MPs vote to study bill that would strip citizenship

The House of Commons has voted to send a private members' bill that would strip dual nationals of their Canadian citizenship if they commit acts of treason to a parliamentary committee for study.

Despite opposition concerns over the controversial bill, a majority of NDP and Liberal MPs voted to pass the bill at second reading Wednesday night.

But NDP public safety critic Randall Garrison warned his party still has serious concerns about the legislation that will have to be dealt with at committee.

In particular, Garrison argued the bill would create two different categories of citzenship because it would only apply to people who hold multiple citizenship.

"Two-tiered citizenship is a very important concern and a very unusual step in Canada," he said. "We've normally treated all citizens equally, all citizens alike, so we want to discuss that issue. Obviously, we're concerned about national security, and anything we can do to promote national security (we'll support), but at the same time we have to protect the value of Canadian citizenship and make sure it's equal for all."

Acts of treason

Bill C-425, An Act to Amend the citizenship Act: Honouring the Canadian Armed Forces, was put forward by Conservative MP Devinder Shory.

It's designed in part to strip people with multiple nationalities of their Canadian citizenship if they commit any act of treason against Canadian Forces.

But in recent weeks, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has thrown his weight behind the bill and has promised to amend it at commitee to include terrorism as an act that would lead to a dual- or multiple-national losing his or her citizenship.

Kenney says the motivation is not to create two tiers — in fact, he says he would like to strip any person of Canadian citizenship who commits terrorism or treason. But he says the law won't allow this.

"I, in principle, would like to apply this legal principle of deemed renunciation of citizenship from serious violent traitors or terrorists, whether they have one or multiple nationalities, but we have a legal obligation under the International Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons — we cannot render someone stateless," he said Wednesday.

"So if they have only Canadian nationality and we were to take it away we would be in violation of the international convention, so that's why we are limited to applying this to people of dual or multiple nationalities regardless of whether they were born in Canada or emigrated here."

That explanation likely won't placate some human rights advocates who have expressed concern the bill and Kenney's proposed amendment are knee-jerk reactions, and could be found unconstitutional. They argue the Charter of Rights and Freedoms promises all citizens will be treated equally.

And they contend that defining terrorism in international contexts is difficult if not impossible to do. Kenney disputes that argument and says the issue will be dealt with in his amendment when the bill is before the Commons citizenship and immigration committee.

Garrison questioned why the bill was presented as private member's business rather than government legislation, since Kenney feels so strongly about it.

"Instead of introducing this as a government bill and bringing through that channel, they're bringing it through back channels," he said.

"We've seen this many many times, they're not always well thought out, they're not always well planned, and we start tacking things on one by one and that's the kind of thing we'll have to deal with when it's at committee."

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Senate residency uproar continues as Harper holds the line

Prime Minister Stephen Harper continued to defend the Senate Wednesday as opposition MPs took aim at the number who wouldn't answer CBC News questions about where they really live.

After weeks of questions about living expenses and whether some senators live in the right province and qualify for their seats, CBC News found 25 of 104 senators either refused to say they had proof of their primary residence or wouldn't respond to questions. Most of them — 21 — were appointed by Harper, who came to power in 2006 promising accountability and Senate reform.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair pushed the prime minister on the issue in question period.

"In their eighth year of broken promises, this is the Conservative record on Senate reform," Mulcair said. "Will the prime minister decide that his senators, members of his caucus, come clean with Canadians, or is he going to keep covering up for them?"

Harper blamed the New Democrats for not supporting his efforts at small reforms to the Senate. The NDP want to see the Senate abolished entirely.

"All senators conform to residency requirements. That is the basis on which they are appointed to the Senate and those requirements have been clear for 150 years," Harper said.

"Unfortunately it is the NDP that consistently opposes reforming the Senate and opposes an elected Senate."

Since CBC News reported the list of senators on Tuesday, three more have answered questions about their residency and what supporting documents they have to prove it.

That leaves 22 who haven't answered or haven't listed the supporting documents they have, of whom 18 were appointed by Harper.

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Opposition leader calls for end to EI cuts

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair announced Wednesday he is beginning a cross-Canada rallying effort to protest against employment insurance cuts and the government's plan to send inspectors to the homes of some EI recipients.

Ratcheting up the rhetoric at a press conference held in the foyer of the House of Commons, Mulcair called the civil servants tasked to make house calls the "Harper Macoutes." The Boubou Macoutes was the nickname given to special inspectors who visited the homes and investigated suspected "welfare cheats" when Robert Bourassa was premier of Quebec in the 1990s. The term Macoutes comes from Tonton Macoutes, the personal police force of Haiti's former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, whose members were known to torture, extort, burn and assassinate opponents.

Mulcair called for the EI changes announced in last year's budget to be cancelled, saying they are an attack on seasonal workers whom he described as a Canadian reality in certain regions of the country. They are "the backbone of Canada," he said. "They define who we are. Yes, we have a lot of forestry, yes, we have a lot of fishing."

Mulcair added that people doing seasonal work affected by the EI changes also include lecturers at universities and workers in the entertainment industry.

Mulcair mentioned that 40 per cent of seasonal workers are in Quebec, and he suggested the Canadian economy was "comprised largely" of seasonal workers. But Statistics Canada figures available for 2007 show that the numbers of seasonal workers was 2.9 per cent.

Mulcair accused the Conservative government of using cheap attack tricks against any opposition member who challenges programs that try to root out fraud in the EI system.

"That's exactly the kind of game that was played by [Minister of Public Safety] Vic Toews when he was trying to send the government into your computer without a warning. He said you can stand with us or stand with the pedophiles," Mulcair said, referring to the government's attempt to introduce a bill that would allow police to access IP addresses without a warrant, a bill that has been since killed.

Nothing to live on

Mulcair warned about what he called a "black hole" that would be faced within weeks by "hundreds of thousands of Canadians and their families as they have nothing to live on."

In last year's budget, new rules were introduced that stipulate frequent users of EI, defined as people who've collected benefits for at least 60 weeks in the past five years, have to accept work that pays up to 30 per cent less than they earned in their previous jobs, and they must also be willing to commute up to 100 kilometres from their homes for a job.

Mulcair is demanding that those changes be rescinded and that the government "rebalance" the EI system to take into account regional differences in Canada.

At a separate press conference Wednesday, Sebastian Cumming, a restaurant owner from the Magdalen Islands, a part of Quebec, spoke of his reliance on seasonal workers for his business during the peak tourist season. He said they are now leaving the island because EI is no longer tiding them over during the off-season. He said that there have been cuts to EI in the past, but this time people don't understand how the new cuts work.

"In a place like where I'm from, the Magdalen Islands, you have fishing and you have tourism. there's nothing else. So if you don't have those two months with a decent pay you're just moving out. And the whole economy of the island is affected by that."

Cummings continued, "It's like they're considering everybody that lives in the far region and has seasonal work as a fraud, as a criminal. And that's not what we are. We worked hard to build what we have.And we're trying to get that season longer and longer and we're putting all our effort together."

'An affront to Confederation'

The issue of EI and seasonal workers dominated the first part of question period Wednesday. Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae said that the government, by attacking the regional EI system, was downloading responsibility onto the provinces.

"All you're doing is creating a greater demand for social assistance and a greater demand for welfare at the same time that the government is cutting its employment insurance," Rae said. "It's an affront to the nature of Confederation itself. All the government is doing is saving money on the backs of the provinces, and on the backs of working people."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper replied that the government is in fact making greater efforts to help the unemployed get jobs where jobs are available.

"We're making sure that there are not inappropriate payments from the fund, taken from workers who paid legitimately into that fund. We're making sure it goes to the workers and unemployed who legitimately need it," he said.

The government held a conference call with reporters Wednesday to answer questions about how Service Canada investigates EI fraud, and how it administers its controversial home visit program.

A spokesperson said that "personal visits," including house visits, have been occurring for decades, and that the visit is actually a "home delivery" of a letter informing the EI recipient that an interview is desired to answer questions about the person's ability to work, whether they were living elsewhere or even outside the country and whether they are self-employed or working somewhere else while collecting EI.

The house call means that the interview could take place on the spot, if the recipient was agreeable. As an example of what information could be gleaned from a home visit, the spokesperson said that the investigator might notice that a home business, like a daycare, was operating from the house, but that information may not have been declared on the EI recipient's bi-weekly "report card."

The home visits are chosen on an "entirely random" basis, the spokesperson said, and there are 1,200 going on across the country: 220 in Atlantic Canada, 197 in Quebec, 384 in Ontario and 374 in the West.

In a handout, Service Canada said that last year it "was able to address almost half a billion dollars in ineligible payments" in EI as well as in Canada Public Pension and Old Age Security payments. It added that last year, 2011-12, almost $330 million in fraudulent or incorrect EI payments were "unaddressed".

The Service Canada spokesperson denied that bonuses of "any kind" were given to investigators or managers if ineligible EI payments are recovered, but admitted that "managers of managers" can receive "at-risk pay" as a reward for success in the entire program.

The government has admitted it had to suspend home visits in Tracadie-Sheila in New Brunswick due to security fears about its employees.

Mulcair suggested Wednesday the home visits might be against the law because they target people who "are not suspected of doing anything wrong, who have not broken the rules, who have in fact played by the rules."

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Boeing touts fighter jet to rival F-35 — at half the price

In a dogfight of defence contractors, the hunter can quickly become the hunted. It's happening now to the F-35.

The world's largest defence contractor, Lockheed Martin, is trying to convince wavering U.S. allies — including Canada — to stick with its high-tech, high-priced and unproven F-35 stealth fighter. But the F-35 is way behind schedule, way over budget and, now, it's grounded by a mysterious crack in a turbine fan.

After years of technical problems, it's a tempting target for Lockheed Martin's rivals.

It's no surprise, then, that the No. 2 defence contractor, Boeing, smells blood.

With Ottawa now reviewing its previous commitment to buy the F-35, Boeing is making an aggressive pitch to Canadian taxpayers, offering to save them billions of dollars if they buy Boeing's Super Hornets instead.

Boeing isn't pulling its punches. The Super Hornet, it says, is a proven fighter while the F-35 is just a concept — and an expensive one at that.

Ricardo Traven is a former Canadian air force pilot and now chief test pilot for the Super Hornet, Boeing's rival fighter jet to Lockheed Martin's F-35. (Terry Milewski/CBC News)

"We call it competing with a paper airplane," says Ricardo Traven, Boeing's chief test pilot for the Super Hornet. A Canadian who flew fighters for 15 years in the Canadian air force, Traven dismisses the F-35 as a "shiny brochure of promises," and contrasts it with "the real thing," which looms behind him in a top-secret hangar at Boeing's vast production line in St. Louis, Missouri.

All photographs and video are closely monitored by Boeing staff to ensure nothing classified leaks out. Many of the Super Hornet's best selling points, they say, are classified. The same goes for the F-35. The difference, says Traven, is that the Super Hornet is long since proven.

It has two engines to the F-35's one — and, unlike the F-35, it's ready now. Some 500 Super Hornets are already in service with the U.S. Navy. Dozens have already been sold to the Australian air force, which, like Canada, was once committed to the F-35 but gave up waiting for it to prove itself.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin both say their plane is superior in various ways. Lockheed Martin's headline feature is stealth. Boeing's is price. But with defence budgets shrinking everywhere, price is increasingly what governments want to hear about.

On that, Boeing thinks it has a compelling case — and not just because its plane is cheaper.

The Super Hornet currently sells for about $55 million US apiece; the Pentagon expects the F-35 to cost twice as much — about $110 million. But only 20 per cent of the cost of owning a fighter fleet is the actual sticker price of the planes. Eighty per cent is the operating cost — what it takes to keep them flying. That means everything from pilots and fuel to maintenance and spares.

Psst! Wanna save $23B?

And that's where the difference between the F-35 and the Super Hornet rockets into the stratosphere.

"The current actual costs to operate a Super Hornet are less than half the cost that the F-35 is projected to be once it's in operation, just to operate," says Mike Gibbons, vice-president in charge of the Super Hornet program.

Less than half? But how can he know that, since the F-35s are not yet in service?

'Twin engines, dual redundant hydraulics … those are the things I don't want to give up in flying to remote places or even in combat, because those are the things that'll bring you home.'—Super Hornet chief test pilot Ricardo Traven

Gibbons is ready for the question. "No one knows actually how costly that jet will actually be, once it's in operation. We do know how affordable the Super Hornet is currently because we have actual costs." The Super Hornet costs about $16,000 an hour to fly, he says — and the F-35 will be double that.

Really? That sounded too good to be true — so CBC News dug into Boeing's figures to see how credible they are.

According to the GAO, the Super Hornet actually costs the U.S. Navy $15,346 an hour to fly. It sounds like a lot — until you see that the U.S. Air Force's official "target" for operating the F-35 is $31,900 an hour. The GAO says it's a little more — closer to $32,500.

CBC also asked Lockheed Martin to say if it had any quarrel with these numbers — and it did not.

In a written response, a Lockheed spokesman declined to offer any different figures, but insisted the F-35's operating costs would be "comparable to or lower than" the "legacy platforms" — meaning, older jets — that it will replace. Those do not include the Super Hornets, which Boeing says are 25 per cent cheaper to run than Canada's "legacy" CF-18s.

Lockheed also claimed the F-35 would "achieve cost advantages … by leveraging economies of scale" gained by selling one fighter, with one supply chain, to different countries. However, it remains to be seen whether those economies of scale are ever realized.

As it stands, the official estimate for a fleet of 65 F-35s is that they will cost $9 billion to buy and almost $37 billion to operate over the next 42 years. So, a total of just under $46 billion. If Boeing's figures hold up, the Super Hornets would cost about half that.

The math is easy, but the result is eye-popping nonetheless. It's a saving of up to $23 billion.

Numbers like that have a way of getting attention.

Sure, but what about stealth?

The next question is, though — is it a second-rate plane? Instead of the "Fifth Generation" stealth fighter that Lockheed Martin advertises, does Canada want to settle for a not-so-stealthy Generation 4.5?

Boeing is ready for that question, too. Mike Gibbons, the VP, phrases his answer carefully.

"We know that the Super Hornet has effective stealth, and that's really the key. In fact, we believe we have a more affordable stealth than many other platforms that are being designed specifically and touted as stealthy platforms."

The Harper government announced in 2010 it would buy 65 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, but decided to restart the fighter jet procurement process after a highly-critical report last spring from the auditor general. (Tom Reynolds/Lockheed Martin Corp./Reuters)

Of course, he means the F-35 — and he's not claiming to have better stealth, just more affordable stealth. But his test pilot, Ricardo Traven, says that doesn't mean the Super Hornet is less likely to survive in combat.

As a pilot with experience in the North, says Traven, he'd rather fly with a little less stealth and little more agility. Lockheed Martin gave up agility, he argues, to gain the former.

On the Super Hornet, "sacrifices were not made for the purpose of stealth," he explains. After numerous winter landings on frozen Canadian runways, he says, "You want an airplane with large control surfaces, large flaps … these things give the airplane a lot of manoeuverability."

Proponents of stealth, though, want everything smaller so as to reduce the plane's visibility on radar.

"The stealth engineers don't want large flaps, they don't want large ailerons, they don`t want large wings, so everything is shrunk down on an airplane like that to be stealthy. And so the cost of stealth is not just the money. The cost is in capability and in performance …. Those capabilities and performance I do not believe are worth the sacrifice for stealth," says Traven.

'The goose that didn't get the memo'

These factors, Traven insists, make the Super Hornet more "survivable," even if it's less stealthy. Similarly, he touts the virtues of having twin engines. Sure, the F-35's single engine may be very reliable, he says — but what if a bird gets sucked in?

"It's the goose that didn't get the memo," he says, which could destroy a single-engined aircraft. With two engines, the pilot can still fly. Equally, Traven says, the Super Hornet's landing gear is more rugged and more suited to snowy or slushy northern runways.

Boeing's Super Hornet - a two-seat, two-engine fighter jet - does not have the same level of stealth capability of the F-35, but it comes in at a much lower price. (Terry Milewski/CBC News)

"Twin engines, dual redundant hydraulics … I mean, I can go on and on," Traven enthuses. "Those are the things I don't want to give up in flying to remote places or even in combat, because those are the things that'll bring you home."

Don't say Boeing doesn't know how to do a sales job. And Lockheed Martin's no slouch, either. In fact, Lockheed has a Canadian chief test pilot, too — Billie Flynn, who's doubly Canadian, if it comes to that, because he's married to Canadian astronaut Julie Payette.

Top that, Boeing!

Actually, Traven has some high-orbit Canadian connections, too. He's an old air force buddy of another well-known pilot: Gen. Tom Lawson, no less — who's now Canada's chief of defence staff.

Lawson has long been a fan of the F-35, but has recently begun to downplay the importance of stealth. He told CBC News that government decision-makers might do well to listen to his former comrade.

"Every aircraft brings a level of stealth," said Lawson — not just the F-35. The new secretariat that is looking at alternatives, he said, will have to see just how much stealth each plane offers.

Does the Super Hornet have what it takes? "I don't know," Lawson replied.

"We're going to leave that to the team to look at. We don't have Super Hornets. We have not, until recently, even considered purchasing them. So I think that Ricardo Traven, my good friend that you mentioned, might have something to say about that, that would interest the teams, the whole-of-government teams, that are together to consider it."

Start your engines

So, the contest is on — and, if it was once wired to make sure the F-35 won, it isn't now. The government insists it really is "hitting the reset button" and is serious about looking for alternatives.

The Boeing Prologue Room in St. Louis, Missouri showcases models of the number-two U.S aircraft maker's signature planes, including the new F/A-18E or Super Hornet. Canada's current fighter jets are an earlier model of the F-18. (Sara Brunetti/CBC News)

CBC News contacted the European manufacturers of the Typhoon — also known as the Eurofighter — as well as Dassault, the French maker of the Rafale, and Sweden's Saab, which makes the Gripen. All said they've been contacted by the Canadian government and were ready to make their pitches.

But it's Boeing's entry that will grab most attention. It's the only American competitor for the F-35, and being "interoperable" with the U.S. is a big deal for Canada. Boeing is also offering to meet or beat the amount of contracts — known as "industrial benefits" — that Lockheed Martin would steer to Canadian companies.

With billions at stake, this battle of the giants will be worth watching.

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Shipbuilding strategy set for scrutiny by budget watchdog

The Harper government moved to blunt looming criticism of the navy's long-delayed supply ship program and its marquee shipbuilding strategy by leap-frogging ahead of a critical report scheduled to be released Thursday by the parliamentary budget officer.

Senior officials at Public Works, who oversee the National Shipbuilding Strategy, held a technical briefing Wednesday ahead of the release of a report that will declare the program to replace the navy's 45-year-old supply ships as unaffordable given the inadequate $2.6 billion set aside by government for the purchase.

The shipbuilding bidding process was seen as a model for future procurements when it was unveiled last year. Problems with affordability of the ships could add to the political embarrassment the government suffered over the purchase of new fighter jets.

A report by Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page will underscore the higher cost associated with building ships in Canada, as the government acknowledged, but senior Public Works officials, who spoke on background, insisted the program remains on track to deliver two ships by 2018-19.

Those officials conceded in the briefing that the vessels, which are still being designed, will be reviewed to see if they are affordable and raised the possibility that some capabilities could be scaled back.

Another procurement controversy?

It was Page's stinging criticism of the F-35 stealth fighter that ignited a political controversy which ultimately resulted in the Conservatives' re-examination of the multibillion-dollar program. Page accused National Defence of low-balling the multi-purpose jet's purchase and maintenance costs. That criticism that was backed up by the auditor general.

Background material released Wednesday as part of the briefing shows the government may have learned its accounting lesson. Estimates for the full cycle cost of the new supply ships at $7.1 billion.

Liberal defence critic John McKay dismissed the briefing as recognition that the government's plans will not live up to the political hype.

"They're just trying to head off negative publicity," he said Wednesday.

The shipbuilding plans have been held up as an example of success, but over one year after the framework deal was announced there has been growing concern because no actual construction contracts have been signed and there are questions about the program's ability to deliver the same number of ships as initially promised.

The government trumpeted that 21 combat and seven civilian ships would be built.

But officials acknowledged that the number is up for discussion and it will depend on the capabilities that both the navy and coast guard require.

"It's not really the number of hulls that will define capability, it's each actual ship (and) what each actual ship will contribute to the fleet," said one official.

Officials confirm plan for only two ships

When the government announced it was proceeding with the support ship program, it said it hoped to build two, possibly three vessels. That was quietly dialled back in Wednesday's briefing to a firm two ships.

The supply ships, meant to replace HMCS Preserver and HMCS Protecteur, were first ordered by the Paul Martin government in 2004, but initial proposals by shipyards were deemed too expensive by the Harper government in 2008.

The program was forced to go back to square one with a drastic scaling back of the capabilities the navy wanted for the ships.

Page's report is expected to show that when inflation is factored in, the new less capable ships will cost more than if the better equipped vessels scrapped by the Conservative government in the original plan.

McKay was incredulous.

"If they would have stuck with the original plan, sucked it up, they would be six years ahead of themselves, and navy would already have its ships," he said. "The consequence now is we don't know what we're getting, when we're getting it and how much it's going to cost."

When the budget officer took aim at the F-35, the Conservatives counter-attacked by questioning his numbers and methodology.

Government officials said they haven't seen an advanced copy of Page's latest report, but insisted their own calculations are sound.

The budget officer's report used the existing supply ships and their capabilities as a jumping off point for their analysis and drew on documents at National Defence, the shipbuilding industry as well as a team of experts including naval specialists at the U.S. Government Accountability Office in Washington.

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Senator Brazeau assault allegations part of police report

Documents filed by Gatineau police to obtain the Feb.7 search warrant used to gather evidence to support assault and sexual assault charges against Senator Patrick Brazeau provide new details on the allegations against the former Conservative.

The documents filed by the detective in the case describe the events surrounding a morning 911 call to police, statements provided by the complainant during a video interview and three articles of clothing collected as evidence at the address to which emergency services were dispatched.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

The complainant first phoned 911 at 9:04 a.m. on Feb.7 but hung up after saying only "yes, hello, this is the police?" The police report notes that the complainant appeared to be crying at the time.

Dispatchers traced the address based on that call and dispatched police to the location after there was no answer when they tried to call the number back.

Another call from the same number was received at 9:06 a.m. The complainant then reported being hit and said there were injuries. The person who allegedly pushed the complainant down the stairs and delivered punches was said to be upstairs from where the call was placed.

Gatineau police arrived during the second phone call and arrested the person the complainant identified as being responsible for the injuries.

Statement, photographs

The suspect was taken to the police station for detention and had an opportunity to speak with a lawyer, the police report notes.

A written statement was taken at the location of the alleged assaults, as well as photographs documenting the complainant's injuries.

The complainant then was taken to the station for a videotaped interview with the police. In that interview, the events preceding the incident and the alleged assaults were described in more detail in the report.

According to the documents, the two were involved in an argument the evening before over what the complainant described as an aboriginal issue.

The disagreement continued the next day, the report said, leading to a physical altercation.

According to the complainant's statement, the suspect allegedly pushed and hit the complainant in the arms and tore two pieces of clothing the complainant was holding. Items of clothing were later collected by police.

Vulgar language

The suspect then allegedly grabbed the complainant aggressively and tried to pull down the pants the complainant was wearing, breaking off a button, which was also gathered as evidence.

The documents allege the suspect used vulgar language in both English and French and then spat in the complainant's face. A hand was placed around the complainant's neck as if to attempt to choke the complainant, and the complainant was allegedly hit in the arm with the suspect's fist.

The complainant was then pushed down stairs and told to "leave my country," according to the documents, and a railing was broken as the complainant tried to grab it.

At that point, according to the documents, the suspect went back upstairs and the call was placed to police.

On Feb. 8, Brazeau pleaded not guilty to assault and sexual assault charges. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 22.

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Top court to rule on free speech vs. hate propaganda laws

Bill Whatcott says he is expressing a religious belief in pamphlets condemning homosexual behaviour. (CBC)

The Supreme Court of Canada is set to release a decision Wednesday morning in a Saskatchewan case that has pitted advocates of free speech against laws which curtail hate propaganda.

A Saskatchewan man, Bill Whatcott, distributed pamphlets to households in Regina and Saskatoon in 2001 and 2002 that condemned gay sex as immoral.

Complaints about the pamphlets were taken up by the province's Human Rights Commission and a panel ruled the pamphlets promoted hatred against gays.

That finding was appealed and the case was taken all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, which heard oral arguments on the case in October 2011.

Whatcott, who engaged in same-sex behaviour prior to a religious conversion, argues the pamphlets simply reflect his religious beliefs.

"The material is blunt and forthright," Whatcott's factum to the court says. "There is no polite way of saying, 'You are going to hell unless you change your behaviour.'"

Whatcott argues the pamphlets are an expression of opinion and free speech is protected by the Charter.

The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, in its factum, argues that an identifiable group — homosexuals — were hurt by Whatcott's pamphlets and merited protection.

"Hate expression is restricted for what it does and not what it says," the commission's factum says.

"Limiting the publication of hateful religious beliefs does not interfere with the right to hold beliefs," the commission added.

The Supreme Court decision is expected to be released around 9:45 a.m. ET.

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Some senators silent over questions of spending, residency

Twenty-five senators have either refused to show proof to CBC News that they live where they claim to or haven't responded to questions, as a senate probe into their residency and allowances goes on.

CBC's James Cudmore asked each one of 104 sitting senators to answer:

• Where they live.
• Where they hold a driver's licence and health card.
• Where they pay taxes.
• Where they vote.

So far, 96 senators have responded to the CBC's queries.

Once contacted, 17 senators simply refused to provide the information requested. Sixteen of those senators were Conservative, and 15 were appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Among those who refused:

• Conservative Donald Oliver, appointed by then-prime minister Brian Mulroney.
• Former broadcaster Pamela Wallin.
• Former broadcaster Mike Duffy.
• Hockey legend Jacques Demers.
• Former Quebec Conservative campaign co-chair Suzanne Fortin-Duplessis.
• Former N.W.T. premier Dennis Patterson.
• Former New Brunswick Conservative cabinet minister Rose-May Poirier
• Former Montreal Canadian Alliance and later Action Démocratique du Québec candidate Leo Housakos.

A further six Conservatives have yet to respond at all. All of those are Harper appointees, including:

• Larry Smith, the former head of the Canadian Football League, who was twice appointed to the Senate, the second time after he resigned from the Senate to run for the House of Commons and lost.
• Irving Gerstein, a Conservative party fundraiser.

That means a total of 21 Conservative senators appointed by Stephen Harper have either refused or not furnished the residency data to CBC News.

One Liberal refused

Two of 36 Liberal senators haven't responded to the request. Trudeau appointee Pierre De Bané refused to turn over the information, but told CBC News he lives in Ottawa — not in the Quebec riding he was appointed to represent. De Bané says he doesn't claim the living allowance.

Liberal Senator Mac Harb, who is under fire now for racking up Senate travel and living expenses, didn't respond at all. Harb was an Ottawa city councillor from 1985-1988, then represented Ottawa Centre — the riding in which Parliament Hill sits — as a member of Parliament until he was appointed to the Senate in 2003.

Two Conservative senators who sit on the Senate committee reviewing the residency and expenses of senators have also refused to disclose key residency issues to CBC News.

Despite repeated requests over two weeks, Smith and his Senate caucus colleague Claude Carignan have refused to reveal in which province each holds a driver's licence and health card, pays provincial income tax, and votes. The other 13 members of the committee have provided that information to the CBC, including the seven other Conservatives.

Five senators are expected to be called before the Senate committee auditing housing allowances to answer more questions:

• Patrick Brazeau, appointed from Quebec.
• Mike Duffy, appointed from P.E.I.
• Mac Harb, appointed from Ontario.
• Dennis Patterson, appointed from Nunavut.
• Pamela Wallin, appointed from Saskatchewan.

Duffy to repay expenses

Patterson refused to answer questions from reporters Tuesday as he left a committee on Parliament Hill. He said he's co-operating with the review process.

Last week, Duffy told CBC News that he would pay back the expenses he'd claimed for his housing because questions about the issue were distracting people from his work. Wallin has reportedly decided to do the same.

Both Liberal and Conservative leaders in the Senate have said they expect anyone who can't back up their expense claims to repay the money.

Duffy is the only federal politician in P.E.I. who does not receive a special residents-only tax break. According to tax information obtained by the CBC, all three other senators, and four elected MPs, receive the provincial credit.

Senator Patrick Brazeau, who is also under scrutiny for his expenses, did respond to questions and provided the information requested.

Brazeau lists his primary residence as Maniwaki, even though the address listed on his driver's licence shows he lives in Gatineau, the city across the river from Parliament Hill.

Brazeau currently faces charges of assault and sexual assault in an unrelated matter.

with files from James Cudmore

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Brad Wall heads to Washington to push for pipeline

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall will be pushing for a pipeline and promoting Canadian energy in Washington, D.C., next week.

Wall said Tuesday he will be urging U.S. leaders to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which would take bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

"I think it's very important for us to be engaged in the United States where people are at work, they are branding Canadian energy and Canadian oil," Wall said Tuesday. "The second largest exporter of oil to the United States is our province, and though we don't sell them oilsands oil, we sell them conventional oil, light sweet and medium heavy crude, we need to be there working on the branding issue, meeting with senior legislators in Washington to let them know a little bit about our province, to encourage support for Keystone."

Wall has been an outspoken supporter of Trans Canada Corporation's proposed $7 billion project.

He recently wrote a letter along with 10 U.S. governors urging U.S. President Barack Obama to approve the pipeline.

They said the pipeline is crucial for energy security and the future economic prosperity of both countries. They also said it will create thousands of jobs on both sides of the border.

Alberta's oilsands get most of the attention when it comes to the pipeline debate, but Wall has said Saskatchewan is affected by the pipeline capacity issue.

The inability to get western Canadian crude to the right markets is costing the economy, according to a report paid for by the Saskatchewan government.

The Canada West Foundation, a Calgary-based think-tank, said in the report released Feb. 7 that each stalled pipeline project means a loss to the Canadian economy of between $30 million and $70 million every day.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to make the final decision on Keystone this spring.

Kerry, who has been a climate change crusader, was non-committal on the fate of the project during a joint news conference with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in Washington earlier this month.

Wall concerned about linking pipeline to other issues

Wall also said he's concerned that Keystone's approval is being linked to Canadian domestic policy on greenhouse gas emissions.

Ambassador David Jacobson has said Obama's State of the Union address calling for swift action on climate change should also be interpreted as a challenge to Ottawa.

Wall said Canadians should be alarmed by suggestions that Americans would approve or reject a pipeline not on the merits of the project, but on domestic environmental policies.

"Imagine if this was the Bush White House and the Bush White House was saying 'Look, our approval for an important Canadian project in our country is contingent on you, Canada, changing your domestic policy in some area,' " said Wall. "Heads would explode and rightfully so. People would be apoplectic."

Wall said part of his message will be that Canada is doing its part when it comes to cutting greenhouse gases.

"It isn't Canada that has catching up to do, based on what the provinces are doing and what the federal government is doing, you could make the case that it's the Americans that are behind."

Wall's trip to Washington comes on the heels of a visit by Alberta Premier Alison Redford.

Redford also took her message on the Keystone XL pipeline across the United States Tuesday in the daily newspaper USA Today.

In a guest column published in the newspaper, Redford touted the benefits of the pipeline, but also emphasized Alberta's record on the environment and its commitment to reducing climate change.

"I think it helps when premiers are going to the same market, with the same message and ostensibly we are," said Wall.

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Having conquered space, Garneau aims for Canada's top job

Marc Garneau is credible, likable, celebrated, looks like a statesman and when it comes to being experienced it really doesn't get much better than being able to say you used to be an astronaut and have logged 677 hours in outer space.

"I think I've demonstrated throughout my career all the things which I've done. I won't repeat them, but that plays into it. My life experiences, my solid judgment, my track record and everything I've done in my life," he said in a telephone interview. "I don't enter anything in my life to come anything but first."

In his recent challenge to Justin Trudeau for a one-on-one debate, which Trudeau declined, Garneau's frustration was palpable. It can't be easy, considering you once beat out 4,000 candidates to become one of six participants in the Canadian space program, to have to acknowledge Trudeau is the frontrunner, as Garneau did when he questioned Trudeau's ability to lead and capacity to have a vision or a plan.

"The leadership of the Liberal party is too important a position to be handed to an untested candidate who is hiding behind a carefully crafted public relations campaign," he said at a press conference last week, using language that may pop up in future Conservative ad campaigns if Trudeau wins.

Garneau took his "Liberals, we have a problem" concerns to mid-February's leadership debate in Mississauga, Ont. In their few minutes together on stage, Garneau pressed Trudeau with what-is-your-résumé questions, but Trudeau batted them away so deftly that Garneau probably did him a favour.

Trudeau pointed out that even in the face of the NDP surge in Quebec, he tripled his vote margin in the last election in his Papineau riding. He could have added, but did not, that Garneau's margin of victory in Westmount-Ville-Marie in the same election was decimated, down from more than 9,000 to just over 600.

The most educated, the most decorated

But when it comes to résumés, no other candidate comes close to Garneau. He is the most educated and most decorated of any of them: an RMC degree, a doctorate in naval engineering, military staff college, a year training at the Johnson Space Center. In his military career, he rose to the rank of a navy captain, equivalent to a colonel in the army. He's been awarded two levels of the Order of Canada, a science medal, a NASA medal and a string of honourary degrees.

Marc Garneau, first Canadian in space. (marcgarneau.ca)

Whatever happens politically, he already owns a spot in Canadian history by being the first Canadian in space. He later became head of the Canadian Space Agency.

He's married to Pamela Soames, with whom has two children, and he has two grown children, twins, from his first marriage. He was a single parent for a time following the death of his former wife in the 1980s. He has talked about his fondness for vacuuming and his penchant for making chili, a recipe he learned living in Houston.

On policy, Garneau has staked out some of his own ground. His number one priority is the economy, he says, and, "I've clearly recognized the centre of gravity in this country has moved towards the West. I'm very focused on Canada trading with Asia. That's become the economic centre of gravity for the planet."

He thinks the Conservatives' claim of being good stewards of the economy is "laughable."

"If you cast your mind back to 2008, Flaherty did not even see the recession coming... I think he's revised his figures on the deficit about eight times," Garneau said.

Garneau advocates opening up the telecommunications market to foreign competition so Canadians can have lower wireless prices, and says young people shouldn't have to start paying off student loans until they find a job that pays more than $40,000 a year.

Favours a carbon tax

He also favours a carbon tax, or, as he puts it, a "disincentive to pollute." And while he thinks the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline route may be too high-risk, he advocates getting oil to the West Coast and to China.

"It's not enriching Canada if it stays in the soil in Alberta. We need to do this, but we need to do it in the proper scientific way with consultation in a constructive manner."

Garneau views the concept of electoral cooperation with the NDP as dangerous: "Harper and Mulcair have both got the strategy for the next election of totally eliminating the Liberal Party of Canada. They would like to have a future without the Liberal Party of Canada."

Liberals are different from Conservatives and from the NDP, he says. "The Conservatives want virtually no government, the NDP thinks that government can solve virtually every problem... there is a middle road, and that is the Liberal road."

"Most Canadians have a sense of fairness, and that's where Liberals are, and that's certainly where I am."

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Liberal leadership race loses 1st candidate

George Takach, the Toronto lawyer who advocated for a digital economy during Liberal leadership campaign, has withdrawn from the race and is supporting Justin Trudeau.

Takach, who recently wrote in his website that the "last thing the Liberal Party of Canada needs is another coronation. What we need is a real race," tweeted his thanks to his volunteers and his wife, Barb, on Monday and announced he was leaving the contest, leaving eight candidates competing to be party leader.

"Justin has the strength to lead a movement that can connect with Canadians from all walks of life, regions and communities,'" Takach said in a statement. "I share Justin's vision of empowering Canadians through access to education and entrepreneurial opportunities."

He added that he intends to run for the Liberal party in the 2015 election, and that he feels "Canada's transformation from a resource-based economy to a digital one is now a central issue."

Takach did not give a clear reason why he's leaving the campaign, although a crucial date is approaching on March 3 when all potential voters in the supporter category must be signed up. The leadership will be decided April 14.

In a statement Trudeau replied: "I want to thank George Takach for his support and his commitment to Canada. He has brought forward new ideas in this campaign and through exciting initiatives such as 'Geeks for George,' brought new people into the political process."

Takach, who had never run for political office before, elicited some boos from the audience during the last leadership debate when he chided Vancouver MP and candidate Joyce Murray for running a tree-planting business that he suggested was a waste of time for students as a summer job, and compared it to a house-painting enterprise he ran when he was a student.

In one debate Takach got into a friendly argument with former astronaut Marc Garneau about who could legitimately call himself the science candidate.

Takach described himself as the son of poor immigrants who rose to become a successful technology lawyer. During the campaign he pushed strongly for a Canadian digital bill of rights that would guarantee internet access and ensure freedom from surveillance not authorized by a court of law.

Takach's website is now promoting a Trudeau fundraiser in New Brunswick on Tuesday.

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Senators hauled before committee over residency proof

Senators unwilling or unable to provide documented proof of their residence are being called on the carpet and forced to explain themselves in a series of meetings with members of the Senate's internal economy committee, CBC News has learned.

Those meetings begin today. It's unclear how many or which senators will be called.

Conservative senators David Tkachuk and Carolyn Stewart Olsen will play the role of interrogator, along with Liberal Percy Downe, the CBC's James Cudmore reported.

The internal economy committee asked all senators last December to prove where they live through drivers licences, health cards and tax filings. The committee is in charge of senators' budgets and administrative matters.

The audit was ordered following media reports suggesting some senators were claiming a living allowance despite having lived in the Ottawa area for years. The allowance is intended to cover senators who have to keep a second home in Ottawa after they are appointed. MPs receive a similar allowance.

The results of the audit are expected by the end of the week.

Government Senate Leader Marjory LeBreton and Liberal Senate Leader James Cowan have asked that the results of the audit be made public. In a letter to the committee, they also said any expenses that can't be backed up should be repaid.

Nothing to be shortcircuited

Senator Mike Duffy said Friday he would repay expenses claimed for his home in Ottawa, explaining he made a mistake in declaring that his primary residence was in Prince Edward Island. Other senators, including Pamela Wallin, Mac Harb, Dennis Patterson and Patrick Brazeau, have faced questions about their expense claims and residency declarations.

Cowan said Monday that paying back the expenses may not be enough, depending on the results of the audit.

"That's not necessarily the end of it, absolutely not. It may be, but it depends on what the audit report says," Cowan said.

Emphasizing that he can't speak for any senator but himself, Cowan said he finds the form filled out by senators to be perfectly clear. If there is something confusing about a form he's filling out, he says, "You ask about it. That's what I do when I don't understand something. I never sign anything that I don't understand."

Cowan says he and LeBreton agree on how the issue of senator expenses should be handled, regardless of party.

"I don't think there's any difference between Senator LeBreton and me on this. We are both determined that this is dealt with fairly, openly, transparently, and nothing's going to be swept under the carpet. Nothing's going to be shortcircuited."

'Unacceptable for any other Canadian'

In question period, the opposition New Democrats compared the Conservative government's tough approach with abuse of the Employment Insurance system to the approach taken with the party's senators.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair pointed to Duffy's claim that the form senators have to fill out is unclear, and to the fact Wallin has an Ontario health card but tells the Senate she resides in Saskatchewan.

"He says the form is too complicated …She told the federal government that she lived in one province while telling a provincial government that she lived in another. This would be unacceptable for any other Canadian. Why does the prime minister seem to think it's acceptable for his Conservative senators?" Mulcair said.

NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus said EI forms tell applicants that if they misrepresent the facts to make a false claim, they are committing fraud and could be prosecuted.

"So will the government hold senators who break the rules to the same standards they hold unemployed Canadians to?" Angus said.

Government House Leader Peter Van Loan says the government has committed to ensuring expenses and the rules governing them are appropriate, and to reporting publicly about them.

"Senators Patterson, Wallin and Duffy all own property in the provinces and territory they represent. They maintain deep and continuing ties to those regions and in fact three senators all spend considerable time in their home provinces and territory," he said.

"The reality is if you want to see real change in the Senate, if you want to see real change towards an accountable Senate, you need to embrace the Conservative proposal to actually let Canadians have a say who represents them in the Senate. The NDP simply won't do that."

with files from James Cudmore

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Canada quick to warn diplomats after Benghazi attack

Newly released documents shed light on how the Canadian government responded following an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last summer.

The heavily redacted documents, obtained by CBC News under federal Access to Information laws, show officials in Ottawa reacted within hours of confirmation of the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the American mission in Benghazi.

Attackers armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades had stormed the U.S. consulate and set it on fire, killing two diplomats, including Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya. Two more officials were killed in a related attack on a second U.S. facility in the city.

The attack on the mission in Benghazi started at 9:42 p.m. local time on Sept. 11, according to a timeline released by the Pentagon. That's 3:42 p.m. ET.

In an email sent just before 9 a.m. ET on Sept. 12, the morning after the attack, a secret briefing note from the Department of Foreign Affairs' regional security abroad unit outlined safety measures for the Canadian embassy in Tripoli, Libya's capital. The measures are blacked out in the version released publicly.

Another briefing note, marked secret and dated Sept. 12 at 12:30 p.m., says the department "disseminated a security message to inform all missions of the threat and request all missions review their security posture and ensure readiness," and that the regional security abroad unit had been in touch with the missions in Tripoli and Cairo, Egypt, and had produced briefing notes on events in Benghazi and Cairo.

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird wouldn't say what time the first messages went out, citing security concerns, but allowed that they went out "early morning" on Sept. 12.

"By midday on the 12th, the two missions in question [Tripoli and Cairo] had updated security instructions relevant to the Canadian context at the time," Chris Day said in an email to CBC News.

The documents show the also department arranged by early afternoon on Sept. 12 a conference call for heads of mission in the Middle East and North Africa.

'Reacted thoroughly and rapidly'

NDP international co-operation critic Hélène Laverdière, who served as a Canadian diplomat in Chile and Senegal, says it sounds like officials "reacted thoroughly and rapidly."

"There was probably a quick reaction on the ground, because you have what happens in Ottawa, but the people on the ground, they're also aware of what's happening, and they're also talking with colleagues from other missions and sometimes exchanging experience about security measures and things like that," she said.

Laverdière says there was a minor earthquake when she was posted in Chile, and within 10 minutes, colleagues in Ottawa were checking in on the Canadians in Santiago.

"Quite sincerely, my impression … is that the department reacted rather quickly [to what happened in Benghazi] and I can tell you from my experience, all along, it's always a priority: security of the mission, security of the information, but above all, security of the people."

Canada temporarily closed its embassies in Cairo and Tripoli from Sept. 13-16, and Khartoum, in Sudan, from Sept. 14-17, after outbursts of unrest following the release of an amateur American film called The Innocence of Muslims, which ridicules the prophet Mohammed.

"We take the safety of our personnel and our missions overseas very seriously," Day said. "We are always monitoring events closely and taking appropriate security measures."

The U.S. embassy in Cairo also saw a major protest the day of the attack on the consulate in Benghazi, with demonstrators climbing the walls of the mission and tearing down the American flag.

The attack in Benghazi is now thought by U.S. officials to have been a planned attack by militants linked to al-Qaeda.

'Attack on diplomacy'

The embassy in Libya is staffed by five Canadians. Canada had no diplomats in Benghazi at the time of the attack, Baird said in September.

Children and spouses aren't allowed to follow officials on posting in Tripoli, one of the post-attack memos says, and Canada-based staff must take a hostile environment training course before being posted there. They receive "thorough" security briefings on arrival and throughout their time in Libya, it says.

Stevens was the first U.S. diplomat killed in a violent assault since 1979.

"It's an attack on diplomacy, and obviously we continually look at the safety and security environments for Canadian personnel," Baird told reporters on Sept. 12. He was travelling in India at the time.

"We're obviously not present in Benghazi. But as you would expect, we'll re-evaluate the environment, as we regularly do, for our personnel in Tripoli. Obviously, we understood that [the country] wasn't going to go from Moammar Gadhafi to Thomas Jefferson overnight, and we continue to put our hope in the actions to bring civil society and pluralism and democracy to the people of Libya."

Baird also said the government was reviewing embassy security around the world.

"Obviously diplomats don't sign up to be soldiers, and their safety and security is a high priority. We've made major strides over the past 10 years of the department to meet these goals. There are areas where there is room for improvement and obviously we are seized with the importance of this."

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Security experts urge caution over Ottawa-China partnership

A Chinese state-owned development group is setting up shop at Ottawa's innovation hub, and some security experts are expressing concern about the possibility of intellectual property theft amid widespread cases of cyber stealing in the U.S. linked to China.

Invest Ottawa helps local entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground, with the overall aim of attracting new businesses — and jobs — to the city.

Primarily funded by the City of Ottawa, Invest Ottawa also receives funds from the Ontario and federal governments, as well as through corporate sponsorships and service fees. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson serves as co-chair of Invest Ottawa's board of directors.

For years,it has been developing a relationship with China's Silicon Valley, Zangguancan Science Park, according to Invest Ottawa CEO Bruce Lazenby.

The massive park employs 1.3 million people and houses more than 20,000 companies.

Small team from China setting up in Ottawa in next few weeks

In 2010, Zangguancan set up a development group, ZDG, which announced last year that it was setting up in Silicon Valley, Ottawa and Finland.

A small team from China will be moving into Invest Ottawa's headquarters on Aberdeen Street in Little Italy within the next few weeks, said Lazenby.

Bruce Lazenby, CEO of Invest Ottawa, says working in business with anyone anywhere presents risk, not just with China. (CBC)

Once Invest Ottawa's new hub is built at the Bayview Yards site, ZDG will move in there as well.

So far, Invest Ottawa's selection committee has presented about 15 Canadian companies to ZDG, and two or three of them are being looked at "very seriously," Lazenby said.

If ZDG decides to move forward with any of them, the group could help them finish up or market their products, and even establish offices at the Beijing-area science park, Lazenby said, adding that ZDG has about $10 million set aside to invest in local companies.

"We're going to walk before we run, and see if it works. But of the $10 million that they've put up on the table so far, that's $10 million out of their $1.5 billion investment fund. So if this goes well and Ottawa companies and Canadian companies take advantage of it, there's a lot more financing out there to be had. And that's one thing that Canadian companies are desperate for, is equity capital," Lazenby said.

Former top Nortel security adviser urges caution

But a former top security adviser at failed Nortel, Brian Shields, said any companies who want to work with China "ought to be really worried."

Last year, Shields alleged that one Chinese company spent years hacking into Nortel's system and stole information.

In a Skype interview last week, Shields said it could happen again.

Brian Shields, a former top security adviser for Nortel, says the same kind of cyberstealing that he alleges happened to Nortel could happen again. (CBC)

"We're talking about new products, new ideas, new technology. You've got a lot of brilliant minds there [at Invest Ottawa], and what a great way to tap into that resource and usurp whatever might be of value to you … and your interests back home," Shields said.

"There are many ways to skin a cat, so to speak, and if the old way that they're doing it is creating lots of heat for them, which is what's going on now … then you find other ways of trying to get the information."

That heat, most recently, has come in the United States in the form of last week's Mandiant report, accusing a secret Chinese military unit in Shanghai of years of cyberattacks against more than 140 U.S. companies.

In response, the Obama administration last week announced a new diplomatic push to discourage intellectual property theft abroad.

Invest Ottawa CEO 'reasonably satisfied' with ZDG

Lazenby said that in business, "there has to be risk if there's ever going to be reward," and that conducting business with anyone anywhere presents risk, not just with China.

"I think at this point we believe that we've got a good partner, we're reasonably satisfied that this is not espionage at any level — of course if it was we wouldn't know," he said.

"But that's where we count on our other partners. That's where we count on the RCMP and CSIS and others to be aware of who's coming into Canada," he said.

But a former assistant director of intelligence at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Ray Boisvert, urges caution when working with state-owned enterprises from countries like China and Russia.

Ray Boisvert, a former assistant intelligence director at CSIS, says it's important for businesspeople to remember that not all markets play by the same rules. (CBC)

While it's important to invest in knowledge and ideas, he said it more often means dealing with emerging markets that don't always operate the way North American markets do.

"We need the investment … we need to get into those emerging markets, especially in places like China, but we know that by wading into that area of the world, it's full of potential jeopardy," Boisvert said. "… Do so with eyes wide open and be aware that there are predators. They do not play by the same rules."

"I think it's a bit of a setup in a way, which is one that leaves me, as a … former intelligence practitioner, a little bit uncomfortable," said Boisvert.

Small business president pleased with new partnership

Siva Kumar is president of a small local company. He says he's pleased with the possible opportunities afforded by the partnership. (CBC)

Siva Kumar, the CEO of Secure City Solutions, a small local company with offices at Invest Ottawa and in Kanata, said he's happy about the new partnership.

"It's a great idea, it's one of their very good ideas," Kumar said. "I think it will be very positive in Ottawa."

Asked whether he might be worried about his company's secrets being stolen, Kumar said any startup has to be careful about protecting its intellectual property, no matter with whom or where they do business.

"It's very tough to go and ask money from a venture capital [firm by] cold calling. You've got to build trust, relationships, and so on and so forth," Kumar said. "With them being in the same building, I think it's a very smart move. So the small startup gets exposed to them and they also get exposed to startups."

What do you think of Invest Ottawa's decision to invite a Chinese development group to set up in the same building as local startups?

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Tories set 'targets,' not quotas for EI fraud

The federal government denies it has given civil servants quotas for catching employment insurance fraud — but now says there are performance objectives in place.

Human Resources Minister Diane Finley had flatly denied previous reports that EI investigators have been given monthly dollar quotas.

However, government documents obtained by Montreal newspaper Le Devoir show civil servants are expected to find $485,000 each in fraudulent claims each year — a total that corresponds to the previously reported $40,000 monthly quota.

The documents outline performance evaluation expectations that spell out goals that investigators for Service Canada are supposed to meet.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair says the Conservatives are treating the unemployed like criminals and contrasts their pursuit of EI claimants with the expense scandal swirling around Conservative appointees in the Senate.

Human Resources Minister Diane Finley told MPs Monday that employment insurance investigators have performance objectives in uncovering EI fraud, but said those are not the same as quotas. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Finley told Mulcair that EI investigators do have performance objectives but said there's a big difference between targets and quotas.

Opposition MPs have also objected to a plan the government has instigated to have Service Canada employees go door to door to arrange for randomly selected EI recipients to be interviewed about their efforts to find work.

Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner noted that an Oscar was awarded Sunday night to an actor who portrayed a "ruthless bounty hunter," and if Hollywood didn't pan out, perhaps that person could be hired by the government to "bust down doors, hunt down the people the minister thinks are shiftless, lazy, dishonest seasonal workers whose culture of defeat has become such scourge in this country."

Cuzner was referring to a comment made years ago by Stephen Harper, before he became prime minister, when he said people in Atlantic Canada have a "culture of defeat."

"The department was able to stop half a billion dollars in ineligible payments last year," Finley replied, "but the employment insurance system still lost hundreds of millions of dollars due to fraud. If the Opposition stops us rooting out EI fraudsters, the only people who lose are Canadians who follow the rules."

The union representing the Service Canada employees who conduct the door-to-door inquiries has asked the government to suspend the work in areas of the country where recent EI changes have become an explosive issue.

"The department has indicated that the security of staff is a priority and they have received training on how to appropriately deal with difficult situations," a spokesperson for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada told CBC News in an email. "If an interview is held outside of Service Canada offices and if an employee has any concerns about their safety, he/she will end the interview and leave the premises."

On Monday evening, the department told Radio-Canada that the only place where visits had been suspended for security reasons was Tracadie, New Brunswick. In that region, several hundred seasonal workers angry about the changes to the EI system occupied a Service Canada office in Tracadie-Sheila in December and also organized a series of protests there earlier this month, including blocking traffic and access to local businesses and burning tires.

In early February Finley told opposition MPs that there were no individual quotas for EI inspectors. After question period Monday, NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen, citing the Le Devoir story, rose on a point of privilege to complain that Finley, by denying quotas existed, had misled the House.

With files from Canadian Press

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U.S. admiral calls for alliance of special forces

The head of American special forces delivered a pitch for closer co-operation among allies to deal with global flash points, in a speech likely to receive a cool reception in deficit-minded Ottawa.

Admiral Bill McRaven, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, said the lessons of the post 9/11 world are clear.

Local acts of terrorism can quickly become a global phenomenon and it is cheaper to deal early with nations teetering on the brink of anarchy rather than allow them to become regional problems, he said.

The job is not for one nation, McRaven told a packed luncheon at a defence conference in Ottawa on Friday.

'The decisions for Canada are Canada's alone.'—Admiral Bill McRaven

"The U.S. cannot address the challenges of tomorrow alone. They are too diverse, too unpredictable," he said.

"We don't have the fiscal capability, the manpower, and in some cases the resources to go it alone. None of us do."

To prevent violence-plagued countries from becoming failed states, McRaven said, special forces need to train local forces.

Relationships with security forces in trouble spots are also key.

And countries with highly skilled commando and counter-terrorism units should be more formally bound together on the international level, perhaps under the umbrella of NATO's recently created special forces command.

His pitch stands in contrast to the prevailing wisdom in Ottawa, where the Harper government has made clear it will not send combat troops — commandos or otherwise — to the world's trouble spots, such as Mali.

McRaven says his speech Friday to the Conference of Defence Associations annual meeting was not aimed at Canada, or intended to be political.

"My speech was not an appeal to anyone," he said afterward. "The decisions for Canada are Canada's alone."

While in Ottawa, McRaven held meetings with his special forces counterpart, the country's chief of defence staff and the national security adviser.

No appetite for foreign military missions

The appetite among the governing Conservatives to become entangled in foreign military missions, post-Afghanistan, is all but gone.

As French forces battled al-Qaeda-linked militants in northern Mali this winter, the Canadian government sent only a C-17 transport to ferry war materials with no major commitment, despite the West African nation being among the biggest recipients of Canadian aid and business investment.

The fact the Canadian military is entering a period of retrenchment and cuts was underscored several times Friday by Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who appeared by video conference from a NATO meeting in Brussels, and by Gen. Tom Lawson in his first major speech since being appointed chief of defence staff.

"There's a budget to balance and Defence must do its part," Lawson said.

He described cost-cutting as the military's new "centre of gravity."

There could be up to $2.5 billion carved out of the defence budget by next year, according to an independent analysis last fall.

Admiral Edouard Guillaud, the French chief of defence staff, said many western nations face similar choices.

Guillaud told the conference his country was grateful for the contribution of the C-17 in Mali, and noted there is limited public patience for long military campaigns. About 48 hours after French troops arrived in Mali, he said, the headlines declared the mission had become "bogged down."

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Thousands rally against federal government's EI reform

Thousands of protesters across the province of Quebec, in Ottawa and in Tracadie, N.B., took part in demonstrations denouncing the government's employment insurance reform Saturday.

The government's changes to the EI program compel laid-off seasonal workers to go farther afield to look for work and to accept jobs that pay as little as 70 per cent of their previous hourly wage — providing that is not below the province's minimum wage rate.

Ottawa changed admission criteria for EI programs last January. People looking for work will be urged to accept work located within a 100-kilometre radius from their home.

'Living under a dictatorship'

In Montreal, the construction arm of the Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ-Construction) organized the protest. Organizers said the aim of the protests is to tell the Harper government that the modifications to EI programs will have a negative impact on many Canadian families.

"We must get together and be heard as a united front against this government," said the construction union's executive director Yves Ouellet.

The head of the QFL, Michel Arsenault, said the new rules are sowing insecurity among seasonal workers, robbing students of jobs and encouraging people to lie about their work history.

Arsenault is also incensed by the government's decision to send government bureaucrats to people's homes to check out their unemployment stories.

He said it's like "living under a dictatorship," and he says the EI changes have targeted provinces that do not traditionally vote for the federal Conservatives.

"Sustaining a family, start a career, giving your time and money … it's not with measures like this one that we will be able to shape a new generation in Quebec," he said.

In Quebec City, provincial Labour Minister Agnès Maltais took part in the protest and demanded Ottawa rescind its changes to the program.

She is expected to meet with federal Human Resources Minister Diane Finley on Feb. 27.

The FTQ-Construction representative in Quebec City, Jean Gauthier, said the new rules will hurt the capital city.

The majority of people who took part in similar protests in Saguenay were workers involved in the province's forestry industry.

Most of them said they are determined to fight against the reform, particularly because of the rules forcing them to accept jobs far away from home.

In Hull, across the river from Ottawa, about 200 protesters left the Robert Guertin arena around 10 a.m. ET to make their way to Parliament Hill before meeting up at the CBC/Radio-Canada building.

The organizers said they want to draw attention to the budget cuts imposed by the federal government, including those to the public broadcaster.

Recipients receive impromptu visits

About 50 federal government employees were given the task of paying impromptu visits to EI recipients.

In total, about 1,200 randomly-selected recipients will be meeting with government officials between January and the end of March.

'The reform takes work conditions, schedule and commute into account.'—Minister of Veterans' Affairs Steven Blaney

New Democrat MP Yvon Godin, who is actively opposing the Harper government's reform, compared the meetings to bullying.

In an interview with Radio-Canada on Saturday, Minister of Veterans' Affairs Steven Blaney said Canadians are misinformed about the federal government's amendments to the program.

"The reform takes work conditions, schedule and commute into account," he said. "We even take into account babysitting fees and the costs affiliated to commuting."

He added that people living in Quebec would have priority over jobs offered in the province above foreign workers.

Blaney blamed opposition parties in Ottawa for trying to take away opportunities for workers to have access to additional revenues.

View EI reform protesters make their voices heard in a larger map

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Atleo presses Toews on funding to police services

It's crucial that the new minister of aboriginal affairs and northern development hit the ground running and get to work right away to tackle the urgent issues facing First Nations communities, says National Chief for the Assembly of First Nations Shawn Atleo.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper named New Brunswick MP Bernard Valcourt as the new minister overseeing aboriginal affairs one week after accepting the resignation of John Duncan.

In an interview airing Saturday on CBC Radio's The House, Atleo told host Evan Solomon he's very hopeful that Valcourt, whom he described as a "veteran politician" will step into his new role with "a sense of urgency" to follow up on the long-term commitments the prime minister made with respect to treaty talks and comprehensive land claims.

With most of the hard work still ahead, Valcourt will be faced with other "pressing issues," according to Atleo, like "the safety and security of our communities... or the human rights crisis that continues to exist in First Nations communities."

On Tuesday, Ghislain Picard, the AFN Regional Chief for Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) will travel to Ottawa, alongside other chiefs, to press Public Safety Minister Vic Toews to commit to long-term funding for aboriginal police services in the next federal budget.

Funding aboriginal police services

At stake are funding agreements with 18 community police services that are set to expire on March 31st and an ask for approximately $30 million in renewed funding, said Picard.

Also in an interview airing Saturday on CBC Radio's The House, Picard said a lack of renewed funding for aboriginal police services would affect 30 aboriginal communities including some 230 police officers, thus endangering the safety of First Nations.

According to Picard, while this government prides itself on being champions of public safety, there is a double-standard when it comes to the safety of First Nations communities.

Ghislain Picard, the Chief for the assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, says he'll travel to Ottawa next week to press Public Safety Minister Vic Toews for long-term funding to aboriginal police services. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

"It's totally unacceptable," Picard said.

Picard took his plight to the national chief, who in turn, wrote a letter to Toews this week urging the public safety minister to meet with Picard and the First Nations leadership in Quebec and Labrador.

"I did pledge to stand with him [Picard] and the Chiefs of Quebec and Labrador to press for… the minister and the federal government to heed and respond to what I believe is part of a broad dire condition of underfunding in our communities," Atleo said.

Chiefs from Quebec and Labrador have been trying to meet with Toews since the 2011 budget when the federal government announced a 19 per cent cut in the funding agreements to First Nations police forces, Picard explained.

"But really to no avail," said Picard.

According to Atleo, "this is not an issue that is new to these last few days or this last week. We've communicated with the federal government and with the minister, and I would again urge the minister to meet with the leadership in Quebec and Labrador and heed the call... to address this fundamental issue. If there is one element that is absolutely critical... that's public safety."

"We have a higher incarceration rate than we do a graduation rate," Atleo said.

Picard explained that the federal government funds aboriginal police services at a rate of 52 per cent, with provincial governments funding the other 48 per cent.

A spokesperson for Toews said, "while policing is primarily a provincial responsibility, we work with our provincial counterparts to keep our communities safe."

"Federal investments in dedicated policing in First Nations and Inuit communities has made a significant contribution to improving public safety in First Nation and Inuit communities for over 20 years," said the spokesperson, adding they could not comment "on any potential future budget decisions."

As for the letter Atleo send Toews, "we will be reaching out to the AFN in the near future," said Julie Carmichael, the director of communications for the minister of public safety.

The Chiefs from Quebec and Labrador will be calling on the Opposition parties to intervene in their call for renewed federal funding to aboriginal police services.

On Monday, Atleo will be appearing at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal when hearings into allegations that Canada discriminates against First Nations children begins.

The national chief will make an opening statement advocating the need for equity and fairness for First Nation children.

The hearings are expected to continue until August 2013.

'Shift in the status quo' needed

Atleo said he'd spoken with Roger Augustine, the AFN Regional Chief for New Brunswick and P.E.I., who has had some dealings with Valcourt in the past, and that Augustine expressed "some positive sentiments about the potential to get right to work."

"We do need to see a significant shift in the status quo," said Atleo adding that "every minister of aboriginal affairs operates within a box that's too overly confined for us to make progress on."

The national chief said First Nations not only need to see the prime minister take the lead on aboriginal affairs but they "also need a minister who will have the ear of the prime minister."

Atleo said Valcourt has signalled that he would like to meet with the national chief at his earliest convenience.

"I appreciate receiving that signal and we will arrange for a conversation as quick as possible," Atleo said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, has named Bernard Valcourt aboriginal affairs and northern development minister. Valcourt takes over from John Duncan, who resigned last week, after admitting to improperly advocating the Tax Court of Canada on behalf of a constituent. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Valcourt's appointment comes at a challenging time in the relationship between the federal government and First Nations.

It was just six weeks ago that Harper committed to greater ministerial oversight after meeting with Atleo and other First Nations leaders, a meeting brought to the fore by the Idle No More movement and a six-week-long hunger strike by Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence.

Since then, the federal government and the AFN leadership have been meeting to discuss treaty implementation issues and land-claim settlements. And the AFN just concluded an internal meeting "to reflect on the work up until now," Atleo said.

As for the much talked about follow-up meeting between the prime minister and the national chief, Atleo said while it is on their minds "any opportunity to meet with the prime minister must be based on the potential for real progress or to overcome obstacles or challenges in the way."

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Mulcair bill to strengthen budget watchdog

As members of parliament return to Ottawa after a week of working in their ridings, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair will introduce a private member's bill designed to strengthen the mandate of the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, CBC News has learned.

The Opposition leader will squeak in the bill in the hours ahead of a Monday evening deadline to get his PMB to the Order Paper.

As CBC reported Friday, this will almost certainly be Mulcair's only opportunity to present a bill to the House before the next federal election.

Kevin Page, the current parliamentary budget officer, was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a five-year term that ends March 25.

Under the current legislation, the PBO is an officer of the Library of Parliament and as such has less teeth than Officers of Parliament who are independent from the government of the day.

Page has said the next spending watchdog should be accountable to Parliament in the same way that the auditor general or the chief electoral officer are.

NDP finance critic Peggy Nash has a private member's bill before Parliament – Bill C-381 titled the strengthening fiscal transparency act – that would allow for the spending watchdog to be independent.

Mulcair's bill is said to different enough that Nash will not have to withdraw hers, NDP officials say.

Appointing a successor

In January, Mulcair wrote to the prime minister asking him to extend Page's appointment until a replacement was found.

The Opposition leader pointed to the upcoming federal budget and the role of the PBO in providing information to parliamentarians and Canadians.

In February, Page told CBC Radio's The House he would agree to stay on if asked.

"I would stay on for a transition if the prime minister asked me to stay on for a few months," Page said.

Page has been criticized by the federal government for the estimated costs he gave for the proposed purchase of the F-35 fighter jet, an estimate that was later confirmed by a report from Auditor General Michael Ferguson.

He was also criticized for saying that Old Age Security was sustainable, effectively contradicting the federal government's assessment of that program.

Seen as a thorn in the federal government's side, various cabinet ministers have tried to undermine his credibility by saying the watchdog was "operating outside his mandate."

Harper has said on numerous occasions that the office of the parliamentary budget officer was created so the watchdog could do his "non-partisan work."

All eyes will be on Page's next report that will look at the joint support ship program.

The Library of Parliament is currently leading the search for a new PBO.

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First Nations discrimination hearings begin Monday

Just as Bernard Valcourt starts his new job as Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development minister, the federal government will appear before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal beginning Monday to defend itself against allegations that it discriminates against First Nations children living on reserves.

The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and the Assembly of First Nations will be "challenging the federal government on the issue of discrimination on funding for child services for our children in our communities," Shawn Atleo, national chief for the Assembly of First Nations, told CBC Radio's The House on Saturday.

Atleo said these are the sorts of "pressing issues" Valcourt will have to tackle right away.

The national chief is expected to make an opening statement during Monday's hearing advocating the need for equity and fairness for First Nations children.

The complaint, first filed in 2007, alleges the federal government has a "longstanding pattern" of providing less funding for child welfare services to First Nations children on reserves than it does to non-aboriginal children living off reserves.

"This case was filed as a last resort after successive governments have failed to implement the solutions that would help First Nations children stay safely in their families," according to Cindy Blackstock, the executive director of First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada.

Since then, according to the FNCFCS, the federal government has spent over $3 million in its efforts to have the complaint dismissed.

"Protecting women and children on reserve is a priority for the federal government, and we'll continue to take concrete steps that result in real progress for both women and children," Jason MacDonald, a spokesperson for Valcourt, said in a written statement.

And thanks to agreements with six provinces – Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba – "almost 70 per cent of First Nations children and families on reserve across Canada now benefit from a more effective approach to child and family services as well as additional funding," MacDonald said.

The federal government has also introduced Bill S-2, titled the family homes on reserves and matrimonial interests or rights act, which is intended to protect the rights of women on reserve.

And it is also consulting with First Nations communities on aboriginal education in the hopes of passing new legislation early next year that would include educational standards for aboriginal children.

In April, the Federal Court rejected the federal government's attempts to prevent First Nations groups from arguing for better funding for child welfare on reserves.

The federal government had tried to block the case, saying federal and provincial funding levels for services couldn't be compared.

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal initially sided with the government's view and dismissed the case.

But the Federal Court disagreed and ordered the tribunal to hold a new hearing with a new panel.

The attorney general has appealed the Federal Court's ruling.

While that appeal will be heard next month, the hearings, which are expected to last 14 weeks, will begin as scheduled on Monday.

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Robocalls election challengers win bid to admit key evidence

A group of voters challenging the election of six Conservative MPs scored a small victory Friday when the judge in the case decided to allow a key piece of evidence to be considered.

The voters wanted Judge Richard Mosley to consider court records that support their contention of a widespread campaign of harassing and misleading live phone messages and robocalls. They allege the calls deterred people from casting ballots in the last federal election, and that the Conservative MPs benefited from it.

The voters say the MPs in their ridings should lose their seats. Conservative officials have consistently denied the allegations and say they ran a clean campaign.

Mosley agreed Friday to consider records that include an assertion by a voter that he didn't cast a ballot because of a misleading phone call. The man, whose name is blacked out in the publicly available records, told an Elections Canada investigator that a phone call had directed him to the wrong polling station and then didn't vote because of that.

A decision on the court challenge isn't expected for another month.

The court records also show Elections Canada officials have spoken to voters across the country who allege they received the misleading live and automated robocalls.

The documents, known as an Information to Obtain a production order or ITO, were filed by Elections Canada investigator John Dickson.

Records include 45 complaints

Dickson is looking at 45 reports from Rogers customers in 28 ridings. Another ITO released last fall showed he is also investigating 62 complaints in 36 ridings from customers who use Shaw for their phone services. Another investigator is looking into complaints in 20 Quebec ridings.

Dickson's investigation covers voters in:

• British Columbia.
• Alberta.
• Manitoba.
• Ontario.
• New Brunswick.
• Newfoundland.

The eight voters who brought the Federal Court challenge had little evidence to support their contention that people were deterred from voting — a connection necessary to their case — other than an anonymous survey conducted by telephone that found people who said they hadn't voted following one of the calls.

"Without predetermining either the weight I will give to this evidence, or the inferences I will draw from it, I find that it may affect the decision that I will make," Mosley wrote in his decision.

"It will therefore serve the interests of justice and assist the Court for it to be admitted to the record. It is not disputed that it was not available at an earlier date and its admission will not unduly delay my decision. The admission of this Rogers ITO will not cause substantial prejudice to the respondents, as they have had the opportunity to make submissions on ITO evidence generally, which will apply to this one as well."

Records released after case argued

The voters bringing the challenge are backed by the Council of Canadians, a frequent foe of the Conservative government on environmental and transparency issues.

The court records are from a separate investigation by Elections Canada into hundreds of complaints about misleading or harassing calls. They weren't made public until Jan. 10, 2013, a few weeks after the case was argued in Federal Court.

The MPs whose seats are being challenged contested the court records because the assertions weren't made in direct testimony and couldn't be challenged, as well as because the court proceeding had finished. They also argued that the documents don't cover the ridings challenged in the court case.

The voters are challenging the Conservative wins in:

• Nipissing-Timiskaming in Ontario.
• Elmwood-Transcona and Winnipeg South Centre in Manitoba.
• Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar.
• Vancouver Island North.
• Yukon.

T 619 12 (PDF)
T 619 12 (Text)

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Mike Duffy to repay expenses claimed for Ottawa home

Senator Mike Duffy says he's going to pay back the living expenses he's claimed for his Ottawa home.

In an interview with CBC News, Duffy said the issue has become a "major distraction" from the work he's trying to do for Prince Edward Island, the province he represents in the Senate.

"Everywhere I go, people are talking. Well where do you live? What's it all about? …," he said. "It's become a major distraction.

"So my wife and I discussed it, and we decided that in order to turn the page, to put all this behind us, we are going to voluntarily pay back my living expenses related to the house we have in Ottawa."

Duffy blamed the Senate for having unclear rules and forms.

"We are going to pay it back, and until the rules are clear — and they're not clear now, the forms are not clear, and I hope the Senate will redo the forms to make them clear — I will not claim the housing allowance."

'Entitled to be a senator'

Asked how much that was, Duffy indicated he wasn't sure.

"The accountants … you know," he said.

Senators are eligible for up to $21,000 a year to cover the expense of having a second home in the National Capital Region. He was appointed to the Senate in December 2008.

'I hope it reassures Islanders and Canadians that the old Duff, the Duff they've known and trusted, would never do anything wrong.'—Senator Mike Duffy

Duffy and several other senators are facing questions over their residence after media reports pointed out some long-time Ottawa residents seemed to be claiming the living allowance for their Ottawa homes. The allowances are intended for senators who maintain full-time residences in their home provinces.

Duffy referred to health problems as a reason why he spends so much time in Ottawa.

"I had open heart surgery," he said. "I'm being intensively followed. The other day I counted up, I have six different doctors … so I have a lot of health problems, and the advice of my doctors was not to make a switch, to stay with them at the Heart Institute in Ottawa. And that's what I've done."

The senator says he hopes the interview helps people understand the issue.

"I hope it reassures Islanders and Canadians that the old Duff, the Duff they've known and trusted, would never do anything wrong. I would never knowingly fiddle anything," he said.

"Four years ago, I was given the opportunity to sit in the Senate as a voice for Prince Edward Islanders in Ottawa. I jumped at the chance. I was born here, I was raised here, I own a house here, I pay property taxes here, and most important, my heart is here."

A senior government official says "the government has no doubt whatsoever about Senator Duffy's qualification to represent P.E.I. in the Senate."

Duffy has lived in Ottawa since the 1970s, where he covered Parliament Hill as a reporter.

Duffy faces the additional question of whether he qualifies to be a senator if it's determined that he doesn't live in P.E.I. The Constitution says senators must "be resident" of the province or territory which they represent, but it doesn't say what that means.

"I'm an Island resident, and I'm entitled to be a senator," Duffy said. "I've met all of those requirements."

The residency form senators have to fill in is vague, Duffy said, "and I may have made a mistake in filling in that form."

"It asks for your primary residence in the province in which you reside, and I put Cavendish, and it asks for your secondary residence and I put Kanata," he said, explaining there are no other options on the form.

The expenses of Duffy and two other senators, Patrick Brazeau and Mac Harb, are being audited by an outside accounting firm. A report on senator living expenses by the committee that handles budgets and administration is expected by the end of the month.

David Tkachuk, who chairs the committee that oversees the Senate's budgets and administration, said Friday that the committee had not formally heard from Duffy.

Tkachuk said that members of the steering committee would meet next week to discuss the issues.

Asked Friday about Duffy's apparent mea culpa, Senator Marjory LeBreton, the government leader in the Senate, would only say that the audit would get to the bottom of the controversy.

"We have committed to ensuring that all expenses are appropriate, that the rules governing expenses are appropriate, and to report back to the public on these matters," she said.

With files from The Canadian Press

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