Mario Dion waits to appear before the Commons estimates committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday December 13, 2011. It's been six months since the federal government has had a permanent ethics commissioner, making it the only jurisdiction in Canada operating without a conflict-of-interest watchdog who can conduct investigations. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – It’s now been more than six months since Canada has had a federal ethics watchdog.
Mario Dion retired in February after serving as the last permanent ethics and conflict-of-interest commissioner.
A longtime staffer in that office, Martine Richard, took on an interim role in April – but she resigned within weeks amid controversy around the fact she is the sister-in-law of Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
Investigations that would normally be conducted by a commissioner are on pause until a permanent replacement is found.
Dion says the vacancy also means people can go unpunished – and violations can go unnoticed – until a new person is appointed.
Dion, who is helping with the hiring process, says it’s not surprising that a candidate hasn’t been chosen yet because the field is narrow and few people would qualify for the job.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2023.
