Amid PMO Scandal, Ethics Commissioner Taking ‘Prolonged’ Medical Leave

His office says the investigation will continue.

Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion is going on medical leave.

Here is the statement issued by his office:

“On behalf of the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, Melanie Rushworth, Director of Communications, Outreach and Planning, today released the following statement:

“The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has been informed that Commissioner Mario Dion will be away from his duties for a prolonged period for medical reasons.

“To ensure the integrity and business continuity of the Office, the senior management team has informed the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Privy Council Office.

“Despite these exceptional circumstances, the work of the Office will continue.

“The Office continues to provide confidential advice to Members of Parliament and public office holders in order for them to fulfill their obligations under the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons and the Conflict of Interest Act.

“The Office also continues to gather information for any ongoing investigations. Because of the statutory confidentiality requirements, we cannot comment further.

“Commissioner Dion will resume his duties as soon as he is able to do so.

“We hope you will join employees of the Office in expressing our best wishes for Commissioner Dion’s health.

“We would request continued respect for the privacy of Commissioner Dion and his family at this time.”

The medical leave comes as the office is investigating the Trudeau PMO Scandal, which Dion pledged to investigate after being asked to do so by the NDP.

The Ethics Commissioner has little power to levy actual punishments however, and that seems to be why the Trudeau government wants to stop investigations from spreading to the RCMP and actual courts.

Canadians certainly wish Dion well and our thoughts are with him for a full recovery to health. We also expect that the office of the ethics commissioner will continue to seek answers and ensure that nothing is swept under the rug.

Spencer Fernando

Photo – YouTube