OTTAWA—The federal election will put signs on lawns, politicians on buses, and, depending on how things play out in court, suspended senators Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin back on the public payroll.

The three erstwhile members of the Conservative caucus were all suspended Nov. 5, 2013 — halting their salaries, reimbursements and use of office resources — for what a motion adopted by the Senate called “gross negligence in the management of (their) parliamentary resources” related to travel or living expenses inappropriately billed to taxpayers.

The Star has learned that, as things now stand, the three senators are set to begin receiving paycheques and other perks again no later than mid-September, which is the latest the campaign could begin if Prime Minister Stephen Harper sticks to the fixed election date of Oct. 19.

“Their salaries resume,” Nancy Durning from Senate communications said Thursday when asked to clarify what happens to the suspension order when Parliament dissolves and candidates hit the campaign trail.

“The suspension order under the rules of the Senate is for the duration of the session or until the order is rescinded. All orders of the Senate die with prorogation or dissolution,” Durning wrote in an email.

The end of the suspension, however, would have no effect on the six years of service that Brazeau, Duffy and Wallin need to qualify for a Senate pension.

That is because the law governing retirement allowances was changed in June 2014 to say that if a parliamentarian is suspended, the clock stops ticking and cannot be started again without a majority vote.

The Senate could gather to debate a new motion to once again suspend the trio without pay, but that could not happen until Parliament — potentially under a new regime — has reconvened and delivered its speech from the throne.

That means there would be weeks, if not months, when Brazeau, Duffy and Wallin would once again be entitled to their basic salary of $142,400 per year.

“We’ll see when we’re there,” Sébastien Gariepy, spokesman for Conservative Senator Claude Carignan, the government leader in the Senate, said Thursday when asked about their plans.

That would change if any of the senators are convicted of an indictable offence and the Senate moves to expel them from the upper chamber, but that seems unlikely given fewer than six months remain before an election.

The trial of Duffy, on 31 charges related to fraud, bribery and breach of trust, begins next week and will run through most of June, which is also when the preliminary inquiry of Brazeau for fraud and breach of trust will get underway.

Wallin is being investigated by the RCMP but no charges have been laid and Senate sources say it is highly unlikely the upper chamber would move to expel anyone until any and all appeals have run their course.

Christian Deslauriers, the lawyer defending Brazeau against charges of fraud and breach of trust, said he, too, understands the suspension against his client would lift once Parliament is prorogued or dissolved.

“They have to reapprove it,” said Deslauriers.

The lawyers representing Duffy and Wallin did not respond to interview requests Thursday.

During also noted that while the suspension against Brazeau and Duffy would lift, they would each remain on a leave of absence because they have been charged with criminal offences by indictment.

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The Senate rules state they would not be allowed to be on committees or sit regularly in the upper chamber, but could attend once a session — after one full session had passed — to avoid being disqualified for absence.

PATRICK BRAZEAU

The Quebec senator would be entitled to an annual salary of $142,400, but he still owes the Senate $45,940 plus interest in living expenses claimed for his residence in Gatineau, Que.

The Senate says his pay would automatically be docked by 20 per cent until the total amount was recouped.

Once the suspension order has no effect, Brazeau would be on a leave of absence while he faces criminal charges by indictment.

MIKE DUFFY

The senator for Prince Edward Island would be entitled to an annual salary of $142,000. He has repaid $90,172 in living expenses claimed for his home in Kanata, a suburb of Ottawa.

Like Brazeau, Duffy would be on leave of absence from the Senate once the suspension is no longer in place, because he has been charged with indictable offences.

PAMELA WALLIN

The senator for Saskatchewan would be entitled to an annual salary of $142,200. She has repaid $154,191 in travel expense claims she billed to the Senate, mostly associated with trips to Toronto.

Court documents show the RCMP is investigating Wallin over allegations of fraud and breach of trust, but no charges have been laid.

Correction, April 3, 2015: An earlier version of this article stated incorrectly that three suspended senators would be able to continue accruing pensionable service once the suspension order is no longer in effect.

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