Speech (committee meeting)

{
    "time": "2024-06-04 12:10:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Konrad von Finckenstein (Commissioner, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner)",
        "fr": "M. Konrad von Finckenstein (commissaire, Bureau du commissaire aux conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats et \u00e0 l'\u00e9thique)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"8490984\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490985\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Thank you for inviting me.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490986\" data-originallang=\"fr\">With me today is my colleague Lyne Robinson\u2011Dalp\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490987\" data-originallang=\"fr\">As we join you today, I recognize the weight of responsibility entrusted upon our Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and the work of this committee. Our democracy relies fundamentally on the integrity and transparency of its elected and appointed officials and our ability to safeguard public trust.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490988\" data-originallang=\"en\">It is with these principles in mind that I see the twofold purpose of the regimes we administer. One is to help public officials avoid and manage their conflicts of interest and the second is to facilitate the movement of qualified people in and out of the public service.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490989\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Qualified, competent, experienced people who are called to public service may well face conflicts of interest. That's not unusual. The issue is how to avoid and manage those conflicts and to protect the integrity of officials and the institutions they serve.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490990\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Minister Boissonnault is an example of someone who has moved in and out of public service, and back again. Upon his first election as a member of Parliament in 2015, he complied with the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. He also complied with the Conflict of Interest Act when later appointed as parliamentary secretary.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490991\" data-originallang=\"en\">Between 2019 and 2021, when he was not an elected or an appointed official, he resumed work with Xennex Venture Catalysts Inc., which I'll call Xennex hereafter. It's a company that was incorporated in 2000 of which he owns 100% of the shares. It is a management consulting company that gained a contract to lobby on behalf of the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490992\" data-originallang=\"en\">The minister resigned as director of Xennex when he was re-elected and again became subject to the code as a member and subject to the act as a minister.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490993\" data-originallang=\"en\">Kirsten Poon became the director of Xennex and continued to lobby in the Xennex name on behalf of the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority until June 21. After that day, the lobbying was done in her own company's name, 2050877 Alberta Ltd., operating under the name of Navis. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490994\" data-originallang=\"en\">Minister Boissonnault received no remuneration from Xennex after being elected and appointed minister. However, he disclosed to us that he was owed an outstanding business income from Navis. That amount was subsequently paid by Navis to Xennex. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490995\" data-originallang=\"en\">Minister Boissonnault has 100% interest in 2256956 Alberta Limited. It in turn owns 50% of an affiliated company called Global Health Imports. His ownership of Xennex, his ownership of 2256956 Alberta Limited and his indirect partial ownership of Global Health Imports were all disclosed to my office. There is no disclosed evidence that the ownership of these companies creates any conflict of interest. He complied with the rules under the act and the code.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490996\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Considering the information that the minister has disclosed to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, it appears he has complied with the requirements of the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons and the Conflict of Interest Act related to matters involving his companies and consequently there is no need to commence an examination.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490997\" data-originallang=\"fr\">We are in the process of the usual annual review process with the minister and will be looking at all his updated disclosures with the office.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490998\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Both Ms. Robinson-Dalp\u00e9 and I are here to answer any questions you may have regarding the compliance process of the work and how we handled the file of Mr. Boissonnault.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490999\" data-originallang=\"en\">Thank you.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"8490984\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> Merci beaucoup, monsieur le pr\u00e9sident.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490985\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je vous remercie de m'avoir invit\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490986\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je suis accompagn\u00e9 de ma coll\u00e8gue Lyne Robinson\u2011Dalp\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490987\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je suis conscient, en me joignant \u00e0 vous aujourd'hui, de la lourde responsabilit\u00e9 qui incombe au Commissariat aux conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats et \u00e0 l'\u00e9thique et de l'importance des travaux de votre comit\u00e9. Notre d\u00e9mocratie repose essentiellement sur l'int\u00e9grit\u00e9 et la transparence de ses repr\u00e9sentantes et ses repr\u00e9sentants \u00e9lus et nomm\u00e9s, et sur notre capacit\u00e9 de pr\u00e9server la confiance du public.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490988\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'est en gardant ces principes \u00e0 l'esprit que je vois le double objectif des r\u00e9gimes que nous administrons. Le premier est d'aider les fonctionnaires \u00e0 \u00e9viter et \u00e0 g\u00e9rer leurs conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats et le second est de faciliter le mouvement des personnes qualifi\u00e9es dans et hors de la fonction publique.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490989\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Les personnes qualifi\u00e9es, comp\u00e9tentes et exp\u00e9riment\u00e9es qui sont appel\u00e9es \u00e0 exercer une fonction publique peuvent tr\u00e8s bien \u00eatre confront\u00e9es \u00e0 des conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats. Ce n'est pas inhabituel. La question est de savoir comment \u00e9viter et g\u00e9rer ces conflits et prot\u00e9ger l'int\u00e9grit\u00e9 des fonctionnaires et des institutions qu'ils servent.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490990\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le ministre Boissonnault est l'exemple de quelqu'un qui est pass\u00e9 de la fonction publique au secteur priv\u00e9 et qui est retourn\u00e9 \u00e0 la fonction publique. \u00c9lu \u00e0 titre de d\u00e9put\u00e9 en 2015, il s'est conform\u00e9 au Code r\u00e9gissant les conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats des d\u00e9put\u00e9s. Il s'est aussi conform\u00e9 \u00e0 la Loi sur les conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats lorsqu'il a \u00e9t\u00e9 nomm\u00e9 secr\u00e9taire parlementaire par la suite.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490991\" data-originallang=\"en\">Entre 2019 et 2021, quand il n\u2019\u00e9tait pas un repr\u00e9sentant \u00e9lu ou nomm\u00e9, il a repris ses travaux avec Xennex Venture Catalysts Inc., que j'appellerai Xennex. C'est une soci\u00e9t\u00e9 constitu\u00e9e en l\u2019an 2000 dont il est propri\u00e9taire \u00e0 100 %. Il s\u2019agit d\u2019une soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de gestion qui a obtenu un contrat pour faire du lobbying pour le compte de l\u2019Edmonton Regional Airports Authority.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490992\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le ministre a d\u00e9missionn\u00e9 comme directeur de Xennex lors de sa r\u00e9\u00e9lection et il est redevenu assujetti au Code, puisqu\u2019il \u00e9tait d\u00e9put\u00e9, et \u00e0 la Loi, comme ministre.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490993\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Kirsten Poon est devenue la directrice de Xennex et a continu\u00e9 \u00e0 faire du lobbying au nom de Xennex pour le compte de l\u2019Edmonton Regional Airports Authority jusqu\u2019en juin 2021. Apr\u00e8s cette date, le lobbying a \u00e9t\u00e9 effectu\u00e9 au nom de sa propre soci\u00e9t\u00e9, 2050877 Alberta Ltd. op\u00e9rant sous le nom Navis.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490994\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Le ministre Boissonnault n\u2019a re\u00e7u aucune r\u00e9mun\u00e9ration de la part de Xennex apr\u00e8s avoir \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9lu et nomm\u00e9 ministre. Cependant, il nous a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 qu\u2019il avait des revenus de commerce en souffrance de la part de Navis. Ce montant a \u00e9t\u00e9 pay\u00e9 par Navis \u00e0 Xennex.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490995\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le ministre Boissonnault d\u00e9tient un int\u00e9r\u00eat de 100 % dans 2256956 Alberta Ltd. \u00c0 son tour, cette soci\u00e9t\u00e9 poss\u00e8de 50 % de la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 affili\u00e9e Global Health Imports. Le fait qu\u2019il est propri\u00e9taire de Xennex, 2256956 Alberta Ltd et propri\u00e9taire partiel indirect de Global Health Imports a \u00e9t\u00e9 divulgu\u00e9 au Commissariat. Aucune preuve divulgu\u00e9e ne montre que le fait qu\u2019il soit propri\u00e9taire de ces soci\u00e9t\u00e9s cr\u00e9e un conflit d'int\u00e9r\u00eats. Il s'est conform\u00e9 aux r\u00e8gles en vertu de la Loi et du Code. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490996\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Compte tenu des informations que le ministre a divulgu\u00e9es au Commissariat aux conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats et \u00e0 l'\u00e9thique, il semble que le ministre s'est conform\u00e9 aux exigences du Code r\u00e9gissant les conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats des d\u00e9put\u00e9s et de la Loi sur les conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats en ce qui concerne les questions relatives \u00e0 ses soci\u00e9t\u00e9s et qu'il n'est donc pas n\u00e9cessaire de proc\u00e9der \u00e0 une \u00e9tude.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490997\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Nous sommes en train d'effectuer le processus habituel d'examen annuel avec le ministre et nous examinerons toutes les divulgations qu'il a mises \u00e0 jour aupr\u00e8s du Commissariat.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490998\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mme Robinson-Dalp\u00e9 et moi-m\u00eame sommes dispos\u00e9s \u00e0 r\u00e9pondre aux questions que vous pourriez avoir sur le processus de conformit\u00e9 et sur notre traitement du dossier de M. Boissonnault.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8490999\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Je vous remercie de votre attention.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/committees/ethics/44-1/122/konrad-von-finckenstein-1/",
    "politician_url": null,
    "politician_membership_url": null,
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "12791521",
    "document_url": "/committees/ethics/44-1/122/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fcommittees%2Fethics%2F44-1%2F122%2F"
    }
}