THUNDER BAY – Health Minister Patty Hajdu says her government will be taking a look at how best to move forward in the wake of the WE charity scandal.
It needs to do better, the Thunder Bay –Superior North MP added.
Family members of both Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau appear to have financial ties to the organization, which was awarded a $900-million student grant program, which Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth Bardish Chagger said could have been worth up to $43.53 million to the company.
Opposition leaders immediately called for an investigation into how and why the sole-sourced contact was awarded and if there was any illegal activity involved.
“I think they’ll be taking appropriate steps to determine how they move forward. I think the prime minister has apologized and should have recused himself, as he has said. And I think Minister Morneau as well has identified he had close connections with WE,” Hajdu said.
“I will say that it’s quite clear this wasn’t about financial gain. But nonetheless, if there’s a perception of ethical violations, that’s problematic because it damages the confidence that people have in our institutions.”
Hajdu said as a Member of Parliament, she’s got a code that she has to adhere to, and said on a regular basis she and her colleagues around the cabinet table check with the ethics commissioner, especially when it comes to advocacy in her riding, to ensure there are no perceived ethical violations.
“It’s really important we use the tool of the ethics commissioner, who will guide us if we even have a shadow of a doubt that perhaps there might be a perception of an ethical challenge.
It’s not the first time Trudeau has come under fire for questionable decisions.
He was slammed after being accused of trying to strong-arm then Justice Minister Jodie Wilson-Raybould into agreeing to a deferred prosecution agreement connected to criminal charges against Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin.
The ethics commissioner last year released a report saying Trudeau did in fact contravene the Conflict of Interest Act in the case.
The prime minister was also found to have violated ethics rules by accepting a vacation at the Aga Khan’s private island in the Bahamas. At the time the Aga Khan was in discussions with the Canadian government about funding for a variety of projects.
Hajdu said it’s important for government officials to understand the responsibility of the positions they’ve been placed in by the voting public.
“Canadians need to have confidence in their political institutions and systems and structures that govern us, and part of that is making sure that we are acting in accordance with all those rules and regulations that guide our behaviour,” Hajdu said.
“Finally, I’ll just say that public confidence in politics and institutions is fragile around the world. So we have to safeguard that sanctity, if you will, of the trust of the public. So I think the prime minister will be reviewing obviously his steps going forward and certainly I’ll be protecting that confidence to the best of my ability as well.”
