Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett has sent a letter to the ethics commissioner asking for another probe of Finance Minister Bill Morneau after the minister revealed yesterday that WE Charity covered $41,000 in travel costs for him and his family in 2017.
Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett has sent a letter to the ethics commissioner asking for another probe of Finance Minister Bill Morneau after the minister revealed yesterday that WE Charity covered $41,000 in travel costs for him and his family in 2017.
The ethics commissioner, Mario Dion, already has launched an investigation into Morneau’s failure to recuse himself from cabinet talks about awarding the WE Charity a multi-million-dollar contract to administer the summer student grants program. Morneau’s daughter works for WE in its travel department.
Barrett said Morneau should resign.
He said it’s well known that public office holders can’t accept free travel from a third party. He said he doesn’t accept Morneau’s apology and his claim that he didn’t realize he hadn’t personally repaid WE for the travel.
“Sorry doesn’t cut it,” Barrett said.
“This is a continuation of a pattern with the Trudeau Liberals — there’s two sets of rules, one for the governing class and one for those they govern.”
He said it was an act of “extreme arrogance” for Morneau to cut a cheque to cover the expenses on the day he was set to testify before the Commons finance committee on the WE grants scandal.
He said most Canadians would notice if they hadn’t been billed for tens of thousands of dollars worth of travel to Kenya and Ecuador.
“Who did he think covered these $41,000 in luxurious travel-related expenses and other advantages that he received during his vacation stays?” Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre asked.
“Who did Mr. Morneau think paid for his wine, for his hotel rooms, for his transportation and for all the other benefits he received during his wonderful vacations? In fact, how can one person even spend $41,000 on a vacati