Canada's Dishonourable Senators

The saga of Canada's not so honourable senators continues to haunt us. While Patrick Brazeau may feel the withdrawal of charges is an indication of blamelessness, it does not infer as he has stated, that the charges were "false accusations". Considering the unfortunate outcome of the Mike Duffy trial, the Crown simply concluded they would likely be unable to overcome the issue of proving their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Fabricated and exaggerated expense claims, rationalized with the thinking that others do it, is a problem encountered by every organization. In this instance, Canadians may have felt senators were above such indiscretions and were more incensed when the behaviour was uncovered. The revelation of these questionable expense claims has tarnished the term "honourable". Only time and a conduct that can withstand the closest scrutiny will dictate when that level of respect can be restored.