Ethics committee to probe conflict-of-interest violation by Trade Minister Mary Ng

OTTAWA — A parliamentary committee has voted in favour of launching a study into a recent ethics ruling against International Trade Minister Mary Ng.

Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett presented a motion at the House of Commons ethics committee today saying Canadians deserve a full accounting of what transpired, and the motion passed. 

The federal ethics commissioner ruled in December that Ng violated the Conflict of Interest Act when her office awarded a $17,000 contract to a friend. 

Mario Dion says Ng’s relationship with Amanda Alvaro, a co-founder of public relations firm Pomp & Circumstance, constitutes a friendship under the act.