Ottawa

Fight the real enemy

Amid talk yesterday of Rahim Jaffer, Helena Guergis, Devinder Shory, lobbyists, religion, ideology, firearms, abortion policy, poverty, torture, nuclear weapons, the prosecution of Omar Khadr and salmon farming, John Baird astutely identified the foremost issue facing Ottawa as the legal career of Liberal MP Derek Lee. Seems the biography of Mr. Lee posted on a law firm’s website describes him as participating in activities that include “lobbying government.”

After QP, Mr. Lee’s office distributed the following.

“Like several other Parliamentarians, I am a legal counsel to a law firm. I disclosed to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner my relationship with Sun & Partners Barristers & Solicitors and am in full compliance with federal laws. Contrary to accusations made by the members of the Conservative government, I am not a lobbyist, nor have I ever been paid to lobby the federal government. I was unaware of how my role was portrayed on the Sun & Partners website, and am concerned that it is not sufficiently clear in its description of the nature of my work.  As such, I have asked that my profile, including any reference to lobbying, be removed from the Sun & Partners website.  I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.”

That profile does indeed seem to have been removed. Mr. Lee’s office has also sent out a letter sent to the ethics commissioner asking her to investigate whether he has erred in any way.

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