On Parliament Hill

This is starting to sound all too familiar.

First Justin Trudeau was found guilty of an ethics violation for accepting a paid vacation on a luxury island. Then he was found guilty for his involvement in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Now he is under investigation yet again for handing a $900 million contract to a charity that not only had close ties to the Liberal Party, but which paid his family almost $300,000 to appear at its events.

Both Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau failed to recuse themselves from cabinet discussions regarding the contract – despite both having close family ties to the charity. Worse yet, the Prime Minister told Canadians that this particular organization, WE Charity, was the only one that could do the job. Even if that were true – which it’s not – it doesn’t excuse the government from ensuring a government contract is awarded in a fair and transparent manner. This is basic accountability.

This is the third ethics scandal Justin Trudeau has faced in the last three years. In other instances, he has tried hard to dodge accountability and failed to take responsibility for his actions. But this is his third strike. It’s long past time for him to stand before Canadians and fully explain his actions.

That’s why Conservatives are calling for all of the documents related to the contract to be made public. Every single Cabinet Minster must answer for their part in approving this massive contract. The Ethics Commissioner, the Finance Committee, and the Government Operations Committee must all accelerate their investigations into this case. The Ethics Committee must reconvene to hear from witnesses. In addition, the Auditor General and the Procurement Ombudsman must investigate.

Canadians deserve answers. The Prime Minister and his Liberal government must be held accountable.