A recent situation sparked a debate about ethics laws governing MPs. Nunavut MP Lori Idlout announced that she owns a stake in an Ottawa Consulting firm which has received 19 federal contracts worth more than $600,000 since her election in 2021 to the House of Commons. She claimed she has not benefitted financially and does not have an influence over the company’s decisions.
Ian Stedman, associate professor in the School of Public Policy & Administration, contributes his comments to the CBC article stating that Idlout’s actions were compliant with ethics stands, since she followed the ethic’s commissioner’s advice, disclosed the interest and moved to a blind trust. However, some critics argue that she should have placed her shares in a blind trust sooner and that there should be stricter rules around this for MPs.
Stedman holds a PhD in law from Osgoode Hall Law School. His research interests include law and justice, science and technology, public sector ethics and accountability, as well as AI.  
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