Political party Liberal Name Colin Kenny | Role Canadian Senator Party Liberal Party of Canada | |
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Born December 10, 1943 (age 80)
Montreal, Quebec ( 1943-12-10 ) Office Canadian Senator since 1984 Books Cannabis: Report of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs Education Bishop's College School, Norwich University | ||
Senator colin kenny under fire
James Colin Ramsey Kenny (born December 10, 1943) is a Canadian Senator.
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Born in Montreal, Quebec, Kenny received his high school education at Bishop's College School. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1966 from Norwich University. In 1967, he received a Public Service Fellowship from the Tuck School of Business.
Kenny's political career began in 1968 when he served as executive director of the Liberal Party of Canada in Ontario. He was on the staff of the Prime Minister's Office from 1970 until 1979, and rose to the position of policy advisor and assistant Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Following the Liberal government's defeat in the 1979 election, he worked as an executive with Dome Petroleum, until being appointed to the Senate on the recommendation of Trudeau in 1984.
As a member of the Upper House, Kenny has been active in writing anti-smoking legislation and legislation encouraging the use of alternative fuels. He has also represented Canada as a delegate to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The SCONSAD reports examine areas of national security and defence, including airports, seaports, border crossings, coasts, Emergency Preparedness, and the Canadian Forces.
Kenny also served as Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Illegal Drugs and Vice-Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources.
He also chaired the Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.
Kenny gained national spotlight with a YouTube video of the Senate Defence Committee where several heated arguments occurred in committee when the meeting was disrupted repetitively by Senators choosing not to follow rules.
He is also a member of the Trilateral Commission.
Kenny withdrew from the Liberal caucus on November 21, 2013 pending the outcome of an investigation into sexual harassment charges against him by his former assistant. In April 2014 an independent investigator cleared Kenny on all 3 charges brought forward by his former employee. The findings were upheld by both Liberal and Conservative senate whips and the investigation was closed.
After 2013 and 2016 CBC News reports that Kenney had reportedly used Senate personnel for tasks such as payings bills for his personal residence and making orders for his tanning salon business, the Senate ethics officer launched a preliminary review of his use of publicly funded parliamentary resources in May 2017.