Manitoba cabinet minister ‘inadvertently’ violated rules: ethics commissioner

Manitoba’s ethics commissioner has found an NDP cabinet minister was in the wrong when he failed to disclose he had a business contract with the government, but he is not recommending a penalty.

Commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor says Ian Bushie, the minister of municipal and northern relations, previously had a contract with the government through a gas bar and convenience store he runs on the Hollow Water First Nation.

When Bushie took office after last year’s provincial election, the contract was already in place and had been permitted.

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But Schnoor says when the contract was renewed earlier this year, Bushie contravened the Conflict of Interest Act.

The commissioner found Bushie’s contraventions were inadvertent, and says the minister has accepted responsibility.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives filed the original complaint in June alleging Bushie was unfairly granted a contract without others being able to bid.

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