The Duffy Affair: LeBreton to ask AG to look into senate spending

Government Senate Leader Marjory LeBreton will ask the auditor general to conduct a "comprehensive" audit over senate expenses. She said she will launch the audit Tuesday and will put the entire senate under the microscope.

“When I say a comprehensive audit of all Senate expenses, I mean just that,” LeBreton told CTV’s Power Play on Monday. “Every tax payer dollar that’s spent to the functioning of the Senate all of it…I chose my words carefully.

“The public saw the Senate as a closed club, investigating itself,” she said. “I came to realize that we really had to respect what the public was saying and turn it over to a body that is absolutely, without question, has a lot integrity and a lot credibility and actually assure the public that we are serious about tax payer dollars.”

Liberal Senate leader James Cowan supported LeBreton's move, adding it should extend to the House of Commons as well. But LeBreton said, “I think they’re ahead of us right now in terms of accounting for their expenses.”

What do you think of LeBreton's idea of bringing in the auditor general? Good idea or wasting time that could be used to get a public inquiry? What do you think of Liberal calls to extend the audit to the House of Commons as well? Share this article and join the discussion and let us know what you think: Facebook, Twitter, Google+.

Stephen Harper on Integrity: The Duffy Affair

What started as a $90,172 claim of inappropriate expenses seen as an outrage as part of abusive senate behaviour quickly escalated to a scandal with many more questions than answers. Get up to date with the full timeline.
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