Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff, Nigel Wright, was back in an Ottawa court room on Friday as the trial of disgraced senator Mike Duffy continued to pull focus from the campaign hustings.
Wright’s appearance on Thursday came as NDP leader Tom Mulcair took a day off from campaigning and Conservative leader Stephen Harper and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau stumped in Saskatchewan.
In Regina, Harper maintained his position that he knew nothing about Wright writing a $90,000 check to Duffy to cover disputed expense claims.
The denial came despite an email released in court on Thursday in which Wright tells his colleagues in the prime minister’s office that “the pm knows, in broad terms only, that I personally assisted Duffy when I was getting him to agree to repay the expenses.”
In Saskatoon, Trudeau promised that a Liberal government would invest a total of $2.6 billion in First Nations education over four years and $500 million over three years in infrastructure for First Nations schools.
Both the Liberals and the New Democrats are making plays for the aboriginal vote, which could be decisive on Oct. 19, voting day.
First Nations chiefs, who have a testy relationship with the Conservatives, have said aboriginal votes could affect as many as 51 ridings, nearly half of them held by the ruling Tories.
Back in Ottawa, Wright, who was Harper’s chief of staff from 2010 to 2013 when the Conservative leader was prime minister, had some sharp exchanges Duffy’s lawyer, Donald Bayne
In cross-examination, Bayne attempted to emphasize that it was Wright and his team who devised the plan to have Duffy say publicly that he had mistakenly claimed living expenses for his Ottawa-area home.
Wright replied he was persistent and Duffy eventually agreed.
Duffy is a former Ottawa reporter and political-show host for CBC and CTV. He was appointed to the Senate by Harper in 2008 and served as fund-raising machine for the Conservatives.
He has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges in connection with his Senate office, living and travel expenses.
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