Plus ça change

The new-look, cleaned-up, thoroughly chastened Liberal party, working hard to regain your trust:

A number of Liberals are using taxpayer-funded parliamentary offices to promote party leadership bids and would be breaking federal election laws if they fail to refund the public purse.
Supporters of at least eight of the 11 leadership candidates have used MPs' offices on Parliament Hill to distribute partisan campaign material, according to e-mails obtained by The Canadian Press.
During parliamentary business hours, offices have churned out invitations on campaign letterhead to meet candidates, attend leadership launches, or get together with campaign staff.
One Liberal MP called the practice unethical and said it runs deeper than just e-mails.
"This is the tip of the iceberg," he said. "There are interns being used to do (campaign) work, there's the odd phone call to twist a colleague's arm.
"But that's not traceable"...
A spokeswoman for Elections Canada said MPs' staffers are ineligible to work on campaigns while being paid for their time from the public purse.
"These rules are very similar to those applicable to MPs during an election period," said spokeswoman Diane Benson.
She said any work done during business hours should be paid by the individual leadership campaign - not by the taxpayer.

But not to worry, the party brass -- last seen shrugging at Joe Volpe's indiscretions -- is on the case:

Liberal party officials pointed out that leadership candidates still have a year to disclose their campaign expenses. They will be in full compliance with the law if they refund the government for the public resources they use.

But if that's the standard -- take it now, put it back later -- then why is this guy getting the bum's rush?

A Liberal senator has been turfed from caucus and allegations against him sent to the RCMP after a parliamentary committee found he had misused office resources. Senator Raymond Lavigne had been under the microscope for allegedly using his office staff to do personal work for him, and for allegedly using his office budget to pay for personal travel between Ottawa and various locations... Lavigne was asked last week to pay back $23,666 to the Senate, which his lawyer said he was prepared to do. But Lavigne made it clear to senators that he did not acknowledge any wrongdoing.