Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has been sworn in as the country’s new Minister of Finance at a ceremony in Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Outgoing Finance Minister Bill Morneau stepped down on Monday after weeks of scrutiny for his role in a charity scandal that has plagued the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Liberal Member of Parliament Dominic LeBlanc will take over for Freeland as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion will complete his investigation into a possible conflict of interest violations committed by former Finance Minister Bill Morneau despite the latter’s resignation, the Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
On Monday, Morneau stepped down from his cabinet role and as the parliamentarian for a Toronto riding amid an ethics probe into his decision to award a government contract to the WE Charity.
The office said via Twitter:
In case you were wondering about the examination on Mr. Morneau: #EthicsCommissioner Dion is required under subsection 44(7) of the #COIA to provide a report to the Prime Minister and make it public under subsection 44(8). #CdnPoli
— Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (@EthicsCanada) August 18, 2020
An investigation was initially launched on 15 July, after it was revealed that the minister did not recuse himself from a controversial decision to award a contract to the charity despite family ties to the organization.
Revelations that Morneau had accepted two expense-paid trips from the WE Charity, prompted Dion to expand his probe into possible contraventions of the Conflict of Interest Act on 30 July.
Morneau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have been at the centre of controversy after multiple investigative pieces chronicled their close ties to the WE Charity ahead of the government's decision to award the charity a $670-million sole-source contract to administer a government-sponsored student volunteer program.
The ethics probe was the third for Morneau during his five years in office.
