OTTAWA—Sen. Patrick Brazeau, who was expelled from the Conservative caucus, is urging Canadians to vote Stephen Harper out of office in an online essay that likens his leadership style to a dictatorship.

“Harper is a control freak,” Brazeau wrote in a 1,608-word column published by the online political news site Loonie Politics. The essay begins with his thoughts on how Harper has been responding to questions about the criminal trial of Sen. Mike Duffy.

“When I was in caucus, very few challenged him. Those who did were shut down, those who had differing opinions were silenced,” wrote Brazeau, claiming he once “shamed” Harper in front of his caucus for not calling an inquiry into the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women.

“When you contradict, shame or make the PM look bad regardless of its significance, watch out because some of his soldiers are coming after you,” Brazeau wrote.

“Is that ‘PROVEN LEADERSHIP?’ No, it’s ‘PROVEN DICTATORSHIP’ and it scares me and it should scare you. I’m afraid of what Harper and his entourage will do to achieve their ends because I have lived it and they have done everything imaginable to ensure I lose my job even though I have been honest, open and accountable. For heaven’s sake, I haven’t had a fair trial yet. Luckily, that day will come for me. Unfortunately, that day will come for the Harper Conservatives,” Brazeau wrote.

Brazeau declined to be interviewed about some of the points he raised in his column, telling the Star in an email Wednesday that he would be “offering more details at a later date.”

Asked for a response Wednesday, Conservative campaign spokesman Stephen Lecce referred the Star to a comment he made Aug. 6, when Brazeau posted to Twitter that he had attempted suicide: “It’s concerning, and we sincerely encourage Mr. Brazeau to seek the help he needs.”

Lecce said he had nothing to add.

Brazeau, who claimed in the piece that he does not “have a personal agenda here,” was booted from the Conservative caucus on Feb. 7, 2013 after he was arrested at a residence Gatineau, Que.

Brazeau has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and sexual assault stemming from that incident and his trial is scheduled to resume next month.

Brazeau has also been charged with fraud and breach of trust related to housing expenses he claimed for a rental home in Gatineau and his trial is expected to begin sometime next year.

Brazeau used his column to defend himself against these allegations as well.

“The principle of natural justice, in its simplest form, can be summarized as fair play, ensuring that people have a right to be heard, decisions made being free of bias and based on evidence. Yes, actions were taken and decisions were made by the Harper Conservatives but did they take into account the principles of natural justice? With all the information and testimony coming out of the Duffy trial thus far and the alleged number of people involved in the Prime Minister’s Office and other Conservative Senators in the ‘Senate scandal’, do you believe decisions were made free of bias and purely on evidence? I will let you decide but in my case, the answer is no,” Brazeau wrote.

Brazeau was suspended from the Senate without pay, along with Duffy and Sen. Pamela Wallin, in November 2013.

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Mac Harb, a former Liberal who also claimed questionable housing expenses, had resigned from the Senate that summer.

His suspension was lifted when the election was called Aug. 2, but the steering committee of the Senate standing committee on internal economy, budgets and administration decided to hold back his entire salary — after deductions for child support — until it recoups the $45,940, plus interest, the Senate says he claimed inappropriately.

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