Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending the appointment of a relative of one of his cabinet ministers as the government’s top ethics watchdog.
Opposition parties slammed the government Thursday over the fact that Martine Richard, who became interim conflict of interest and ethics commissioner earlier this week, is the sister-in-law of Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
Richard took up the interim post after former commissioner Mario Dion announced his retirement last month, citing persistent health issues.
On Friday, Trudeau pointed to Richard’s previous experience in the office to defend her appointment.
“It’s important to understand that the interim ethics commissioner has been a senior official in the Ethics Commissioner’s Office for over 10 years now, first started under Stephen Harper, and has done excellent work under the previous ethics commissioner,” Trudeau told a news conference, adding that Richard stepped up when Dion was on medical leave.
WATCH | Trudeau defends cabinet minister’s sister-in-law appointment to top ethics post
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the ethics commissioner’s office was aware of Martine Richard’s connection to intergovernmental affairs minister when she was appointed to the role.
Trudeau said the office knows how to avoid impropriety.
“If there’s any office in the country that understands how to manage conflicts of interest and ethical perception issues, it is that office there that has always done exceptional work at ensuring the confidence of Canadians,” he said.
“From the very beginning, there were already measures in place to ensure that the work is done professionally and without conflicts, given the connections.”
LeBlanc, who was also at the news conference, said in French that he did not participate in the selection process and recused himself from any government discussions on the matter.
The office has found both Trudeau and LeBlanc in violation of the Conflict of Interest Act — Trudeau twice and LeBlanc once.
Just prior to his retirement, Dion recommended enhanced training and education for senior government officials, citing repeated conflict of interest and ethics violations over the past five years.
Trudeau alluded to Dion’s reports on his government.
“I will highlight as well that the work that the previous ethics commissioner did, in which the current interim commissioner was a close part of, was certainly, very clearly, doing its job in rigorous ways,” Trudeau said.