Nigel Wright

Wednesday August 19, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday August 19, 2015 The back and forth continues at the Mike Duffy Trial As the leaders of CanadaÕs three main political parties continue on their respective campaign trails, Stephen HarperÕs former chief of staff and the lawyer for disgraced senator Mike Duffy were expected to continue their sparring in an Ottawa courtroom on Tuesday. Duffy, who was appointed to the Senate in 2008 by Harper, has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges in connection with his Senate office, living and travel expenses. DuffyÕs lawyer, Donald Bayne, spent much of Monday trying to show that it was not Duffy who demanded money and set conditions to rectify the matter but the Prime MinisterÕs Office. Kerry Kolodiazny, a member of the public following the trial, left, uses his laptop to film himself with Nigel Wright, as he leaves the courthouse in Ottawa on Monday. We see Kolodiazy dressed in a flowered sports coat right out of the 1960s with a hat to match, holding his computer as he leans in to address Mr. Wright, who, as usual, is dressed in a fancy, dark suit and tie. Mr. Wright is smiling broadly. Bayne pressed Nigel Wright, who served as Prime Minister HarperÕs chief of staff from 2010 to 2013, to explain a ÒscenarioÓ co-ordinated between top aides in HarperÕs office and Duffy that included having the senator publicly admit he made a mistake with his expenses and promise to repay them. The initial plan was to have the party cover the bill, as well as DuffyÕs legal expenses and Wright has said he told Harper shortly afterward that Duffy would repay the expenses. Wright wound up writing a $90,000 cheque to Duffy to cover the expenses, telling several people in HarperÕs office as well as some Conservative Party leaders. Wright repeated that he never told Harper about the check. Meanwhile, the campaigns roll on. (Source: Radio Canada) http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/08/18/the-back-and-forth-continues-at-the-mike-duff

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday August 19, 2015

The back and forth continues at the Mike Duffy Trial

As the leaders of Canada’s three main political parties continue on their respective campaign trails, Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff and the lawyer for disgraced senator Mike Duffy were expected to continue their sparring in an Ottawa courtroom on Tuesday.

Duffy, who was appointed to the Senate in 2008 by Harper, has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges in connection with his Senate office, living and travel expenses.

Duffy’s lawyer, Donald Bayne, spent much of Monday trying to show that it was not Duffy who demanded money and set conditions to rectify the matter but the Prime Minister’s Office.

Kerry Kolodiazny, a member of the public following the trial, left, uses his laptop to film himself with Nigel Wright, as he leaves the courthouse in Ottawa on Monday. We see Kolodiazy dressed in a flowered sports coat right out of the 1960s with a hat to match, holding his computer as he leans in to address Mr. Wright, who, as usual, is dressed in a fancy, dark suit and tie. Mr. Wright is smiling broadly.

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Bayne pressed Nigel Wright, who served as Prime Minister Harper’s chief of staff from 2010 to 2013, to explain a “scenario” co-ordinated between top aides in Harper’s office and Duffy that included having the senator publicly admit he made a mistake with his expenses and promise to repay them.

The initial plan was to have the party cover the bill, as well as Duffy’s legal expenses and Wright has said he told Harper shortly afterward that Duffy would repay the expenses.

Wright wound up writing a $90,000 cheque to Duffy to cover the expenses, telling several people in Harper’s office as well as some Conservative Party leaders.

Wright repeated that he never told Harper about the check.

Meanwhile, the campaigns roll on. (Source: Radio Canada)

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Thursday August 13, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday August 13, 2015 Harper heads north on campaign tour as Duffy trial resumes Stephen Harper is heading to Northern Canada in the days after his former chief of staff Nigel Wright begins testifying at the Mike Duffy trial, a campaign itinerary that will take the Conservative Leader far from the story as it begins unfolding in an Ottawa courtroom. Mr. HarperÕs chartered election plane is expected to fly to the Northwest Territories Thursday and Nunavut on Friday before heading south again. The Conservative Leader has made a habit of touring the North for about one week each summer as part of an effort to cement a legacy in the region Ð from defending sovereignty to promoting development Ð and he cancelled this yearÕs trip in favour of an early election call. His campaign stumping in the territories by comparison will be brief. Campaign spokesman Kory Teneycke declined to discuss Mr. HarperÕs itinerary this week, saying the Tories will Òprobably spend a couple of daysÓ in Northern Canada along the way. He dismissed the notion the Harper campaign is setting its travel itinerary by the Duffy case. ÒThe trialÕs going to be going on for three weeks during the middle of the campaign. WeÕre going to go to every corner of the country while the trial is on. And everywhere we go, weÕre going to have a bus or plane full of media and [weÕll be] taking questions from them,Ó Mr. Teneycke said. (Source: Globe & Mail) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-heads-north-on-campaign-tour-as-duffy-trial-resumes/article25920402/ Canada, Stephen Harper, Mike Duffy, Arctic, election, 2015, campaign, jet, Ottawa, court, Nigel Wright

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 13, 2015

Harper heads north on campaign tour as Duffy trial resumes

Stephen Harper is heading to Northern Canada in the days after his former chief of staff Nigel Wright begins testifying at the Mike Duffy trial, a campaign itinerary that will take the Conservative Leader far from the story as it begins unfolding in an Ottawa courtroom.

Mr. Harper’s chartered election plane is expected to fly to the Northwest Territories Thursday and Nunavut on Friday before heading south again.

The Conservative Leader has made a habit of touring the North for about one week each summer as part of an effort to cement a legacy in the region – from defending sovereignty to promoting development – and he cancelled this year’s trip in favour of an early election call. His campaign stumping in the territories by comparison will be brief.

Campaign spokesman Kory Teneycke declined to discuss Mr. Harper’s itinerary this week, saying the Tories will “probably spend a couple of days” in Northern Canada along the way.

He dismissed the notion the Harper campaign is setting its travel itinerary by the Duffy case.

“The trial’s going to be going on for three weeks during the middle of the campaign. We’re going to go to every corner of the country while the trial is on. And everywhere we go, we’re going to have a bus or plane full of media and [we’ll be] taking questions from them,” Mr. Teneycke said. (Source: Globe & Mail)

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Tuesday August 11, 2015

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Tuesday August 11, 2015 Stephen Harper defends travel ban to terror zones Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is defending his proposal to ban travel to parts of the world controlled by terrorists, saying itÕs not a Òhuman rightÓ that such travel is allowed. ÒThis is limited to only those areas that are clearly under the control of terrorist organizations. WeÕre talking about a few, small number of areas in the world,Ó Harper said Monday morning during a campaign stop in Markham. ÒObviously parts of Iraq and Syria would be the kinds of areas that weÕre talking about,Ó he said. On Sunday, Harper said a newly-elected Conservative government would introduce a legal crackdown on so-called terror tourism and go after Canadians who travel to such areas. Harper said that the government advises against such travel and anyone who does go to these hotspots is Òtaking their life into their hands.Ó ÒFrankly, these are not areas where families go. These are areas where we know why people are really going. They are going to terrorist training,Ó Harper said Monday. ÒThere is no human right to travel and visit ISIS. That is not a human right in this country,Ó he said. At an early-morning event in Montreal, Trudeau dismissed the travel ban idea as little more than a distraction from the Conservatives' dismal economic record. (Source: Toronto Star) http://www.thestar.com/news/federal-election/2015/08/10/stephen-harper-defends-travel-ban-to-terror-zones.html Canada, terror, C-51, anti-Terrorism, Mike Duffy, Nigel Wright, election 2015, court, Senate Expenses, Queen Elizabeth, judge

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday August 11, 2015

Stephen Harper defends travel ban to terror zones

After several weeks on break, the Mike Duffy trial resumes this week.

Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is defending his proposal to ban travel to parts of the world controlled by terrorists, saying it’s not a “human right” that such travel is allowed.

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“This is limited to only those areas that are clearly under the control of terrorist organizations. We’re talking about a few, small number of areas in the world,” Harper said Monday morning during a campaign stop in Markham.

“Obviously parts of Iraq and Syria would be the kinds of areas that we’re talking about,” he said.

On Sunday, Harper said a newly-elected Conservative government would introduce a legal crackdown on so-called terror tourism and go after Canadians who travel to such areas.

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Harper said that the government advises against such travel and anyone who does go to these hotspots is “taking their life into their hands.”

“Frankly, these are not areas where families go. These are areas where we know why people are really going. They are going to terrorist training,” Harper said Monday.

“There is no human right to travel and visit ISIS. That is not a human right in this country,” he said.

At an early-morning event in Montreal, Trudeau dismissed the travel ban idea as little more than a distraction from the Conservatives’ dismal economic record. (Source: Toronto Star)

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Friday, November 22, 2013

Friday, November 22, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday, November 22, 2013

Mike Duffy Senate scandal moves closer to Stephen Harper: Walkom

For Stephen Harper, the Senate spending scandal is like a bad smell. No matter how much the government tries to fumigate, it never goes away.

That Nigel Wright, Harper’s former chief of staff, is now officially under RCMP investigation for bribery and breach of trust brings the controversy even closer to the prime minister.

On the face of it, the latest information released by the RCMP — a summary of interviews and emails provided to a judge in order to obtain warrants — should give Harper solace.

Corporal Greg Horton, the Mountie charged with drawing up the summary, says he has found no evidence that the prime minister was involved in “the minutiae” of what the RCMP alleges was an illegal attempt to solve the nagging political problem of Senator Mike Duffy’s dubious expense claims.

 

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Horton also says that, contrary to what Duffy has claimed, there is no evidence that Harper pressed to have his Conservative Party pay Duffy’s legal bills.

So far, the Mounties have alleged that two people involved the Duffy affair broke the law: Wright by offering a bribe and Duffy by accepting it.

But the emails and interview summaries contained in the 81-page document and its six appendices also paint a picture of a prime minister very much concerned with the broad strokes of the Duffy imbroglio.

In one email, dated Feb. 22 of this year, Wright notes that he just received permission from Harper to go ahead with a deal that would see Duffy repay thousands of dollars in housing and living expenses he had charged to the public purse — in exchange for assurances that a Senate audit committee would go easy on him. (Source: Toronto Star)

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Thursday, October 10, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday, October 10, 2013

Mike Duffy friend paid $65K for ‘no apparent work,’ RCMP allege

A friend of Mike Duffy was paid $65,000 by his Senate office for “little or no apparent work,” an RCMP investigator alleges in court documents filed today in Ottawa.

The RCMP are seeking banking information for Gerald Donohue, Duffy’s friend, and Senator Patrick Brazeau. Both Duffy and Brazeau were named to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the end of 2008.

Duffy and Brazeau are under investigation for fraud and breach of trust over their Senate expense claims, the RCMP say in the affidavits.
In the affidavit pertaining to Duffy, Cpl. Greg Horton says he believes Duffy “hired a friend as a consultant over an approximate four-year period, and paid him a total of approximately $65,000 during that time, for little or no apparent work.”

The money came out of Duffy’s Senate office budget.

Horton said in the affidavit that Donohue, was interviewed by investigators “and acknowledged that he produced no tangible work product for Duffy.”

Donohue, a former technician who worked for CTV and CBC, told investigators that he did internet research and provided verbal advice to Duffy, Horton wrote. Donohue, who ended his career as a vice-president at Baton Broadcasting (which was acquired by CTV the year he retired), had never been a consultant before then.

Duffy said Tuesday that “it would be inappropriate for me to comment while these matters are being examined by the RCMP.” (Source: CBC News)