Mario Dion

Mario Dion (born c. 1956[1]) is a Canadian public servant who served as the second conflict of interest and ethics commissioner of Canada. He was appointed on January 9, 2018, succeeding Mary Dawson to a seven-year term.[1] In February 2023, he resigned due to persistent health issues.[2][3]

Mario Dion
2nd Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner of Canada
In office
January 9, 2018 – February 21, 2023
Preceded byMary Dawson
Succeeded byMartine Richard (interim)
2nd Public Sector Integrity Commissioner
In office
2011–2014
Preceded byChristiane Ouimet
Succeeded by Joe Friday
Personal details
Born1956
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
OccupationCivil servant, lawyer

Early life and education

Dion was born in Montreal. In 1979, Dion received a law degree from the University of Ottawa.[4]

Career

Dion began his legal career as a legal advisor in the Department of the Solicitor General (now Public Safety Canada) in 1980. In 1988, he was appointed an assistant deputy minister at Corrections Canada. He moved on to serve in the Department of Justice, in an assistant deputy minister, then associate deputy minister position. Dion also served in the Privy Council Office as deputy clerk and counsel from 1996 to 1997, and at the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs in 2003. Dion served as chair of the National Parole Board from 2006 to 2009, commissioner of public sector integrity from 2011 to 2014, and chair of the Immigration and Refugee Board from 2015 to 2018.[4][5]

Public Sector Integrity Commissioner

In 2014, Michael Ferguson, Canada's former auditor general, publicly rebuked Dion's performance as the public sector integrity commissioner of Canada, an office that is supposed to protect public servants who blow the whistle on wrongdoing within the federal government. Dion was appointed commissioner by the Harper government after the previous commissioner resigned amid complaints about the office.[6]

Ethics Commissioner

On December 11, 2017, Bardish Chagger, the leader of the Government in the House of Commons, announced the nomination of Dion as ethics commissioner, succeeding Mary Dawson.[7][8][9] He assumed the role on January 9, 2018.[1][10] Dion's rapid last-minute appointment by the Liberal Party was criticized for its secrecy.[11][12][13][14]

As commissioner, Dion is responsible for administering the Conflict of Interest Act and the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons.

SNC-Lavalin affair

On February 11, 2019,[15] Dion's office announced that it would investigate allegations of political interference and obstruction of justice by personnel in the Prime Minister's Office (dubbed the "SNC-Lavalin affair"), who allegedly attempted to pressure Jody Wilson-Raybould, the then minister of justice and attorney general, to intervene in an ongoing criminal prosecution case against construction firm SNC-Lavalin by granting them a deferred prosecution agreement.[16]

In a letter to opposition New Democratic members of Parliament Charlie Angus and Nathan Cullen, Dion stated that he believed section 9 of the Conflict of Interest Act , which he stated "prohibits a public office holder from seeking to influence a decision of another person so as to improperly further another person’s private interests,"[17] had been breached, granting him the authority to investigate the matter.[18]

We Charity affair

In 2021, he blamed Morneau but exonerated Trudeau[19] in the WE_Charity_scandal where Margaret Trudeau was employed by this organisation[20] but Trudeau had recused himself from the commission.

Leave of absence

On March 12, 2019, Dion announced that he will take a "prolonged" absence from his role as the government's conflict of interest watchdog, due to "medical reasons."[21] His office's work continued in his absence, and he returned to work in April 2019.[22]

Retirement

On February 14, 2023, Dion announced that he would retire from his post, given persistent health issues.[3] His last day in office was February 21, 2023.[2] At the time of his resignation, he had two years left in his seven year term.[2]

References
  1. Stone, Laura (January 11, 2018). "New Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion promises to be 'fearless'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  2. Bailey, Ian (February 14, 2023). "Federal ethics commissioner Mario Dion quits". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  3. Zimonjic, Peter (February 14, 2023). "MP Greg Fergus becomes the latest Liberal caught violating ethics rules". CBC News. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  4. "Biography – Mario Dion". December 11, 2017. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  5. "Meet the Commissioner". ciec-ccie.parl.gc.ca. March 12, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  6. "Audit finds 'gross mismanagement' in two integrity watchdog cases". CBC. April 15, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  7. "Minister Chagger nominates next Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner" (Press release). December 11, 2017.
  8. "Liberals nominate Mario Dion as next ethics commissioner". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. December 11, 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  9. "Mario Dion, Chair Of Immigration And Refugee Board, Tapped By Liberals To Be Next Ethics Commissioner". HuffPost. December 11, 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  10. Britneff, Beatrice (February 13, 2018). "Ethics watchdog insists in CBC interview he 'never recommended' media ban". iPolitics. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  11. O'Malley, Kady (December 13, 2017). "The ethics watchdog selection process is a mess — but that's not Dion's fault".
  12. "Liberals Ignore Secrecy Concerns And Vote In New Ethics Watchdog For All MPs". HuffPost Canada. December 13, 2017.
  13. "Advocacy group threatens legal action over Liberals' ethics commissioner pick". December 14, 2017.
  14. Liberals were unethical in secretive appointment of new ethics commissioner, opposition says
  15. Tasker, John Paul (February 11, 2019). "Trudeau says he has 'confidence' in Wilson-Raybould as ethics commissioner probes PMO over SNC-Lavalin". CBC. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  16. "PMO pressed Wilson-Raybould to abandon prosecution of SNC-Lavalin; Trudeau denies his office 'directed' her". Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  17. "Letter from Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion confirming the investigation is here:pic.twitter.com/ikf1sw6wTA". @CBCAlerts. February 11, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  18. "Will the ethics commissioner investigation into the SNC-Lavalin affair get any answers?". National Post. March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  19. Aiello, Rachel (May 13, 2021). "PM Trudeau cleared, but Morneau broke ethics law over WE Charity contract: Dion". CTVNews. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  20. McGregor, Janyce (July 9, 2020). "PM's mother Margaret and brother Alexandre were both paid to speak at WE Charity events". CBC. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  21. "Ethics commissioner Mario Dion stepping away from office for medical reasons". ctvnews.ca. March 12, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  22. Vomiero, Jessica (April 26, 2019). "Mario Dion, Canada's ethics commissioner, is back on the job after medical leave". Global News. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
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