Ottawa

You are free to continue issuing giant novelty cheques

The ethics commissioner concludes that the use of giant novelty cheques by unelected officials might diminish our democracy, but it isn’t against the rules.

Ms. Dawson concludes that using cheques featuring either the name of the MP or the Conservative Party logo “goes too far” and risks diminishing public confidence in the integrity of elected officials. Her report concludes that the cheques do not violate either the conflict of interest code for MPs or the Conflict of Interest Act for cabinet ministers, but are symptomatic of a larger politicization of government that must be addressed.

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