Prime Minister Stephen Harper's new chief of staff says he is willing to appear before the Commons ethics committee to prove that his professional ties will not put him into conflict of interest in his new role.
Nigel Wright, senior adviser and chief of staff to the prime minister, is on secondment from Onex Corporation, an investment firm with offices in Toronto and New York.
He is set to begin his new job in January but is scheduled to return to Onex in 2012.
The potential conflict lies in the fact that Onex owns Hawker Beechcraft Inc., a partner with Lockheed Martin, which is selling F-35 stealth fighters to Ottawa for $16 billion. Wright is a director of Hawker Beechcraft.
CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported Tuesday that Wright sent a letter to the committee on Monday explaining his "desire and willingness" to appear before the committee on Nov. 2.
In the letter Wright said he will discuss the arrangements he has made with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner before starting his new job "to ensure that all of my conduct as a public office will meet the highest ethical standards and be in compliance with the Conflict of Interest Act."
Wright said he will also discuss the arrangements made with Onex to ensure there is no conflict of interest when he eventually returns to his work there.
He also plans to provide documents outlining how he will recuse himself from government business in matters where a potential conflict of interest could exist.
"The discussion will demonstrate that my actions have been and will be in full compliance with that Act," Wright wrote.
He also noted that it is his understanding that no other "individuals have been requested to provide such testimony to the Committee" but that he would "welcome" the opportunity to appear.
Fife said the opposition parties have said Wright's appointment is "rife with potential conflicts of interest."
