In associate interview airing Saturday on blood profile Radio's The House, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence Chris Alexander aforesaid "no one is denying" the existence of a special discretionary party fund controlled by the prime minister's chief of employees.
As blood profile News reported Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s former chief of employees Nigel Wright had management of a special discretionary fund within the Prime Minister’s workplace (PMO) once he cut a $90,000 cheque to legislator electro-acoustic transducer Duffy.
When initial asked to elucidate numerous aspects of the fund earlier in the week, party spokesperson Fred DeLorey aforesaid "the prime minister sometimes incurs expenses that area unit best paid by the party."
When asked "Is there any reason those funds couldn't are utilized in the Duffy-Wright deal?" DeLorey replied that "no funds were used for that."
However, on Friday, the party denied the existence of any such fund travel by the PMO and referred to as the blood profile story "false" and "misleading."
According to Mulcair, if the partisan fund did not exist, that may are the Conservative Party's initial answer.
"But it wasn't their initial answer," Mulcair aforesaid, adding that "they started explaining it away" and "tried to come back up with a replacement version."
"It does not wash," Mulcair aforesaid.
Tories send mixed messages
When initial asked by host Evan Solomon if a fund exists that's controlled by the prime minister's chief of employees cut loose the party of North American nation fund, Alexander aforesaid "it's an equivalent fund, it's party of North American nation funds."
Alexander explained that "some [funds] were administered by officers within the prime minister's workplace as a result of they management the prime minister's schedule."
"The discretion of the leader of the party matters," Alexander aforesaid, adding that the prime minister's "staff within the PMO have the duty to administer that."
Asked what the money within the special discretionary fund what used for underneath Wright, Alexander couldn't say however insisted each greenback within the fund was accounted for.
"We audit it and that we report it to Elections North American nation," Alexander aforesaid.
When ironed once more on the question of whether or not a special discretionary fund controlled by the chief of employees exists and is cut loose the party of North American nation fund — an equivalent question that was exhibit to DeLorey days earlier — Alexander aforesaid "no one is denying that."
Asked yet again to clarify that this special discretionary fund is so "separate" from the party of North American nation fund, Alexander recurrent "no one is denying that."
However, speaking on a panel of MPs on blood profile News Network's Power & Politics on weekday, Conservative MP Paul Calandra did deny that.
"There isn't any separate fund," Calandra aforesaid.
Speaking thereon same panel, NDP MP Pat Martin aforesaid the Conservatives "are ligature themselves in knots over some morass of contradictions here. It depends on you sit down with and once you sit down with them, whether or not such a fund exists or not."
While the party aforesaid there was only 1 account wont to cowl expenses, the prime minister’s representative aforesaid their workplace will have a take into account partisan events.
The money was provided by the party, however the budget was managed by the chief of employees as a result of he knew that events the prime minister was attending, Saint Andrew the Apostle MacDougall told reporters throughout associate degree unrelated informing on weekday.
“He makes a judgement — is it government or political and if it’s for the party, it’s the Conservative party’s funds that may be used,” MacDougall aforesaid.
“The scandal would be if it absolutely was the opposite manner.”
'Produce the cheque'
Alexander insisted the special discretionary fund controlled by the chief of employees wasn't utilized by Wright to assist Duffy repay his ineligible senate expenses.
"That are confirmed by freelance investigation," Alexander aforesaid.
On Friday, the Opposition New Democrats formally asked Elections North American nation to analyze the partisan fund controlled out of the PMO.
Mulcair is additionally career on the Conservatives to provide a replica of the $90,000 cheque Wright gave to Duffy.
"They have the cheque, they need the power to provide the cheque. the very fact that they still refuse to provide it merely leaves all of these queries unrequited," Mulcair aforesaid.
Asked if manufacturing the cheque would place of these inquiries to rest, Alexander aforesaid "I do not suppose, we do not suppose, it'd serve the general public interest o.k. to possess a dribs and drabs investigation compete out by cheques being shown ahead of tv cameras so forth."
"When you wish to induce to all-time low of one thing you empower associate degree freelance workplace, associate degree freelance authority to seem into it, as we've finished the ethics commissioner, as we've finished different freelance authorities during this case."
"That are confirmed by freelance investigation," Alexander aforesaid.
On Friday, the Opposition New Democrats formally asked Elections North American nation to analyze the partisan fund controlled out of the PMO.
Mulcair is additionally career on the Conservatives to provide a replica of the $90,000 cheque Wright gave to Duffy.
"They have the cheque, they need the power to provide the cheque. the very fact that they still refuse to provide it merely leaves all of these queries unrequited," Mulcair aforesaid.
Asked if manufacturing the cheque would place of these inquiries to rest, Alexander aforesaid "I do not suppose, we do not suppose, it'd serve the general public interest o.k. to possess a dribs and drabs investigation compete out by cheques being shown ahead of tv cameras so forth."
"When you wish to induce to all-time low of one thing you empower associate degree freelance workplace, associate degree freelance authority to seem into it, as we've finished the ethics commissioner, as we've finished different freelance authorities during this case."
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