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| CP24’s Stephen LeDrew |
Stephen Harper came under fierce and repeated questioning by NDP leader Thomas Mulcair Thursday and just as fiercely rebuffed accusations linking him to the Senate expenses scandal. Harper stood and forcefully answered multiple questions. Whether he convinced everyone watching will remain an open matter perhaps. CP24 pundit Stephen LeDrew concluded that the combined opposition “didn’t lay a glove on the prime minister.” Mr. Mulcair had many questions that suggested some type of dishonesty. They constructed apparent contradictions between what is alleged to have been said at different times. It was not especially easy to follow. Mr. Mulcair wanted to know how many people knew about the plan for Nigel Wright, the PM’s assistant, to give Senator Duffy the $90,000 to repay the expenses. Interesting perhaps, but another pundit, Geoffrey Simpson of the Globe and Mail, seems to feel that Harper has what might be called deniability when he says he did not know Mr. Wright planned this course of action. Time will tell but it is clear that Harper is “fixing to fight” if Duffy and others continue to accuse him of somehow being dishonest. Liberal leader Trudeau was not in the Commons because of a speaking engagement in Washington.
