PM Justin Trudeau sets the standard of ethical conduct so, given his example, it's hardly surprising his ministers keep breaking the law

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The repeated failure of Trudeau cabinet ministers to behave ethically is not primarily due to the weakness of the federal conflict of interest act that was passed by the Stephen Harper Conservative government in 2006, although it is indeed weak.

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But the primary failure is due to the fact Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sets the standard of ethical conduct for cabinet ministers – he alone can hire and fire them for any reason – and given his example, it’s hardly surprising his ministers keep breaking the law.

The latest controversy on this front is that the parliamentary ethics committee is recalling Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault before it for a third time over continuing allegations he violated the conflict of interest act by being involved in a medical supply business while a cabinet minister,

But the federal ethics commissioner has already ruled Boissonnault didn’t violate the act and even if any new information was to change his mind – Boissonnault denies wrongdoing – the worst that would happen to him would be a public slap on the wrist.

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