Senator Patrick Brazeau could stay in police custody overnight, CBC News has learned, after he was arrested following an alleged domestic assault and removed from the Conservative Party’s caucus.
Brazeau, who has weathered several controversies since his appointment in 2009, will continue to sit in the Senate as an Independent.
Police said Thursday charges have not yet been laid against a man arrested at Brazeau’s home in Gatineau, Que., across the river from Ottawa, and the investigation is ongoing.
CBC News learned Brazeau was arrested at 9:10 a.m. ET Thursday at his residence after a call to 911.
If police choose to press charges, Brazeau would appear in court at 9 a.m. ET Friday, Const. Pierre Lanthier said. In Quebec, the Crown is responsible for laying charges.
“But for sure we, like I said, will object to his release and we will speak with the Crown attorney to see whether we have enough evidence to lay any charge,” he said.
Lanthier did not use Brazeau’s name, but sources confirmed to CBC News earlier in the day that it was Brazeau who had been arrested.
OTTAWA — The youngest senator in the upper chamber also has the poorest attendance record for this session of Parliament.
Conservative Sen. Patrick Brazeau, 37, was absent for 25 per cent of the 72 sittings between June 2011 and April 2012, the Senate attendance register shows.
By the end of that period, the Quebecer was four days away from being fined. Senators are allowed to miss up to 21 days in each parliamentary session for religious holidays, family illness or obligations, and funerals and grief.
They can also be away on public business, such as travel or a parliamentary delegation, as long it was unavoidable.
After that, they can be fined $250 for each day missed.
The records for May and June have not been submitted yet.
Between June 2011 and April 2012, Brazeau also missed 65 per cent of meetings at the aboriginal peoples committee on which he sits.
And he was away for 31 per cent of the meetings of the human rights committee, where he is deputy chair.
The senator, appointed in 2008 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, sent an email response to a request for comment.
“The very simple answer to your question with respect to my attendance or lack thereof is for personal matters,” said Brazeau, former national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples.
He did not elaborate, but later posted a public message on Twitter directed to this reporter: “while u smile Jen, others suffer. Change the D to a B in your last name and we’re even! Don’t mean it but needs saying.”
The reporter’s last name? Ditchburn.
Senator Brazeau, that is not what needs saying. What needs saying is:
“Effective immediately, I, Patrick Brazeau, hereby resign….”
k, thanks.
Senate Passes Back to Work Legislation for Canada Post
Now all it needs is royal assent to become law.
It should be noted that this was not a simple or straight forward passing, there were several hours of debates and speeches, and they called witnesses before the Senate, which is more oversight than the House had. Many similar comments were brought up about the wage legislation as well as concern regarding the wording and whether or not it was constitutional. Amendments were tabled and unfortunately, struck down.
yeas/pour - 53 and nays/contre - 26.
(I am giving a very condensed version, I’ve been working all day and have been granted a few hours reprieve before starting again at 10pm [WOE] so I am going to go find a patio and a nicely made bloody caesar for the interim)
If anyone here does not follow Kady O’Malley on Twitter - you absolutely must. She has been tirelessly covering most of this since the filibuster and has been a font of accessible details.what an inflammatory description, Globe and Mail! oh never mind. Here are some excerpts:
Jason Kenney is suggesting his boss Stephen Harper could do away with the Senate if his Conservative caucus in the Red Chamber doesn’t play ball and accept his reforms.
Choosing his words carefully, Mr. Kenney avoided saying the word “abolish.” Rather, he said the Prime Minister is prepared to “entertain more dramatic options” if Tory senators continue to balk at his proposal.
[…]
“Well the Prime Minister, I think, has said publicly that our preference is a reformed democratic Senate,” Mr. Kenney told CTV’s Power Playlate last week. “But if we don’t get that we are prepared to entertain more dramatic options but we prefer not to get into constitutional amendments. Our preference is reform without constitutional amendments.”
He noted, too, that Tory senators had agreed with the Prime Minister’s vision of reform – an elected Senate and term limits of eight years – when they were appointed to the Red Chamber.
But it appears now that some senators want longer terms. Mr. Harper had initially suggested eight years but has since compromised to nine years.
Still, that isn’t good enough. A letter leaked to the media last week shows the frustration on the part of those who want reforms. Alberta Senator Bert Brown, a strong proponent of reform, issued a letter to his caucus colleagues, telling them to smarten up and accept the reforms.
He reminded them who appointed them to their perk-filled jobs: Stephen Harper. Mr. Kenney noted, too, that every senator Mr. Harper appointed “committed to support Senate reform, an elected Senate.”
Abolishing the Senate would probably have significant impact on our government, and require a constitutional amendment. It would also affect our election law in a way which would not affect the larger provinces, but would affect the smaller ones - mostly the Maritimes (you cannot have less ridings than you have members of parliament). That is to say, this is not a small or quick change by any means.
I’d like to give an example of just how fired up people are over this subject in the government. This is a conversation between Con. Senator Pamela Wallin and NDP Critic David Christopherson
Ms. Wallin’s perspective: Term limits are a good idea, and we are still looking at the legislation of electing senators and there are some questions about that and how it would work.
Mr. Christopherson’s perspective: We are only 33 million people, we do not need two elected houses, and the idea of creating an elected senate will be too much change to our government. Have a referendum, lop it off and be done with it.
Both opinions above are paraphrased, though they do use some of the wording that both the Senator and the NDP critic used.
This exchange occurred after Mr. Christopherson stated he thought the Senate should be abolished, rather than becoming an elected entity.
Senator Wallin: “Look, it’s simplistic and it’s ill-informed to talk about the fact that you can just - that the senate would be accountable and power-hungry somehow if it were elected- “
David Christopherson: “How elitist! How arrogant and elitist”
SW: “Excuse me, you’ve made your points and I know you’re at a convention and you’re enjoying the politics. But, we really have some constitutional rules and regulations in this country. We have a senate we have a system-“
DC: “You know Senator, you really should not talk down to people”
SW: “Excuse me!”
DC: “You’re really not that special.”
SW: “You have had lots of time here, and we should just try and inject some facts in the conversation…”
So, you know. Should you like to see some GRADE A bickering… just click here and click the Brawl over Senate Terms link from CTV Question Period. There are even some good points raised from both sides, so long as you look past the mud slinging.
