Finance Minister Bill Morneau is facing opposition calls for an ethics investigation into his private business dealings after he failed to disclose a villa he owns in France.
Conservative Member of Parliament Peter Kent has formally requested that Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson launch a formal investigation into Minister Morneau’s private affairs after it was revealed last week that he did not disclose the fact that he and his wife, Nancy McCain, own foreign property in France’s Bordeaux region that they rent out and earn income on.
Further complicating matters for the Finance Minister is the fact that he did not place his assets in a blind trust when entering federal politics – a decision that heightens the appearance of potential conflicts of interest.
In a letter dated October 13, Mr. Kent asks Ms. Dawson whether Minister Morneau ever disclosed the private property management corporation to her office and whether he misled her office “about the nature of his private interests in France.”
“In light of these serious questions as a result of public disclosures made by Mr. Morneau, I would like to request that you initiate an investigation into Mr. Morneau's private corporation in France and whether or not he is in contravention of the Conflict of Interest Act,” reads the letter.
In media interviews conducted over the weekend, Mr. Kent said it is important for the Finance Minister to disclose everything he owns. Mr. Kent said Minister Morneau's failure to respect the rules requiring him to disclose all of his private corporations could shake public confidence in his integrity, and added that claiming the failure to disclose was an oversight or the fault of a staff member is not acceptable.
“There's probably no single minister other than the prime minister for who clear and timely and honest disclosure is more important than for the finance minister,” said Mr. Kent.
For his part, Minister Morneau’s office has said the failure to disclose the private corporation was the result of “administrative confusion.” Members of Parliament are supposed to disclose any private companies they own anywhere in the world to Ms. Dawson's office. Any private companies disclosed to the ethics commissioner's office are listed in the public registry of ethics filings located on the commission's website.
The personal attacks on the Finance Minister come as he is grappling with widespread anger over the Liberal Government’s plans to close several tax loop holes that they say give an unfair competitive advantage to some business owners. The proposed changes have drawn criticism from groups ranging from retailers to doctors, as well as from Members of Parliament within the Liberal caucus.
