The federal ethics watchdog came down on a Toronto group this week, barring them from handing out gifts to members of Parliament.
Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson warned MPs against taking freebies of any kind – even if they seemed as harmless as vitamins and health products.
"I understand that gifts have been offered by the Canadian Health Food Association,” she wrote in a letter set out to all MPs. "You must refuse such gifts."
She expanded on her reasoning, telling CTVNews she thought the care package was “over the top.”
“There were about eight items there, and the thing was, they weren't sample size, they were the regular size that you would buy in a drug store,” she said.
But past incidents – involving gifts other than vitamins – have gone unpunished by Dawson.
She ruled it wasn’t a conflict when Public Works Minister Christian Paradis tried to move a government office into a building belonging to an acquaintance of his, for example. In her decision, Dawson said Paradis’ actions contravened the Conflict of Interest Act, but wrote that “it is natural to want to help someone one knows.”
Dawson also said it was fine for Tony Clement to appear in a video for a company while he was industry minister, even though that company was later awarded a government contract.
And Heritage Minister Shelly Glover attended a Winnipeg fundraising event hosted by arts and culture lobbyists in January. After examining that case, Dawson found no wrongdoing, but recommended the Conflict of Interest Act be amended to include a minister who “knew or should have known” funds would be solicited, and failed to take action.
For the most part, MPs seem fine with Dawson’s decisions. MP Paul Dewar said he likes health food, but trusts the commissioner’s judgment.
“If she's saying that's something we should give back then we should probably give it back.”
