Wednesday, March 06, 2013

If nothing else at least the old bugger has good taste in women! Duffy-Wallin best man/maid of honour?

Conservative Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu under scrutiny over relationship with employee

Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu in spotlight over reports he is in romantic relationship with one of his employees on Parliament Hill

By Joanna Smith/Ottawa Bureau Reporter
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Media reports say Isabelle Lapointe (right) is in a romantic relationship with Conservative Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, for whom she works as an aid.

OTTAWA—A Quebec senator is in the spotlight over reports that he is in a romantic relationship with one of his employees on Parliament Hill.

Conservative Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, 64, is the latest member of the red chamber to come under scrutiny as part of the ongoing controversy surrounding expense claims.

Montreal-based newspaper La Presse reported this weekend that Boisvenu, claimed more than $20,000 in living expenses for his time spent in the Ottawa area, while claiming his primary residence is in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

The newspaper reported the Sherbrooke condominium is occupied by his ex-wife, Diane Carlos, with whom he is in the process of negotiating a separation agreement following their split about a year ago.

Meanwhile, the newspaper reported Boisvenu is involved romantically with his aide, Isabelle Lapointe, a former criminal analyst who he hired to be his executive assistant, also in charge of communications, in August 2010.

The relationship appears to go against rules governing the hiring of employees at the Senate of Canada, as far as they were explained to other media, but communications staff refused to state those rules when the Star asked about them Tuesday.

Neither Lapointe nor Boisvenu responded to interview requests Tuesday.

Boisvenu told La Presse for a story published Saturday his personal life has nothing to do with anyone but him when asked about the relationship.

Boisvenu also explained the living allowance by saying that he still stays at the Sherbrooke condo twice a month when he meets a divorce lawyer to negotiate the separation, noting it remains his legal and permanent address until the divorce is finalized.

The Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, which was investigating living expenses, did not interview Boisvenu or refer his case to external auditors, which means they concluded his expense claims were legitimate.

Senators are allowed to claim up to $22,000 in living expenses — including accommodations, meals and incidentals — per year for their time spent in the national capital region, so long as their primary residences are at least 100 kilometres away from Parliament Hill.

On Tuesday, Montreal newspaper Le Devoir reported the Conservatives have known about the relationship since shortly before Boisvenu separated from his wife in February 2012, after Carlos sent an email about it to Senator Elizabeth Marshall, the Conservative whip.

Marshall did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Neither did Conservative Senator David Tkachuk, the chair of the internal economy committee.

Late Tuesday, Government Senate Leader Marjory LeBreton issued a statement through her office saying: “We are committed to ensuring expenses are appropriate, that the rules are appropriate and that this is reported back to the public. We have no comment on senators’ personal lives.”

Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae said the Senate should have done something about it.

“It’s inappropriate to have a personal relationship with someone who is also your employee. It’s not normal, either in the House of Commons or in the Senate,” Rae told reporters following question period Tuesday.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair would not comment on the story when asked about it Tuesday.

Boisvenu, who became a well-known advocate for the victims of crime and their families after the disappearance and murder of his daughter, Julie, was appointed to the Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in January 2010.

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