Conservative Party should repay taxpayers for audits into Tory senators: Mulcair

OTTAWA – NDP Leader Tom Mulcair says the Conservative Party of Canada should pick up the costs associated with auditing a pair of former Tory senators who filed improper expense claims.

Mulcair made the comments as he highlighted his so-called “Roll up the Red Carpet” tour, part of a national campaign to publicize the party’s support for Senate abolition.

The campaign was launched in May, with the first stop of the tour three weeks ago in PEI — home province of embattled Tory Senator Mike Duffy.

Mulcair says it’s only fair that the Conservatives pay the bills for the independent audits when some of the irregular expenses happened while the senators engaged in party fundraising activities.

Both Duffy and colleague Pamela Wallin had claimed expenses related to Senate business while they were actually attending party events.

The Conservatives are awaiting a response from the Supreme Court of Canada on a variety of Senate reform questions, including how the red chamber could be abolished.