Trade Minister Mary Ng dodged questioning by senators over her ethics violations in her first committee appearance since being censured in an ethics report. Members of the foreign affairs committee made no mention of Ng’s breach of an Act of Parliament though she invited senators to ask anything they liked, according to Blacklock's Reporter..“Go right to questions,” Ng told the committee. “I welcome them and I want to have a wonderful, candid conversation.”.No senator raised the Ng Report, a December 13 finding by Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion that faulted the minister for repeated breaches of the Conflict Of Interest Act. Ng spent 58 minutes at the hearing answering innocuous questions about foreign affairs. Of 18 questions asked, none touched on her citation for unethical conduct..Senators instead discussed climate change, “the merit between our diplomacy and international trade,” the number of Canadian embassies in Africa, a committee junket to Washington and the number of Canadians who live in other countries, 4.4 million..“I just want to remind my colleagues the topic is the study we’re engaged in,” said Senator Peter Boehm (Ont.), committee chair, a Liberal appointee and former deputy minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Boehm later thanked the minister for appearing. “This was a very rich discussion,” he said..Records showed Minister Ng awarded a total $22,790 in sole-sourced contracts to a public relations firm run by a longtime friend, CBC-TV pundit Amanda Alvaro. “Minister Ng twice failed to recognize a potential conflict of interest involving a friend,” wrote the Ethics Commissioner. “There is simply no excuse.”.Minister Ng repeatedly apologized. Opposition MPs have demanded she repay taxpayers for talent fees awarded to Alvaro’s company for media training. “Old habits die hard,” Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, Ont.) told the House of Commons..The Ng Report followed a formal May 25 ethics complaint by Conservative MP James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake, Man.). “When it comes to ethics violations the Liberal government has already reached the super elite status,” said Bezan..“Ministers are forbidden from advancing the interests of their close personal friends,” Bezan told the House of Commons. “This contract is not in dispute.” The largest contract for $17,000 “was for only two days of media training for two people,” he added..Ng in a House of Commons reply to Opposition protests read a prepared statement. “I take full responsibility for my actions,” she said. “I should have recused myself and I apologize for not doing so.”.“At no time was there any intention for anyone to benefit inappropriately,” said Ng. “My efforts fell short of my own high personal standard for transparency and accountability which Canadians have a right to expect from their elected officials. I am sorry. It will not happen again.”
