OTTAWA — Senator Lynn Beyak's temporary suspension from Parliament's upper house has ended, but it isn't necessarily the end of her troubles.
The Dryden resident returned to the public payroll in September as soon as Parliament dissolved.
Beyak was suspended last May for the remainder of the parliamentary session on the recommendation of the Senate ethics committee after she refused to remove controversial letters from her official website, and to issue a public apology.
The letters were widely condemned as racist and derogatory to Indigenous people,
Beyak said she was being treated unfairly, comparing her suspension to the totalitarianism in George Orwell's 1984.
She called the letters "a positive public forum," telling the Senate "I will not act in a manner that interferes with the freedom of expression of the people I represent each day."
Pierre Legault, the Senate ethics officer, had also ordered Beyak to complete a cultural sensitivity course with an emphasis on Indigenous issues.
The Hill Times reports that the ethics committee is expected to report to senators soon on whether she is complying with the Senate's ethics code.
If it's determined she is not in compliance, she could face further sanctions including expulsion.
The committee's report last spring noted "if Senator Beyak fails to comply with the terms of this suspension or is persistent in her view that she has not breached the Code or acted inappropriately, it will be for the Senate in the future to consider options for further action."
Beyak's office has not yet responded to a request for an interview or statement about her intentions.
She was appointed to the Senate on Jan. 25, 2013 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
