Jobs subsidy for immigration minister's longstanding church raises 'perception' questions: ethics specialist

Calgary Herald

25-07-2025

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'The final funding decisions by (Employment and Social Development Canada) were made during the writ period,' the spokeswoman wrote, referring to the period during the spring federal election.
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Her office also confirmed she had been a parishioner of the church in question since its was established in the 1980s
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'It was wonderful to visit Our Lady of Lebanon Parish and see how the Canada Summer Jobs program is helping our youth gain valuable work experience while supporting meaningful summer opportunities. Thank you for welcoming me — enjoy the rest of your summer!' Metlege Diab wrote in a recent Facebook post.
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The government confirmed the church received around $50,000 to fund 10 jobs.
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Last year, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's office released an advisory opinion directing MPs on when they should refrain from giving their opinion on whether a particular organization should receive funding.
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It added that an entity is not precluded from applying for government money just because an elected official or appointee has a personal connection to it, like a membership.
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The office advised that MPs should not provide opinions on applications from groups that employ or are owned by a family member, or where they have a 'private interest.'
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Stedman says under the rules, 'private interest' is defined in terms of it being a financial interest, which is narrow.
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He says that narrowness is evident when it comes to the Canada Summer Jobs program, which he said is unique in that the government asks MPs to directly weigh in on a funding decision. 'This is really them saying outright, 'We want you to help influence how our money is spent.''
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While federal ethics rules concentrate on the issue of a public officer using their influence to benefit financially, the program itself is about the community.
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'It's an organization she cares about. It's a church that she cares about, and the better they do, the longer they survive to be there for her and her community. And she benefits from that in a kind of interpersonal way,' Stedman said.
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'It's just not the kind of benefit that's contemplated by the act, which can be unpalatable … for I think our modern take on what conflicts of interest could be.'
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He said he believes the program, in asking MPs for their recommendations on funding, should also ask whether they have any personal connections to the organizations on the provided lists.
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'The public expects that their members of Parliament are going to do everything they can to avoid the perception of a conflict, because we want our government officials to care about public trust in their behaviour, and public trust is about perception as much as it is about reality.'