Senate Speaker’s never met a politician out to ‘screw’ Canadians

Watch: Speaker of the Senate Noël Kinsella is defending his taxpayer-funded trips to the Vatican.

OTTAWA – It’s been a scandal-plagued year in the upper house, but Speaker Noël Kinsella apparently doesn’t see any “ill will” in the actions of three senators who were suspended from the chamber this fall.

During a press conference that lasted an hour and a half and included a brief explanation of Senate art, Kinsella said he’s yet to meet a politician who is motivated by malice.

“I have never met a municipal councillor, mayor, or provincial member of the legislative assembly or Parliamentarian who lays awake at nighttime saying, how can I screw the Canadian people?” he said.

“Do they come up with ideas I think are absurd? Sure. Do I come up with ideas that nobody agrees with, absolutely. But we deal with it through debate.

“I have never met politicians who are motivated by ill will.”

Senators Pamela Wallin, Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau were suspended without pay by a majority of their colleagues in November, who determined they should be kicked out of the Senate for claiming ineligible expenses related to housing and travel.

But fellow Conservative Senator Don Meredith, who watched the press conference, said it’s possible the suspended senators, stripped of all but their health benefits, could be welcomed back into the upper chamber when the suspensions expire in 2015 or even before that.

“Their contributions were well-regarded,” said Meredith.

He said it will be a personal decision if any of the senators decide to come back if the suspensions are lifted.

“Do they want to put themselves through that, their families, that’s personal decisions that they have to make,” said Meredith.

Kinsella addressed the media the day after Conservative Sen. Hugh Segal announced he will be leaving the Senate in June to become master of the University of Toronto’s Massey College.

The outspoken senator had raised repeated concern over the treatment of his colleagues, particularly Wallin, whom he defended as being denied due process. Segal was not available for an interview Friday.

But Kinsella said he sees no “causal connection” between the expense scandal and Segal’s departure, which comes shortly after fellow Conservatives Gerald Comeau and David Braley also quit the chamber before reaching retirement age of 75.

“We live in a political environment, and we’re also mature enough to know we’ve had some problems with some individuals and to the best of our ability we’ve been dealing with it,” said Kinsella.

“I wouldn’t see a causal connection between the two at all.”

He added that Segal has been an advocate for Senate reform and is leaving after nine years.

“It might end up being a good example why that period of time would be a reasonable period of time,” said Kinsella.

When asked if others may depart early, Kinsella said it’s possible.

“I’d rather speak as a historian on it, not a prophet,” he said.

Watch: More comments from  Senate Noël Kinsella at today’s press conference