As we reported last week, just three MPs have reported earning outside income through speaking fees. All three are Liberals. Leadership candidate Justin Trudeau disclosed that he has earned $277,000 in speaking fees since become an MP in 2008. His leadership rival Marc Garneau has had one speaking engagement since becoming an MP and was paid $10,000 for that engagement – an engagement, his campaign team were keen to point out, that he contracted to do before he became an MP. The other MP is Kirsty Duncan of Etobicoke North. Duncan was first elected in the general election of 2008, the same election that brought both Trudeau and Garneau to Parliament for the first time. She is currently her party’s environment critic.
MPs are not forbidden from giving speeches for a fee and, if they earn more than $10,000 a year doing it, they must inform the House of Commons ethics commissioner about the existence of this income. There is no requirement to disclose the amount of income earned or the client for their speaking engagements. In that sense, both Trudeau and Garneau exceeded the disclosure requirements in the MP’s conflict of interest code.
Duncan has reported income from speaking fees in her public disclosures with the ethics commissioner in each of 2009, 2010, 2011 which means that for each of those years, she earned at least $10,000 from her speaking engagements.
Earlier this week, we asked Duncan if she, too, would go above and beyond the disclosure requirements of the conflict of interest code and disclose the clients, dates, and income associated with her speaking engagements. Here is her reply:
Prior to seeking office I was a scientist, and the topics I speak on are related to my expertise:
- the expedition I led to the Arctic to try and discover the cause of the 1918 Spanish Flu
- climate change and health: I previously taught climate change, climatology, and meteorology, and have worked tirelessly on address our most pressing environmental issue, which is climate change. I served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which jointly won the 2007 Nobel prize with Albert Arnold Gore Jr.
- the links between the environment and human health
I called the Ethics Office immediately after I was elected. I was told that no one had ever done this. MPs must always meet legal responsibility, but, I believe should go further and meet ethical responsibility, which I have. I was advised that there was no issue with my continuing to speak.
Since being elected in 2008 I’ve spoken less than ten times to events, including the Global Knowledge Millennium Summit, India; the Ontario Hospital Association; SAGIA Global Competitiveness, Saudi Arabia; and Soroptomist International, Montreal. In my first elected term, I had 5 1/2 days off work.
I don’t feel comfortable releasing the amounts as I haven’t spoken with the organizations to have their consent to release these amounts.
I had a chance to talk to Kirsty Duncan a couple of years ago while she rode herd on a group of young Liberals on Ignatieff’s bus. She is the sort of leader Canada needs: smart, informed, and caring. For goodness’ sake don’t turn this into a witch hunt and scare her off!
Certainly sounds like the lady is on the up and up.leave it alone.As far as trudeau is concerned……
MP Kirsty Duncan is one of the most ethical, conscientious, and hard working MP’s I have come across…..this is the last person anyone should be investigating.
Dr. Kirsty Duncan, medical geographer, is an outspoken MP Liberal woman who is highly educated and represents, in my view, the essence of liberalism. Why isn’t she in the running for the Liberal leadership?
So, who better to speak on climate change, who better has the knowledge and education, uhh Peter Kent (a reporter) Joe Oliver (investment dealer) Jerry Ritz (a farmer), Give us a break Aitkin, you are so obvious , a journalist who is no longer creditable, just as so many are today , reporters who speak from spin. Kristy is one person who is creditable to speak on climate change, so she earned a speaking fee, at least we can trust her to speak from science and facts.
Don’t our overpaid backbenchers have anything better to do than look for squeletons in other parliament members’ closets? I’m sorry, but I really don’t understand how these childish games help improve the way Canada is governed. No wonder politicians are right next to the used-car salesmen in people’s opinions.
I agree with Patrick Hamilton. Kirsty Duncan is entirely ethical and up front about everything she does. This article sounds like a witch hunt and is less than ethical. Kirsty Duncan is the last politician who needs to be investigated. Mr. Akin could find plenty of fodder for his witch hunt in the Senate so go there.
She’s a bloody narcissist. Biggest one I have ever met.
Google the CBC story that contrasted her campaign in Europe with the retired pathologist’s in Alaska. Hers was an extravagant expensive failure, his an inexpensive success.