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The Senate Scandal & the Conservative Party Convention

Days before the Conservative party base meets in Calgary, the government leader in the Senate has signaled he's prepared to consider watering down the penalties for Senators Duffy, Wallin and Brazeau. Today, we're going inside the Conservative party to take the pulse of what this seemingly unending Senate Scandal could do to its future....
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The Current21:34The Senate Scandal and the Conservative Party Convention - Oct 28, 2013
Days before the Conservative party base meets in Calgary, the government leader in the Senate has signaled he's prepared to consider watering down the penalties for Senators Duffy, Wallin and Brazeau. Today, we're going inside the Conservative party to take the pulse of what this seemingly unending Senate Scandal could do to its future.


So how will the Senate Scandal shape what happens at the Conservative Convention this week?

"You gotta let me say it again: a strong, stable, national majority Conservative government. How long did you really think I'd go without saying it? Friends, I asked the speechwriters tonight what I was going to say and they said 'just say that and leave'".Stephen Harper at the Conservative Party convention in 2011

Stephen Harper still had cause for hope when the party was about to meet again this past June. Because of the floods in Calgary the convention was rescheduled ... for this Thursday.

Southern Alberta's skies have cleared, but the Conservatives now find themselves in the middle of another storm. The continuing Senate drama is fresh in the minds of delegates.

"Well I think it's an embarrassment to everybody. I think it's an embarrassment to the Senate, I think it's an embarrassment to the party. It's an embarrassment to the Parliament and it's an embarrassment to the Ottawa press corps. Because the two most prominent senators spent years and years in the press corps and presumably acquired - or failed to acquire - their ethics there. I think it's an embarrassment to everybody and the sooner it's cleared off the deck the better".Preston Manning, founder of the Reform Party of Canada

With their thoughts on how the Senate Scandal will affect what happens at this week's convention and what the party needs to achieve there, we were joined by three people.


  • Tasha Kheiriddin is a columnist with iPolitics and the National Post. She was in Toronto.

  • Alise Mills is a Conservative commentator and strategist in Vancouver.

Have thoughts you want to share on this?

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This segment was produced by The Current's Lara O'Brien, Sujata Berry and Kristin Nelson.

* Thanks to our friends at the CBC's Content Factory for sharing what they believe is the best way for Canadian Senators to handle their problems, one step at a time ... 12 steps actually.

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