Mary Ng under ethics probe over contract to firm co-founded by Liberal strategist
Mary Ng under ethics probe over contract to firm co-founded by Liberal strategist
Economic Development Minister, International Trade Minister and Small Business and Export Promotion Minister Mary Ng makes an announcement at Carleton University, in Ottawa, Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
OTTAWA -
The federal ethics commissioner has opened an investigation into the conduct of International Trade Minister Mary Ng over a contract given to a company co-founded by a Liberal strategist.
Conservative MP James Bezan had asked commissioner Mario Dion to examine the contract awarded to the firm Pomp and Circumstance by Ng's office for media training in spring 2020.Ng and her former director of communications both received the training, according to information provided by the government.
The contract itself was worth only about $17,000, but the Tories said the deal raised questions about whether any conflict-of-interest rules were breached because Amanda Alvaro, one of the firm's co-founders, is allegedly Ng's friend.
The Conservatives point to a tweet Alvaro posted in July 2018, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled his cabinet and promoted Ng to his inner circle. In her tweet, Alvaro shared a photo of herself with her arm around Ng, saying she was celebrating her “dear friend.”
Neither Alvaro, nor her firm, immediately responded to a request for comment on Monday.
In his initial request for an investigation,Bezan pointed to several sections of the Conflict of Interest Act, which he said Dion could investigate to see if any rules were broken.
In a response letter sent Monday,Dion says he will examine the matter to see if Ng put herself in a conflict of interest, used any influence to advance someone's private interest, and recused herself from the decision. He also said he had informed Ng.
A spokeswoman for Ng says the minister “has always rigorously followed all the rules” and contracts are reviewed to ensure adherence to procurement protocols.
“Different contractors provided media training that were critical in supporting the minister and members of her communications team to inform Canadian small businesses, workers, and families about the supports available to them at the height of the pandemic,” Alice Hansen wrote in a statement to The Canadian Press.
“Minister Ng did not make the decision on this contract,” Hansen added.
Dion wrote that while he will investigate Ng for possible breaches under several sections of the federal conflict-of-interest law, he doesn't believe Alvaro's firm was given preferential treatment because a similar contract was handed to a different company.
“Another company with no known personal connection to Ms. Ng was awarded similar contracts around the same time,” Dion wrote.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2022.
A New Democrat MP is trying to convince his colleagues to change the rules that govern the House of Commons in a series of ways he says would instill 'democratic controls' on the prime minister's 'unfettered' powers.
Monday morning, the Public Service Alliance of Canada announced it had reached a 'tentative' agreement with the federal government for the 120,000 picketing Treasury Board workers who, since April 19, had been engaged in one of the largest strikes in Canadian history. Here's a rundown of the developments from Parliament Hill as they happened.
The House committee studying foreign election interference heard from top 2019 and 2021 Liberal and Conservative campaign directors on Tuesday, with party officials from both camps speaking about the need for politicians to come together to address any "legislative gaps" ahead of the next vote.
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings on Parliament Hill.
Danielle Smith's win in the Alberta election hands her the most starkly divided province confronting any premier in Canada, writes commentator Don Martin.
Special rapporteur David Johnston didn't recommend public inquiry knowing it was a pathetically insufficient response for a foreign democratic assault of this magnitude, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
To frame a few new illustrations on pages tucked inside a passport as proof of a Liberal plot to purge the Canadian historical record seems like a severe stretch, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is a bright former federal prosecutor, who was destined to be a star in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. But in an opinion column on CTVNews.ca, Don Martin argues Mendicino has taken a stunning fall from grace, stumbling badly on important issues just 18 months into the job.
It's the most peculiar of elections with the frontrunner and her main opponent being the same person, writes columnist Don Martin. 'In the looming Alberta showdown, it's Premier Danielle Smith versus her mouth.'
Conservative MP Erin O'Toole says Canada's spy agency has told him he was the target of Chinese interference intended to to discredit him and promote false narratives about his policies while party leader.
Approximately 200 homes or structures have been damaged by the wildfire that began burning Sunday in the Upper Tantallon, N.S., area, according to preliminary estimates.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is congratulating Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her election win, after she called out his 'harmful' energy policies in her victory speech.
Top artificial intelligence executives including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday joined experts and professors in raising the 'risk of extinction from AI,' which they urged policymakers to equate at par with risks posed by pandemics and nuclear war.
Government House leader Mark Holland says the federal Liberals still have faith in the man they appointed to investigate the issue of foreign interference in Canadian elections.
Danielle Smith's win in the Alberta election hands her the most starkly divided province confronting any premier in Canada, writes commentator Don Martin.
Approximately 200 homes or structures have been damaged by the wildfire that began burning Sunday in the Upper Tantallon, N.S., area, according to preliminary estimates.
Conservative MP Erin O'Toole says Canada's spy agency has told him he was the target of Chinese interference intended to to discredit him and promote false narratives about his policies while party leader.
Carla White is the only remaining tenant in her building, which is slated to be demolished to make room for a 176-unit condo project. But in order to move forward, the developer must reach an agreement with White -- and she says she won't leave until she's provided with a home that offers the long-term stability she needs to ensure she won't end up back on the streets.
A prominent Pakistani television journalist who went missing last week, apparently because of his public support to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, returned home early Tuesday after being released by his captors, his family and his employer said.
Hundreds of people flocked to a small town in Missouri this week and last to see a Black nun whose body has barely decomposed since 2019. Some say it's a sign of holiness in Catholicism, while others say the lack of decomposition may not be as rare as people think.
Troops from the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo on Tuesday placed metal fences and barbed wire barriers to beef up positions in a northern town following clashes with ethnic Serbs there that left 30 international soldiers wounded.
Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew this weekend after Kosovo's police raided Serb-dominated areas in the region's north and seized local municipality buildings. Here's a look at why the two are persistently at odds.
A South Carolina gas station owner was charged Monday with murder in the death of a 14-year-old boy whom he allegedly chased from the store and shot in the back, the sheriff said.
Prosecutors on Tuesday described how a heavily armed suspect barged into a Pittsburgh synagogue and shot every worshipper he could find in the deadliest anti-semitic attack in U.S. history.
Conservative MP Erin O'Toole says Canada's spy agency has told him he was the target of Chinese interference intended to to discredit him and promote false narratives about his policies while party leader.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is congratulating Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her election win, after she called out his 'harmful' energy policies in her victory speech.
Government House leader Mark Holland says the federal Liberals still have faith in the man they appointed to investigate the issue of foreign interference in Canadian elections.
A raccoon in Maine was euthanized and tested for rabies after a woman brought it into a pet store for a nail trim and some customers kissed it, state wildlife authorities said.
Three national health organizations want Canada's premiers to push for initiatives to reduce smoking during settlement negotiations with major tobacco companies, years after provinces sued to recoup health-care costs.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a bid by child pornography victims to overcome a legal shield for internet companies in a case involving a lawsuit accusing Reddit Inc of violating federal law by failing to rid the discussion website of this illegal content.
China launched a new three-person crew for its orbiting space station on Tuesday, with an eye to putting astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade.
The United Arab Emirates unveiled plans Monday to send a spaceship to explore the solar system's main asteroid belt, the latest space project by the oil-rich nation after it launched the successful Hope spacecraft to Mars in 2020.
Quebec actor Michel Cote, who captivated audiences with his roles in the theatre piece 'Broue' and films such as 'Cruising Bar' and C.R.A.Z.Y.,' has died at 72.
George Maharis, a stage-trained actor with rough-hewn good looks who became an icon to American youth in the 1960s as he cruised the country in a Corvette convertible in the hit television series 'Route 66,' has died.
Nvidia Corp on Tuesday became the first chipmaker to join the trillion-dollar club, as the company bets on a surge in demand for its AI chips that power chatbot sensation ChatGPT and many other applications.
Authors discuss their new book, 'Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies,' which aims to demystify the process of delivering honest apologies.
Animated movies are often a child’s first exposure to media and film. And the representation of people of color in media influences how they feel about race as they mature, a study by the non-profit Common Sense has found.
The Philadelphia 76ers went all-in with their NBA championship pursuit on Monday, selecting veteran Nick Nurse as their new coach to try to win the franchise's first title since 1983.
Two-time major championship winner John Daly has confirmed he will play in the 2023 Shaw Charity Classic from Aug. 14-20, the tournament announced Tuesday.
Fernando Alonso has five podiums in six races in a remarkable season for Aston Martin, yet still feels he's no closer to catching Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The two-time Formula One champions now head to a race with special significance for both of them.
Formula One champion Max Verstappen's lights-to-flag victory at the Monaco Grand gave the Red Bull driver his fourth victory of the season and a record 39th overall for the team as he extended his championship lead to 39 points over teammate Sergio Perez on Sunday.
A Tennessee company is refusing demands from U.S. regulators to recall millions of vehicles due to airbag inflators that can explode and shoot shrapnel into drivers. While cases are rare, there has been at least one death in Canada, where officials lack the authority to demand a similarly sweeping recall.
Economic Development Minister, International Trade Minister and Small Business and Export Promotion Minister Mary Ng makes an announcement at Carleton University, in Ottawa, Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
