally be both Houses, with respect to their own memberships. All it takes to suspend or expel a senator or MP is a simple majority vote. Since we have now established that legislators can be expelled for embarrassing the Government, any party with a majority now has the power, by this precedent, to silence the minority.

That is a scary precedent. Even more so than compelling a sitting Gov't to open sensitive documents pertaining to an ongoing conflict... ;-)