Industry Minister Christian Paradis is officially under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner over a trip to a Quebec hunting lodge.
In a letter obtained by CTV, Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson says she is probing allegations of ethical misconduct by Paradis.
The allegations stem from a trip Paradis made in 2009 to a hunting lodge owned by former Quebec Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut.
At the time, Aubut was lobbying Ottawa to help fund a $400-million arena in Quebec City, while Paradis was minister of Public Works.
Members of government must follow rules to ensure they do not use their office to influence decisions in favour of private interests, including one that ministers are "not to accept any gift or benefit connected with their position that might reasonably be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity."
Aubut's spokesperson has said that no business was discussed during the stay, and that the federal government never contributed any money to the arena project anyway.
