Overview
- Finance Minister François‑Philippe Champagne told the House ethics committee on Thursday that he proactively contacted the ethics commissioner last summer, set up a voluntary conflict screen and has 'followed all the rules.'
- Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein told the same committee he agrees the minister faces no risk of conflict because he has no authority over Alto’s hiring and that matters of 'general application' fall outside a conflict, the commissioner said.
- The commissioner’s office had emailed Champagne in April saying a screen was not required, but Champagne put one in place anyway and the office did not publish a public notice because it saw no potential conflict.
- Conservative and Bloc MPs pressed Champagne over votes he took related to Alto while under the voluntary screen, and opposition demands for documents and political pressure have grown as protests by farmers and Quebec parties escalate.
- Alto’s Toronto–Quebec City high‑speed rail plan remains in long‑term planning with no final cabinet decision until 2029, cost estimates cited between $60 billion and $90 billion, and possible expropriations adding local resistance and political stakes.