Liberal MP Shafqat Ali, a former realtor once cited for attending parliament by videoconference from a men’s toilet, has been named president of the treasury board. The board presidency, previously rated a senior position, has seen eight appointees since 2019, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. Ali did not speak with reporters after the cabinet appointment ceremony Tuesday. Tory leader Pierre Poilievre, however, noted the treasury board has seen frequent changes “during which time the bureaucracy and the consultants’ bills blew out of control.”“So far it’s not a promising start,” said Poilievre. “The first disappointment is unfortunately the cabinet.”.The treasury board is the senior committee of cabinet dating from Confederation. It enforces the Financial Administration Act and oversees government operations, from dealings with suppliers to union contracts with 271,000 employees.“It establishes the rules and policies related to financial and project management,” according to a board statement.“It is the employer of the federal public service.”Ali was first elected in 2021. In 2022, he apologized to the Commons after appearing in a video conference from a toilet stall in a men’s washroom on Parliament Hill.“I want to take this opportunity to apologize sincerely and unreservedly to all members of parliament,” Ali said at the time.“I ask the House and its members to forgive my lapse in judgment. I take this matter extremely seriously and I promise never to repeat this error again.”The apology followed opposition protests..“The member’s camera was on and he was in the shot,” Conservative MP John Brassard said at the time.“The room in question was a toilet stall for crying out loud.”“It appeared the camera was mounted on the ledge or ridge on the wall just above the back of the toilet.”“The Member of Parliament was literally using the washroom while participating in a sitting of the House of Commons, the cathedral of Canadian democracy. I can’t believe I actually just said those words.”“Surely to God we’ve figured out when and where to turn our cameras on and off.”“As soon as a member connects to a virtual sitting and opens the camera they are considered to be for all intents and purposes in the house. There is no dispute about the facts in question. They constitute a serious breach of the rules of decorum and are an affront against the dignity of the house.”The Office of the Speaker confirmed the incident.“I would like to remind everyone that, especially online, we have to be very prudent with how we use our devices and be aware of the surroundings,” said then-Assistant Deputy Speaker Alexandra Mendes.
