To the editor:
Ray Novak, head of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), appears to have lied to the RCMP about his knowledge of the $90,000 cheque to pay for Senator Mike Duffy’s questionable expenses.
This is the implication of a statement given to the RCMP by University of British Columbia professor of Law, Ben Perrin, the former legal counsel to the PMO.
Since Professor Perrin has now confirmed his police statement under oath in the Ottawa courtroom where the Duffy trial is taking place, there will be renewed demands for the resignation of Novak from the PMO.
Despite court testimony and e-mail evidence from the Duffy trial, Prime Minister Stephen Harper continues to assert that Novak did not know.
As the second most powerful person in the federal political system, one might think Novak would feel duty bound to address the media directly, but instead he hides and will not speak for himself. By refusing to remove this dishonest coward from his position of power, the main political issue in this election campaign has become the credibility of the present prime minister of Canada – not just the loss of trust in his judgement.
Derek Cook
Political Studies
Thompson Rivers University
