Aftermath of Senate vote

As we told you on Tuesday night’s evening news, Conservative Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau have been suspended without pay. But, the Conservative government is scrambling to figure out if the decision actually means that the three are off the public payroll entirely. Among the lingering questions, will the time the three Senators spent in political purgatory count toward the six years of service needed to be eligible for a generous parliamentary pension? Regardless, some are still viewing the suspensions as a win for Prime Minister Harper. But opposition leader Tom Mulcair says the PM is to blame in the first place: “Stephen Harper’s the problem. He hasn’t been telling Canadians the truth. We’re going to get to the truth by continuing to ask him questions. Canadians deserve to have a Prime Minister who’s truthful.”

Duffy, Wallin and Brazeau have been suspended for two years without pay, but will keep their medical benefits. However, if Mike Duffy resigns for medical reasons, he may still be eligible for disability allowance.