National

Canada's first conflict of interest and ethic commissioner, Mary Dawson, dies

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 05 Jan, 2024 11:20 AM

Former conflict of interest and ethics commissioner Mary Dawson has died.

The commissioner's office posted a statement on its website today announcing it is saddened to learn of Dawson's death on Dec.24.

Dawson was nominated to the role in 2007 by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper and she served until 2018.

Before that she had a lengthy career as a federal bureaucrat, including as the associate deputy minister of the Justice Department.

During her tenure at that department she helped draft major pieces of legislation including the Access to Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Canada Health Act and the Official Languages Act.

During her time as ethics commissioner Dawson made many rulings, but among her last was her explosive report that found Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated conflict of interest rules by accepting a vacation on the Aga Khan's private island in the Bahamas in 2016.

The statement from the ethics commissioner's office says Dawson's legal expertise "laid the foundations for the way the conflict of interest regimes are administered."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. aware of dike problems before destructive flooding in 2021, documents show

The documents obtained by the B.C. office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives show a registered professional engineer found numerous problems in 2018 with dikes protecting the community in the province's southern Interior. Dike maintenance is a municipal responsibility but with provincial oversight.

B.C. aware of dike problems before destructive flooding in 2021, documents show

Weather Network forecasts 'fickle fall' in Canada with season to start cold, end mild

Canadians can expect a "fickle fall" this year as the season is forecast to start off chilly before above normal temperatures lead the country into winter, a prominent forecaster predicts. The Weather Network says winter may appear to taunt Canadians across the country as they face periods of very cold weather during the fall, but the season is expected to end on a mild note because a jet stream in the Pacific Ocean, called El Niño, is expected to be two degrees warmer than usual.

Weather Network forecasts 'fickle fall' in Canada with season to start cold, end mild

Increasing number of Canadians want to reconsider ties to monarchy, survey suggests

Just over one year after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a new poll suggests a growing number of Canadians believe it’s time to reconsider the country’s ties to the monarchy. Data released Wednesday by Leger indicates that 63 per cent of respondents said it was time to rethink ties — a seven point increase from March. About 81 per cent of respondents said they didn’t feel attached to the monarchy, compared to 14 per cent who said they did, results similar to six months ago.

Increasing number of Canadians want to reconsider ties to monarchy, survey suggests

Fraser pledges unprecedented housing measures as Trudeau meets Liberal caucus

Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser says the Liberal government is set to announce unprecedented measures to help with the lack of affordable homes in Canada. He said the measures will start with an announcement Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make in London, Ont., Wednesday afternoon before meeting with most of his party's 158 MPs.

Fraser pledges unprecedented housing measures as Trudeau meets Liberal caucus

Canada to match donations to Red Cross to help earthquake-stricken Morocco

The federal government says it will match donations to the Canadian Red Cross over the next two weeks to help Morocco recover from a devastating earthquake. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen says every donation to the Red Cross made by individuals from Sept. 8 to 28 will be matched by the government, to a maximum of $3 million.

Canada to match donations to Red Cross to help earthquake-stricken Morocco

BC United member Bruce Banman defects to provincial Conservatives

Bruce Banman, the MLA for Abbotsford South, says he is proud to join his friend B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad in the provincial legislature. BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says in a statement that Banman's move to the Conservatives is not entirely unexpected but it betrays those constituents who elected him to serve as part of the BC United team.