Ethics commissioner examining Bill Morneau's role in pension bill

Finance Minister Bill Morneau's actions related to the introduction of a pensions bill are being examined by Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson to see if they violatedthe Conflictof Interest Act.

"I am of the view that I have reasonable grounds to commence an examination under subsection 45(1), and have so informed Minister Morneau," Dawson said in a letter to Conservative finance criticPierre Poilievre.

Dawson initiated the examination after Conservative finance critic Poilievre, and NDPMP Nathan Cullenwrote to the commissioner earlier this fall asking her to look into the finance minister's role in the bill.

In an Oct.16 letter Cullen asked Dawson to look into Morneau's sponsorship of Bill C-27; donewhile he still owned shares in his family's pension company, MorneauShepell.

Cullen argued that, because Morneau held about one million shares at the time, he could make millions if the bill passed.

Poilievrehad asked Dawson to investigate whetherMorneauviolated both the Conflict of Interest Act (which applies to cabinet ministers)and the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons (which applies to allMPs).

But in her letter to Poilievreon Friday,Dawson said she would only examineMorneau'sactions under the former.

The ethics watchdog also told Poilievre that, even though he did not specify what specific area of the act may have been violated, she decided she had enough information to launch her own examination.

Dogged by controversy

Morneau has been dogged by controversy over his ownership of the company's shares and his use of private corporations to hold his assets including one he failed to declare until September, which holds a villa in France.Morneau agreed to pay a $200 fine for failing to declare the company that owns the villato Dawson when he was elected.

The finance minister met last monthwith the conflict of interest commissioner about the ownership of the one million shares which are worth about$20 million. After that meetinghe announcedhe wasplacing his assets in a blind trust and was divesting shares in his family-built company to calm a growing ethics controversy over his personal holdings

"I told her it was the intent of my family to donate any difference in value from my family shares from the time I was elected on Oct. 19, 2015, until now," he told the House of Commons.

Morneauhas said. he doesn't know what the value of the proceeds will beyet.

Problem of his own making

"I think its pretty simple," said Poilievre. "Bill Morneau owned shares in a company that administers pensions and he introduced a bill as finance minister on pensions. That's an obvious red flag. He should have had better judgement and he's put himself in a terrible situation."

The Conservative MP said that if the examination proves Morneau is in a legal conflict interest he should pay a steep political price for his actions, but for now,Poilievre stopped short of asking for Morneau'sresignation.

"This is the man with whom we entrust $330 billion of our money every single year. Someone like that needs to have impeccable judgement," he said in an interview with CBC News.

"Bill Morneauhas shown horrible judgement."

Cullen said says he can't understand why Morneau would sponsor a pension bill when he was a major shareholder in a pension company.

"He's in trouble and it's trouble that is of his own making. These are all choices that he made along the way that common sense should have told him would have been a bad idea," Cullen told CBC.

Chlo Luciani-Girouard, Morneau's press secretary, said the minister will co-operate fully with Dawson's office.

"Since the first day in Office, the minister of finance has worked with the conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and followed her recommendations and adviceIncluding having a screen in place that was determined to be the 'best measure of compliance by the commissioner,'" Luciani-Girouardsaid in a statement.

"In this spirit, the minister will answer any questions the commissioner has on this matter."