Conservative motion aims to force Liberal hand on policing ethics
Posted November 2, 2016 6:48 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA (NEWS1130) – The Conservatives are hoping to hoist Justin Trudeau on his own ethical petard.
The Liberals defeated the Tories in last year’s federal election thanks in part to the prime minister’s promise to run a more ethical government.
But now he’s being accused of breaking his own directive that cabinet ministers must avoid even the appearance of giving preferential access to individuals who donate to the Liberal cause.
The Conservatives intend to use an opposition day Thursday to debate a motion calling on the House of Commons to give the ethics commissioner power to enforce the prime minister’s directive.
The motion, which will be put to a vote later this month, is clearly aimed at putting Trudeau on the spot: either vote against his own ethics directive or support the motion and risk having ethics commissioner Mary Dawson rule against the practice of allowing cabinet ministers to be the feature attraction at fundraisers.
Dawson has called these so-called “cash-for-access” fundraisers “not very savoury” but says she has no legal authority to enforce Trudeau’s directive on avoiding the perception of preferential access.
