1st Session, 41st Parliament

Issue 167 - Appendix

Wednesday, May 29, 2013
1:30 p.m.

The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its

TWENTY-SIXTH REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred its Twenty-Second report, has, in obedience to its order of reference of Tuesday, May 21, 2013, examined the said report and now reports as follows:

Your committee recommends that the Twenty-Second report of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, presented in the Senate on May 9, 2013, respecting the examination of Senator Duffy's primary and secondary residence status, be adopted with the following amendments:

(1) Replace the paragraph starting with "Your Committee acknowledges'', at page 2254 of the Journals of the Senate, with the following:

"Your Committee acknowledges Deloitte's finding that criteria for determining primary residence are lacking and this is being addressed by your Committee. However, to claim living expenses in the National Capital Region, any residence owned or rented by a senator must be a secondary residence for use by the senator while in the NCR for Senate business. Your committee considers this language to be unambiguous; and plainly if a senator resides primarily in the NCR, he or she should not be claiming living expenses for the NCR.'';

(2) Add the following as a separate paragraph at page 2254 of the Journals of the Senate, immediately before the words "Your Committee therefore recommends:'':

"It is therefore the conclusion of the Committee that based on the evidence presented in the examination report, while recognizing that Senator Duffy owns a residence in P.E.I. and spends considerable time there, his continued presence at his Ottawa residence over the years does not support such a declaration and is, therefore, contrary to the plain meaning of the word "primary'' and to the purpose and intent of the provision of the Living Allowance in the NCR.''; and

(3) Move the word "and'' at the end of the first recommendation in the English text to the end of the second recommendation at page 2254 of the Journals of the Senate; and add the following recommendation after the second recommendation:

"3. That the Senate request that the proper authorities examine the matters dealt with in this report and related information, including Senator Duffy's repayment of $90,172.24 to the Receiver General of Canada, and that the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration be authorized to refer such documents, as it considers appropriate, to the proper authorities for the purposes of the investigation.''.

Respectfully submitted,

DAVID TKACHUK

Chair