This week began the trial of former, and now disgraced, Senator Mike Duffy. Well at least he should be disgraced. It is a court trial so we can expect that each side will point fingers, will diminish self-culpability, and will lay full blame on the other. There will be a parade of witnesses – all intelligent people, who get paid a lot and who should have either known better or been more careful.
The whole situation makes me feel a bit ill. I am not one to bash the Senate. I think that body does good work and many of the Senators are there to offer their work and effort for the good of Canada. But, as is inevitable, there are always “a few bad apples” who are there for the take. Mr. Duffy is just one who got caught (well along with a few others).
I don’t know how this trial will end up. I don’t know how the Prime Minister’s Office will get caught in the blame, but I do know there are a whole lot more who are guilty of bad behaviour than just Mr. Duffy. Nigel Wright, the Prime Minister, who knows who all was in on trying to cover up activities that they did not want the public to know about. What I do know is that Canadians are paying handsomely for the wrong-doing of a few.
In the end it doesn’t really matter to me who the finger points to. I don’t really care who, among the whole lot of them, is found guilty. They are all guilty in my books. Together they have once again tarnished any hope that people serve because they want to do an honest job. I am not naïve, I know there are always takers but this particular story shows that many were involved in criminal, that’s right criminal, behaviour and like school-yard bullies now they are just trying to blame someone else and get out of the line of fire.
Proverbs 10:9 says, Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Guess the people involved should have read that verse!
