Canada’s trade minister faces ethics probe over Liberal’s $17K contract – National

The federal ethics commissioner has opened an investigation into the conduct of Worldwide Commerce Minister Mary Ng over a contract given to an organization co-founded by a Liberal strategist.

Conservative MP James Bezan had requested commissioner Mario Dion to look at the contract awarded to the agency Pomp and Circumstance by Ng’s workplace for media coaching in spring 2020.

The contract itself was value solely about $17,000, however the Tories stated the deal raised questions on whether or not any conflict-of-interest guidelines had been breached as a result of Amanda Alvaro, one of many agency’s co-founders, is allegedly Ng’s buddy.

The Tories level to a tweet Alvaro posted in July 2018, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled his cupboard and promoted Ng to his internal circle. In her tweet, Alvaro shared a photograph of herself along with her arm round Ng, saying she was celebrating her “pricey buddy.”

Neither Alvaro nor her agency have but responded to requests for remark.

In his preliminary request for an investigation, Bezan pointed to a number of sections of the Battle of Curiosity Act which he stated Dion might examine to see if any guidelines had been damaged.

In a response letter despatched Monday, Dion says he’ll study the matter to see if Ng put herself in a battle of curiosity, used any affect to advance somebody’s personal curiosity, and recused herself from the choice.

A spokeswoman for Ng says the minister “has all the time rigorously adopted all the foundations” and contracts are reviewed to make sure adherence to procurement protocols.

“Totally different contractors offered media coaching that had been essential in supporting the minister and members of her communications crew to tell Canadian small companies, employees, and households concerning the helps obtainable to them on the peak of the pandemic,” Alice Hansen wrote in an announcement to The Canadian Press.

Hansen added, “Minister Ng didn’t make the choice on this contract.”

The contract was disclosed in a latest authorities response to an order paper query requesting a breakdown of public relations or media coaching contracts.

Bezan argued within the letter that Ng and Alvaro are “shut pals,” citing social media posts of them collectively at occasions in addition to one 2018 tweet from Alvaro calling Ng her “pricey buddy” when the latter was named to the federal cupboard.

He stated federal ethics guidelines prohibit these in public places of work from conflicts of curiosity the place they train “an official energy, responsibility or perform that gives a possibility to additional [the] personal pursuits … of his or her kinfolk or pals.”

Federal contracts are a frequent topic of scrutiny from all sides of the political spectrum in relation to alleged conflicts of pursuits.

The Liberals have confronted a number of such accusations throughout their time in workplace, together with a controversial $456-million contract — later cancelled — with WE Charity to run a scholar grant program that put the federal government below intense public scrutiny two years in the past.

— with recordsdata from International Information’ Amanda Connolly