Tories continue going after finance minister

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer demanded Bill Morneau hand in his resignation Wednesday as political rivals intensified their attacks on a finance minister mired in controversy for weeks.

But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched a spirited defence of Morneau, accusing the Tories of engaging in baseless personal attacks that they won’t repeat outside the House of Commons for fear of being sued.

“After careful consideration, in my capacity of leader of the Opposition, I am officially calling on Bill Morneau to resign as finance minister,” Scheer said shortly before question period, where the issue dominated debate.

He advised Trudeau to fire Morneau if he refused to step aside on his own.

But the prime minister said he still has full confidence in Morneau and then went on the offence against the Opposition.

“The fabrications and the personal attacks, the slinging of mud in this place, and hiding behind parliamentary privilege, is not what Canadians expect from this place,” Trudeau said.

The push for Morneau’s departure is yet another challenge to a finance minister who’s been forced to navigate several ethics-related controversies since the summer.

In July, he proposed taxsystem changes that enraged small-business owners to the point he eventually had to back off elements of his plan.

Morneau has also faced intense political pressure over how he handled his personal financial arrangements after coming to office. The questions focused on his shares in the human resources firm Morneau Shepell, which was built by his family and for which he was executive chairman until his 2015 election win.

After the controversy erupted, he sold off the remainder of his holdings in the company — worth about $21 million — and vowed to place his other substantial assets in a blind trust.