Prime Minister Stephen Harper has broken his silence on the latest scandal rocking the Conservative government involving the disallowed expenses of a prominent senator.
Saying “no government can be perfect,” Harper told his caucus in Ottawa before leaving on a trade mission to South America that he vowed to follow through on promises to change the Upper Chamber.
"Anyone who wants to us public office for their own benefit should make other plans or better yet, leave this room,” he said.
He did not mentioned Senators Mike Duffy or Pamela Wallin, who have resigned from the caucus over their expenses, or his now-former chief of staff, Nigel Wright, who gave Duffy $90,000 to cover the housing expenses he owed.
Says Harper: "Earlier this year, we asked the Supreme Court of Canada to rule on whether the reforms we have proposed can be accomplished by Parliament acting alone. We've also asked the court to rule on options for abolishing the Senate completely."