LeBlanc in conflict over surf clam licence

OTTAWA — Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc was found in breach of conflict of interest rules Wednesday for approving an Arctic surf clam licence to a company that employed a family member – a violation that comes with no penalties.

Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion said in a report issued Wednesday that LeBlanc knew his wife’s first cousin was involved in the Five Nations Clam Co. and knew the cousin would have benefited financially when awarding the company a multi-million dollar license in February.

Dion says LeBlanc should have recused himself from the decision.

“If a public office holder is aware of a potential opportunity to further the private interests of a relative through the exercise of an official power, duty or function, the public office holder must be vigilant in avoiding such conflicts of interest.”

The decision comes less than two months after the government cancelled the licence and started the process over to award a fourth Arctic surf clam license to encourage Indigenous participation.

LeBlanc said Wednesday he accepts Dion’s findings “without reservation.”

“Canadians expect when mistakes are made that people assume those mistakes and, more importantly, commit to doing better in the future and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

However, the veteran MP also qualified that Dion’s ruling “confirms that no financial benefit was created in this circumstance and no preferential treatment was given.”

The deal to award a fourth fishing licence for Arctic surf clams would have ended a 19-year monopoly on the Arctic clam fishery held by Clearwater Seafoods, offering 25 per cent of the catch to local Indigenous communities.

But it first came under scrutiny when documents filed in a court challenge of the decision suggested the company did not meet the federal government’s eligibility requirements, and that Five Nations Clam Co. had close ties to the federal Liberal party – including the family ties to LeBlanc, and also connections to one current and one former Liberal MP.