(OTTAWA) - Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and MP (Saanich-Gulf Islands), issued the following statement today, urging the Senate to delay its scheduled vote on Bill C-51:

“Tomorrow, Canadians will learn the details of the Auditor General’s report on Senate expenses. We will find that 30 Senators have filed inappropriate expense claims and nine have had their files referred to the RCMP. On the very same day, the Senate is also scheduled to vote on C-51 at third reading. The seconder of the bill in the Senate is under investigation by the RCMP and has resigned from the Conservative caucus. The eyes of Canadians will be on the Senate tomorrow. If, on the same day that we learn the details of the Senate’s culture of misusing public funds, the Senate votes for a bill as massive and controversial as C-51, the harm to the Senate’s reputation could be irreparable.

Our public institutions cannot function without public confidence. An institution that votes on a bill to violate the basic principles of our society on the same day that they are found to have routinely misused public funds is one that cares very little for its own credibility.

While I call on the Senate to reject C-51 in its entirety, the Senate must, at the very least, delay the vote on C-51 or risk falling further into a crisis of confidence.”

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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Julian Morelli

Director of Communications

Green Party of Canada

cell: (613) 614 4916

office: (613) 562 4916 (224)

julian.morelli@greenparty.ca