On Parliament Hill, Conservative Senators have rejected an attempt by Liberals for a police investigation of Mike Duffy’s improperly-claimed housing expenses.

Instead, the Senate voted to send the matter back to the same internal senate committee that reviewed the expenses in the first place.

During question period last night in the Senate, Marjory LeBreton, the Conservative leader in the chamber, recalled what fellow senator David Tkachuk said about the impact the expense claim scandal has had on the upper chamber, and the Harper government. “This is a crisis.  There’s no doubt about it.  And I have every confidence that the internal economy committee, once a report is referred back to it, will be seized absolutely of the task at hand.”

The federal ethics commissioner has also confirmed that she is examining the role played by the prime minister’s former chief of staff in helping to pay back $90-thousand in expense claims made by Senator Duffy.