Beware High Walls

H/t Dawg's Blog & Alison at Creekside for the inspiration.

Oh, the great outdoors beckon on this fine Victoria Day morning, so for now, allow me to offer you this from today's Toronto Star:

Hard to believe Duffy has no nest egg

Re: Duffy resigns from caucus, May 17

It seems egregious Mike Duffy has been running roughshod over Canadians for some time, without attracting public opprobrium. Five years ago the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council ruled that he had violated broadcasting codes and ethics. Three years ago Duffy criticized the University of King's College and other journalism schools for teaching critical thinking, and added that the schools were raising left-wing journalists. On Friday we read that he tried to influence the CRTC on behalf of Sun Media.

He accepted $90,000 from Nigel Wright, the top man at the PMO, because, reportedly, he was worried about his heart and that his death would leave his wife in dire financial circumstances.

Duffy has been a senior journalist — presumably with commensurate salary — for more than 40 years, yet we are supposed to believe he has no nest egg. As a senator, he has enjoyed a generous expense subsidy from the Canadian taxpayer. He owns a couple of properties. He is director of Mike Duffy Media Services Ltd. As he knows, his wife would qualify for a generous pension when he dies. So I am puzzled that he had to accept the $90,000 windfall.
When an employee fiddles with his expense account, most probably he would be fired and called a thief. When a senator is caught, he becomes an independent senator. No condemnation, no punishment. Just another day on Parliament Hill.

Jerry Tutunjian, Toronto

In 2005, Stephen Harper said that anyone in his government who acted inappropriately would suffer the consequences. We now see the Conservatives again doing back flips trying to justify the unjustifiable. In the case of Mike Duffy, there seem to be more allegations of improper conduct on a daily basis that would involve the police if it was someone other than a Conservative. If the senator had any decency he would resign from the Senate.

Chester Gregorasz, Cambridge