Bernard Shapiro is clueless

Bernard Shapiro isn’t exactly sure of what his job entails.

From CBC News:

Bernard Shapiro originally insisted he had no mandate to probe Murphy’s behaviour. But he now concedes his interpretation of his powers may be wrong and that he is still learning the ropes as ethics commissioner.

Shapiro should have checked his own website:

The Mandate of the Ethics Commissioner is to administer:

the Prime Minister’s Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders. (PDF) Within that responsibility, the Ethics Commissioner is also charged with the Public Registry for Public Office Holders, including Ministers, Ministers of state and Parliamentary secretaries

Below the mandate, we see a link to the Public Registry for Public Office Holders

The Public Registry for Public Office Holders is easily searchable. Let’s search for “Tim Murphy”

Yes, Tim Murphy does have a record in the “Office of the Ethics Commissioner Conflict of Interest Code — Public Registry”

In fact, his record includes

  • Public declaration of gifts, hospitality, or other benefits received
  • Public declaration of past outside activities
  • Summary statement with recusal and part III
  • Summary statement

Tim Murphy’s summary statement, accessible from the Ethics Commissioner’s Public Office Holders database includes this statement signed by Murphy:

I, the undersigned, certify that in the position I now occupy, I have complied with the conflict of interest compliance measures set out in Part II of the Conflict of Interest Code as stated below.

There it is… it took me five minutes to figure this out. Perhaps Bernard Shapiro should resign.