Patrick Brazeau is removed from the Conservative caucus

Prime Minister Stephen Harper removed Senator Patrick Brazeau from caucus today after the Senator was taken into Gatineau police custody this morning just after 9am, according to reports.

CTV’s Robert Fife broke the news after an internal memo was circulated by Senator Marjorie LeBreton, the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Politically, Brazeau faces questions regarding his housing allowance and primary residence in Quebec. In what seems to be an unrelated matter, he has now run aground with what appears to be a new set of personal issues.

Statement

 

Date: February 7, 2013

For immediate release

 

STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE MARJORY LEBRETON, P.C. ON SENATOR BRAZEAU

‪

Minister LeBreton today issued the following statement in regards to Senator Brazeau:

 

“In light of the serious nature of the events reported today, Senator Brazeau has been removed from the Conservative Caucus. As this is a legal matter, I cannot comment further.”

 

– 30 –

 

Déclaration

 

Date : le 7 février 2013

Publication immédiate

 

DÉCLARATION DE L’HONORABLE MARJORY LEBRETON, C.P. AU SUJET DU SÉNATEUR BRAZEAU

 

La ministre LeBreton a publié la déclaration suivante aujourd’hui au sujet du sénateur Brazeau:

 

“Étant donné la gravité des événements rendus publics aujourd’hui, le sénateur Brazeau ne fait plus partie du Caucus conservateur. Comme il s’agit d’une question légale, je ne peux commenter davantage.”

 

– 30 –

NDP HQ emailing their talking points for twitter?

Momentum is building!

Here, it seems, the NDP collective is tweeting what they are being told. The following tweets are not retweets, they are “independent” singular tweets:

Ontario PCs release new attack ad against Kathleen Wynne

Tim Hudak’s PC Party has released their first ad attacking the newly minted Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne.

Predictably, her “Dalton, Dalton” cheering during her victory was used by the PCs to link the old with the new as more of the same. McGuinty has been a polarizing figure in Ontario and with an imminent election, the Tories will be looking to make the ballot question one of McGuinty’s legacy in Ontario.

The Tories have chosen to highlight debt as the first criticism of Wynne. They go back to Wynne’s days as a school board trustee and her record as a fiscal manager there and state that Wynne would not aim to balance Ontario’s books for five years.

This won’t be the last we’ll see on the Tory full-court press, however. The gas-plant and ORNGE helicopter scandals are still fresh in the minds of Ontarians.