| Mario DionPHOTO: Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS |
| By Catherine Morrison It’s been over six months since the federal government has had an ethics watchdog in place. The vacancy can not only hold up investigations and allow unethical behaviour to go unnoticed, but it has also raised questions about the appointment process of the next commissioner. The Government of Canada has been without a conflict-of-interest and ethics commissioner since the winter, following former commissioner Mario Dion’s retirement in February. While the position was briefly filled by Martine Richard, who took on an interim role in April, it is currently vacant as she quickly resigned due to controversy about her family ties to Minister Dominic LeBlanc. The main role of the commissioner is to administer the Conflict of Interest Act for public office holders and the Conflict of Interest Code for members of the House of Commons, in order to “prevent conflicts between private interests and the public duties of appointed and elected officials,” according to the federal government. |
