If Senators Wallin-Duffy-Brazeau have been robbing taxpayers blind let them now do it without subsidized eye glasses!

The Before: "Triumvirate's" taxpayer subsidized eye glasses

The After: Medical benefits suspended

Three blind mice
Three blind mice
See how they run
See how they run
They all ran after the farmer's wife
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife
Did you ever see such a sight in your life
As three blind mice

Updated - Matt Gurney: Embattled Mike Duffy fights for every last contact lens
@mattgurney

But what about my acupuncture? (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

There’s been an intriguing development in the unfolding, seemingly never-ending efforts to expel three senators — Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau — from the Senate. All three senators are former Tories who have been booted from the Conservative caucus due to expense irregularities, and in Brazeau’s case, criminal charges (not yet proven in court) of assault and sexual assault.

The Prime Minister, trying to get on top of the scandal, wants them just thrown out of the Senate. The three embattled senators, plus some supporters within the Red Chamber, are arguing that this is a violation of due process — the senators, the logic goes, should not lose their salary and benefits before they are found guilty of any wrongdoing, criminal or otherwise. Senators Duffy and Wallin, in particular, seized upon this. Duffy reminded us all that he has a heart condition, while Wallin discussed how frightening it is for a cancer survivor to lose her health benefits.

Hang on … they’re still Canadians, even if they get kicked out of the Senate, right? Harper isn’t calling for them to be hit with some anti-Tommy Douglas clause that strips them off their emergency health care, too, is he?

My curiosity piqued, I set off to determine what benefits a senator can actually receive. What seemed like an easy task proved anything but. I’m still waiting for full information, with media requests duly filed, but what I quickly determined was that the Senate plan is apparently distinct from that offered to MPs and the regular federal civil service, because part of the Senate’s costs are covered by the home provinces of the Senators.

“It’s complicated,” explained one expert on the field to me, before pausing and eventually adding, “It’s different from, but comparable to, what MPs and civil servants get.”

Well, OK, then. Rest assured I’ll be happy to provide a full update if/when the Senate ever gets back to me. But for the time being, and just as a point of comparison, it’s worth looking at the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP), which covers MPs, federal bureaucrats, judges, military and RCMP personnel, veterans and a variety of pensioners and dependents of those covered. The plan is pretty standard-issue stuff. It’s funded with payroll deductions and a small annual deductible, and after that, the PSHCP will cover 80% of typical health-related expenses, like prescription drugs. Coverage by some medical practitioners is also covered, up to annual maximums — dentists, chiropractors, and the like. The plan will cover some vision-care expenses, too. Things like prescription glasses and contact lenses.

Again, fairly standard stuff for a group health insurance plan. When you scroll through what’s offered (you can find way, way more information here), you quickly notice that there’s nothing included under these plans that would save anyone from a heart attack or cancer. Cheaper drugs, subsidized contact lenses and provisions for a semi-private room in a hospital are nice, but losing these things isn’t life-threatening. In fact, losing these things leaves you … in the same boat as a lot of people. You know, the citizens of the country. As a way of applying pressure for the government, this leaves a lot to be desired. No one cares about making sure Wallin and Duffy get a good deal on a new pair of specs.

Duffy, Wallin and Brazeau actually have a legitimate argument when they say they’re being punished without due process if the suspensions go through. And some senators, perhaps fearful of setting a precedent that could come back to haunt them, are clearly reluctant to proceed.

But fighting for the health benefits and playing the risk of imminent death card? Come on. Until and unless the honourable members are stripped of their citizenship, they’re just as well off as the millions of Canadians who are already part of a workplace plan, and frankly better off than those who aren’t lucky enough to enjoy supplemental health coverage.

Update

I’m grateful to the communications staff at the Senate for getting back to me with my requested information well before the deadline I had imposed on them. The reply confirmed that senators receive the same benefits as executives in the Public Service, meaning that the PSHCP cited above is the appropriate guideline for determining benefit levels, even if the administration differs somewhat, and I’m not even sure it does anymore. Byzantine doesn’t begin to do this justice. Maybe there’s something to the claims by senators that the regulations are too complicated, after all. — MG

Mike Duffy trying to figure out how to maximize his health care benefits ..... Duhhhh?