
Maclean’s on the Hill: Mike Duffy is not guilty
Each week, the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau sits down with Cormac Mac Sweeney to discuss the headlines of the week. This week, Mike Duffy is not guilty. The P.E.I. senator was acquitted of all 31 charges of fraud, breach of trust, and bribery after a year-long trial. We take a look at the verdict with Nicholas Köhler, who covered every second of the case for Maclean’s, and we also speak with lawyer Michael Spratt about the judge’s criticism of the Crown—and what this all means for for other senators’ ongoing legal battles.
Now that Duffy has been cleared of wrongdoing, he gets to go back to his old job in the Upper Chamber. It may make for an awkward return, since so many of his colleagues turned on him at the height of the scandal. We speak with one Conservative senator who voted to suspend Duffy—and another who defended him from the start.
It was a happy 4/20 for many Canadians. On Wednesday, Health Minister Jane Philpott unveiled the timeline for the government’s plan to legalize marijuana‚ and pledged to introduce legislation next spring. Cormac speaks with Philpott about the announcement.
Finally, Indigenous affairs minister Carolyn Bennett joins Cormac to discuss the suicide crisis in Attawapiskat, and the measures the government is taking to help remote First Nations.
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The full episode
Part 1. Mike Duffy is acquitted.

Mike Duffy is not guilty. The P.E.I. senator was acquitted of all 31 charges of fraud, breach of trust, and bribery after a year-long trial. We take a look at the verdict with Nicholas Köhler, who covered every second of the case for Maclean’s, and we also speak with lawyer Michael Spratt about the judge’s criticism of the Crown—and what this all means for for other senators’ ongoing legal battles.
Part 2. How will the Senate react to Duffy’s return?

Now that Sen. Mike Duffy has been cleared of wrongdoing, he gets to go back to his old job in the Senate. It may make for an awkward return, since so many of his colleagues turned on him at the height of the scandal. We speak with one Conservative senator who voted to suspend Duffy—and another who defended him from the start.
Part 3. Liberals still plan to legalize pot.

It was a happy 4/20 for many Canadians. On Wednesday, Health Minister Jane Philpott unveiled the timeline for the government’s plan to legalize marijuana‚ and pledged to introduce legislation next spring. Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with Philpott about the announcement.
Part 4. How will the government help Attawapiskat?

Indigenous affairs minister Carolyn Bennett joins Cormac Mac Sweeney to discuss the suicide crisis in Attawapiskat, and the measures the government is taking to help remote First Nations.
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