NEWS RELEASE
Ottawa, April 22, 2020
Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion today released the Qualtrough Report and the Miller Report under section 68 of the Conflict of Interest Act on matters referred to him in September 2019 by the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner.
One of the matters Commissioner Dion reported on today was an allegation of conflict of interest made against the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, then Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada. The second consisted of allegations of conflicts of interest made against Ms. Moreen Miller, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Defence Construction Canada.
After gathering and reviewing relevant information, Commissioner Dion found no reason to believe the Act may have been contravened in either instance and decided not to pursue formal investigations. He now considers the matters closed.
Quotes from Commissioner Dion
“After reviewing information put forward, I have no reason to believe either case presented a possible contravention of the Act. I will therefore not initiate formal investigations and consider the matters closed."
“The provision for referrals from the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner ensures the concerns raised in them are reviewed and reported on publicly. Our Office conducts a thorough review of all such referrals and reports on them in a timely manner. While I ultimately determined these cases were not founded in terms of moving forward with formal investigations, several previous referrals have resulted in examinations under the Act."
Additional Facts
When a referral is made by the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, whether or not an investigation is launched, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is required to issue a report pursuant to section 68 of the Act.
Both reports issued today set out the facts in question, the analysis of each situation and the conclusions.
The Conflict of Interest Act applies to individuals appointed to public office by the Governor in Council. Public office holders are in a conflict of interest when they exercise an official power, duty or function that provides an opportunity to further their private interests or those of relatives or friends, or to improperly further another person's private interests.
Useful Links
The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner was created under the Federal Accountability Act. The Commissioner applies the Conflict of Interest Act for public office holders and the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons.
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For more information, please call 613-995-0721 or email ciemedia@cie.parl.gc.ca.
