The new interim Conflicts of Interest and Ethics Officer appears to have a conflict of interest. Martine Richard, sister-in-law of Secretary of State for Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc, is unable to properly oversee the Liberal government and must be replaced, oppositionists in Ottawa say.
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As “the independent representative of Parliament”, the commissioner is responsible for monitoring the activities of civil servants and elected officials in order to “prevent” and “avoid” conflicts “between their public duties and their private interests”. She has the power to investigate and assign blame.
“The appointment of a family member to this position is an example of a conflict of interest […]Judge Michael Barrett, Conservative ethics critic.
NDP deputy leader Alexandre Boulerice is calling on the Trudeau government to “reconsider” the appointment of Ms Richard, while the Bloc Québécois René Villemure “vehemently” denounced that appointment.
“It’s quite surprising that Liberals don’t see this at first glance, it poses an issue of apparent conflict of interest,” Mr Boulerice said in an interview.
“If there’s one role that needs to be free of conflicts of interest, this is it. The Liberals are obviously not respecting those standards with this election and are themselves shadowing the independence of the position,” he said.
“Filter” to prevent the hit
In an email, the Office of the Commissioner on Conflicts of Interest and Ethics assures that an “anti-conflict-of-interest filter” was put in place between Martine Richard and Secretary LeBlanc as General Counsel “as soon as she arrived at the Commissioner’s office in 2013.”
“A filter is deployed when a potential conflict of interest is identified. Unlike a walkout, a filter is a preventive measure aimed at preventing the person from becoming aware of a situation that would put them in a potential conflict situation.
Former Commissioner Mary Dawson, who is now retired, said in an interview that the “filter” was deployed as soon as the relationship with Secretary Leblanc became known. She declined to comment further, but emphasized Ms. Richard’s qualities.
A minister already appointed
In 2018, Secretary LeBlanc was selected by the Ethics Commissioner in connection with the award of a multimillion-dollar fishing license to a company that employed a cousin of his wife.
“Where cases are known in which a relative’s personal interest may be furthered through the exercise of official powers or official duties, the holder of public office must ensure that appropriate action is taken. ‘Imposed to avoid conflicts of interest,’ said former Commissioner Mario Dion in his decision.
Following that appointment on Wednesday, the Speaker of the Government’s House of Representatives, Mark Holland, retorted that Ms Richard had been employed in the Commissioner’s Office for ten years and had been appointed by Stephen Harper’s Government.
Mr Holland assured that “ethical barriers” are in place to avoid conflicts of interest.