Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew looks on as Ian Bushie, Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations, is sworn-in by Lt. Gov. Anita Neville at a premier and cabinet swearing-in ceremony in Winnipeg, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s ethics commissioner says cabinet minister Ian Bushie contravened the Conflict of Interest Act.
Commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor announced Thursday in a report that Bushie, who serves as Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations and Minister of Indigenous Economic Development, breached the Act earlier this year.
The breach occurred when Minister Bushie, also the MLA for Keewatinook, renewed a contract for his business, Grandpa George’s, with the Manitoba government. While the Act allows existing contracts at the time of an MLA’s election, renewals and extensions are prohibited. Bushie’s contract was in place before he took office but was renewed on April 1, 2024, leading to the violation. Additionally, the minister failed to disclose the contract in his official statement of assets and income, another requirement under the Act.
The Commissioner found Bushie’s breach to be inadvertent, noting that the minister accepted responsibility and apologized for the oversight. As a result, Schnoor recommended no penalty be imposed. The inquiry was initiated after a formal request was filed by Tory MLA Greg Nesbitt on June 3, 2024.
Bushie told reporters he accepts the commissioner’s findings and accepts full responsibility.
“It was an error (in) judgment on my part, but I was wrong. I’m committed to fixing this and being accountable to all Manitobans and the confidence the public has in their elected representatives,” he told reporters.
Bushie said he has decided to sell his business to avoid any further conflicts or the perception of wrongdoing.
“Selling my business shows my unequivocal commitment to my role on this team. It is important that I show that I am taking full responsibility for what has happened here, and I want to be able to assure Manitobans that they have trust in government across all of our caucus.”
Bushie, the sole proprietor of Grandpa George’s, has owned the family-run business for the past three decades.
Read the full report below:
Ian Bushie Report – September 2024 by ChrisDca on Scribd
— With files from The Canadian Press
