Liberals Say Conservatives Senate Scandal Players Must Come Clean

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OTTAWA – Recent media reports continue to poke holes in the Prime Minister’s claims that his former Chief of Staff, Nigel Wright, acted alone in offering then-Conservative Senator Mike Duffy a $90,000 cheque, say federal Liberals.

These latest reports appear to show the following:

•             That Wright worked closely with the two Conservative Senators who sat on the subcommittee directing a supposedly-independent audit into Senator Duffy’s expense claims.

•             That these Senators, Carolyn Stewart Olsen and David Tkachuk, may have pressured Senator Duffy to accept the $90,000 and pretend that it was his own repayment for bogus Senate expense claims.

•             That in exchange for accepting a deal with Wright, Senators Stewart Olsen and Tkachuk agreed to throw out questions on the validity of Senator Duffy’s residency and to “go easy” on the audit of his expenses.

These news reports directly contradict what Senator Stewart Olsen has previously stated, where she downplayed her conversations with officials in the PMO and declared categorically that the PMO did not ask them to edit the Duffy Senate report. (CBC “Power and Politics”, June 4, 2013)

Canadians should not have to wait to hear the truth in court. Senator Stewart Olsen and all involved Conservatives must stop ducking and share the real story of this affair with the RCMP investigation.

Who is Carolyn Stewart Olsen?

•             A long-time Harper loyalist, Ms. Stewart Olsen was press secretary during the Prime Minister’s 2002 leadership campaign and continued in that role in his Opposition Leader’s Office, during the 2004 Conservative Party leadership, and the 2006 and 2008 elections.

•             While on the 2005-06 election campaign trail, she reportedly asked the RCMP security detail to physically restrain reporters from asking questions of Stephen Harper.

•             When Mr. Harper became prime minister, Stewart Olsen joined his staff in the Prime Minister’s Office.

•             In April 2008, it was reported that Conservative MPs were required, by the PMO, to carry a laminated card entitled, “When a Reporter Calls”, and to get permission from that office before agreeing to be interviewed.

•             Stewart-Olsen was appointed to the Senate on August 27, 2009.

•             On May 8 and 9, 2013, Senator Stewart Olsen led the charge in using the Conservative committee majority to remove key sections of a draft Senate report that were critical of Senator Mike Duffy.

•             Senator Stewart Olsen continues to sit as a member of the Senate Internal Economy Committee.

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