Canada's Finance Minister Bill Morneau resigns amid charity probe

Canada’s Finance Minister, Bill Morneau, on August 17 resigned from his position after coming under fire for not repaying travel costs covered by WE charity while on overseas trips to see its work. According to international media reports, while stepping down, Morneau said that he would not run for parliament again. He added that instead, he would seek to become the next secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 

At a news conference, Morneau said that he was no longer the ‘appropriate person’ for his role in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. He told the reporters that he met with the PM and informed him that he does not plan to run again in the next election. 

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Trudeau, on the other hand, in a series of tweets thanked Morneau for his ‘unwavering leadership and commitment’ to the service. The ex-Finance Minister has served under Trudeau’s government since the PM was first elected in 2015. The Canadian PM said that he has always counted on Morneau’s leadership, advice and close friendship. He further thanked Morneau for ‘everything’ he has done to ‘improve’ quality of life of Canadians. 

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Morneau, Trudeau embroiled in charity scandal

Morneau’s resignation comes after it was reported that he and Trudeau had been embroiled in the scandal over a nearly billion-dollar contract given to a charity with close links to them. According to international media reports, in Morneau’s case, the charity employs one of his daughters and had paid travel expenses for his family trips of Kenya and Ecuador. The PM and the Finance Minister are facing investigations by Canada’s Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner in the aforementioned context, while also being probed by Parliamentary panels.

A Canadian media outlet, last week, also reported that the PM and the Finance Minister had clashed over economic measure taken to counter the impact of coronavirus pandemic. However, Trudeau had said that he has ‘full confidence’ in Morneau and any reports contrary were false. A statement by the PMO praised Morneau and even said that the has worked ‘relentlessly’ and ‘closely’ with Trudeau to build a strong and resilient Canadian economy.

(Image: @DefendSmallBizz/Twitter) 

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