Three ethics strikes for Trudeau
Re: “Aga Khan a good friend to have” (Citizen, Aug. 6)
Mr. Boettger, you are right to praise billionaire spiritual leader, Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini, the 49th Imam of Nizari Ismailis, better know as the ‘Aga Khan’, however you are 100 per cent wrong regarding Trudeau.
Whether out of sheer arrogance or ignorance, Trudeau was not “merely vacationing with a friend”. His 2016 vacation on Aga Khan’s private island violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act and broke multiple federal ethics rules. Trudeau is the first and only prime minister found guilty by an Ethics Commissioner of violating the act since passed in 2006! Not only is Trudeau guilty of serious ethics breaches, but he charged taxpayers $215,000 for transportation and staffing. The Aga Khan Foundation is registered to lobby federal departments including the Prime Minister’s Office and has received millions for development aid. Ethics Commissioner Dawson also ruled that “Trudeau should have recused himself from discussions” involving a $15 million grant to Aga Khan in May 2016 and $200 million for a riverfront renewal plan in Ottawa, all courtesy Canadian taxpayers.
This is Trudeau’s strike one.
In 2019, Trudeau again contravened Conflict of Interest Act by interfering in SNC Lavalin corruption trial. Ethics Commissioner Dion reported, “Trudeau used the authority of his office to circumvent, undermine and attempt to discredit the decision of director of public prosecutions and authority of Jody Wilson-Raybould”.
This is Trudeau’s strike two.
Since June 2020, Trudeau is facing a third ethics investigation of his five years in office over the $912 million dollar WE Charity scandal. Taxpayers are justifiably enraged over the extent of Liberal corruption, arrogance and entitlement. This is Trudeau’s strike three.
As more scandals of wasted billions emerge, Trudeau now holds the distinction as the first and only prime minister found guilty three times in conflict of interest and federal ethics violations. So, we see, Mr. Boettger, how erroneous a friendly vacation can appear.
Elisabeth Gelb
Chemanius
