Mr. Speaker, the police have laid charges against Mac Harb and Patrick Brazeau and are continuing to investigate Duffy, Wallin, Gerstein and Stewart Olsen. The Conservatives appointed fraudsters who were not even living in the provinces they were supposed to represent, but they say that it is not their fault.
While the police are busy dealing with a number of criminal senators, the Liberal leader is trying to fool everyone by putting lipstick on a pig. We no longer have Liberal senators. We have senators who are Liberal. What a change. Those who have seen the Elvis Gratton movies from Quebec will remember the main character saying that he is not a Quebecker, he is a French-Canadian, French-speaking Quebecker. These so-called independent senators are going to end up making piles of money campaigning for their party, all at taxpayers' expense.
The Conservatives and the Liberals defended their fraudster senators. “Harb will be welcome back in caucus when he has paid back his expense claims”, said the Liberal leader. “Brazeau is working hard in the Senate”, said the Prime Minister. Canadians deserve better than the lack of judgment coming from these two party leaders who are defending an undemocratic institution.