Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Pamela Wallin says she has Saskatchewan health card

Senator Pamela Wallin has broken her silence about her health card, saying she's got a Saskatchewan one.

Staff for the senator who calls Wadena, Sask., her home told reporters Wednesday that Wallin indeed has a Saskatchewan health card. Reporters have been asking her that question for months.

However, when asked how long Wallin has had a Saskatchewan health card, Wallin's office didn't answer.

The question of which province, if any, provides Wallin with a health card has lingered in recent months as part of a larger debate about her residency and eligibility to represent Saskatchewan in the Senate.

Wallin, who has an apartment in Toronto and owns property in Wadena and Fishing Lake, Sask., maintains that she meets all the residency rules set down by the Senate.

When CBC News asked Wallin about her health card in February, she repeated that she owns property in Saskatchewan and considers it her home but did not address the health card question.

Wallin expenses under review

Wallin is among four senators — the others being Mike Duffy, Mac Harb and Patrick Brazeau — whose expenses have been under official scrutiny in recent months.

She removed herself from the Conservative caucus and now sits as an independent. She told CBC earlier this month she has paid back $38,000 in expense money.

The health card issue, while not part of the Senate rules, relates to residency in the sense that Saskatchewan Health requires people to live in the province six months out of a 12-month period to qualify for a card.

In recent interviews and letters to the editor, Wallin has said last year she spent 168 days in Saskatchewan, which is just over 5½ months.

Original Article
Source: CBC
Author: cbc

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