QUESTION PERIOD — Treasury Board Secretariat
Vice-Admiral Mark Norman--Qualification for Legal Representation
April 4, 2019
Honourable senators, I have one question for the government leader in the Senate concerning the legal cost incurred by Vice-Admiral Mark Norman and a double standard that has emerged.
Members of the Prime Minister’s staff that were alleged to have interfered in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin are receiving the support of outside legal counsel. These lawyers are being paid for by Canadian taxpayers under Treasury Board’s policy on legal assistance and indemnification.
In 2017, Vice-Admiral Norman applied to have his legal costs covered under the same Treasury Board policy, but it was denied.
Honourable senators may remember that in April 2017, long before Vice-Admiral Norman was charged with anything, the Prime Minister publicly stated that the case would end up before the courts.
Senator Harder, why does the Prime Minister’s staff qualify for taxpayer-funded legal representation, while Vice-Admiral Norman does not?
Again, I thank the honourable senator for her question.
I am unaware of the details of that except to say, as the honourable senator references, there are Treasury Board guidelines with respect to the use of public funds in such matters. I’ll make inquiries and report back.
