Top

Helena Guergis

July 15, 2011 by · Comments Off on Helena Guergis 

Helena GuergisHelena Guergis, Former MP Helena Guergis Parliament broke conflict of interest code by using her position to try to benefit the interests of her husband’s business, the federal government of ethical watchdog says. In a report published on Thursday, the Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson says Guergis violated the code because it sent a letter to city officials in the county of Simcoe, Ont., Encouraging them to listen to a presentation of a waste management firm greens, which owner had commercial ties with her husband, former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer.

“I came to the conclusion that Ms. Guergis contravened Article 8 of the Code by sending the letter regarding technology because Wright was acting even more to the private interests of Mr. Jaffer. It also concluded that contrary to article 9, because the letter was intended to influence the decision of the saved and the Simcoe County Council in a way that would favor the private interests of her husband, “Dawson writes in the report Guergis.

“Ms. Guergis was aware of some of the initial business interactions between her husband and Mr. Wright and his companies raised the conflict of interest concerns and therefore should not have written the letter.”

According to the conflict of interest code, politicians are prohibited from using their position to promote their private interests and members of her family.

New Democrat MP Libby Davies asked Dawson to investigate the actions Guergis more than a year. His colleague, NDP ethics critic Pat Martin said the failure of Dawson’s too little, too late.

“I’ve seen glaciers move faster than our ethics commissioner.” Said Martin.

“Today’s results are almost useless for all concerned, except in addition to the evidence that there are bad people lurking in the corridors of Parliament, either (the former PMO staffer Bruce) Carson, and Jaffer, or Guergis, or others. “Prime Minister last year after allegations emerged explosive Jaffer linked to it and prostitutes and cocaine plucked Guergis, a former Conservative MP in Ontario, out of caucus. She continued to sit as an independent MP, but lost her seat in Ontario for the Conservative candidate in recent federal elections.

The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the decision, but Duff Conacher Democracy Watch, a critic of Dawson, said the ruling against Guergis breaks Dawson own pattern of letting the conservative ministers, MPs and staff members “hook”. “Finally, ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson for the second time since he became commissioner in July 2007, issued a ruling that actually defends federal ethics rules and establishes a strong conflict of interest standard,” said Conacher.

Bottom