Ethics commissioner to review Barrette’s objectivity on clinics

Quebec’s Ethics Commissioner will investigate whether Health Minister Gaétan Barrette is in a potential conflict of interest with respect to a provincial bill regulating independently operated medical labs, orthopedic clinics and respiratory clinics.

In a statement Friday, commissioner Jacques Saint-Laurent announced he had initiated the inquiry following a complaint by Parti Québécois House Leader Pascal Bérubé.

Bérubé has alleged Barrette could be in violation of Section 25 of the National Assembly’s code of ethics, which obliges members to declare any personal interest in matters debated by the National Assembly or parliamentary committees.

In an interview, Bérubé said the fact that Barrette and his wife are both radiologists raises questions about whether he has a personal interest in Bill 118.

“There is no personal hostility, it is a verification to ensure that he is within the rules, that he can take part freely in the debate,” he said. “With regard to his participation in the debate it is clear to us that there is a potential for conflict of interest and the Commissioner will be able to confirm whether this is the case.”

In the statement, Saint-Laurent said the minister had been informed of the request for an inquiry.

Barrette’s press secretary, Julie White, said Barrette would co-operate with the investigation.

“We do not see a conflict of interest,” she said in an email.

“He is registered as a radiologist at the College of Physicians, but he does not practise.”

Barrette tabled Bill 118 in November. The purpose is to modernize regulations for independently operated labs and clinics.