A report released Thursday by the province’s ethics commissioner says cabinet minister Ian Bushie contravened the Conflict of Interest Act.
The Keewatinook MLA is minister of municipal and northern relations and of Indigenous economic development. His business, Grandpa George’s, violating the act by renewing a contract with the provincial government on April 1, commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor said in the report.
Contracts in existence at the time of an MLA’s election are permitted, but renewals and extensions are not. MLAs must also include any contracts with the government in their disclosure statements, and Bushie contravened the act by not doing so, the report said.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations Ian Bushie at a news conference in March. He failed to disclose his busoiness’s contract with government, and the contract was renewed, a report states.
The report found Bushie’s contraventions were inadvertent and noted that he “apologized and accepted responsibility for his error.”
The commissioner recommended no penalty be imposed.
The investigation and report were done as a result of a request for inquiry filed by Riding Mountain MLA Greg Nesbitt on June 3.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca