By Canadian Press

Tories demand ethics investigation into Liberal MP over 2017 trip to Italy

Aug 21, 2021 | 4:34 PM

EDMONTON — The federal Conservatives are shining a light on what they deem a Liberal ethics violation, calling for an investigation into an MP’s trip to Italy in 2017.

The Tories point to media reports that said longtime Liberal legislator Judy Sgro visited the small city of Matera in 2017 along with other politicians on a paid-for jaunt, but say she did not publicly disclose the excursion.

The Basilicata Cultural Society of Canada, which promotes the culture of that region of southern Italy in Canada, sponsored the trip, according to a Toronto Star report in 2018 that cites an admission by Sgro.

A Toronto Liberal MP since 1999, Sgro later said her time exploring the renowned caves and pasta production plants of Matera came at no expense to Canadian taxpayers, telling CBC News this week that she paid for the visit herself.

Trips sponsored by third parties are allowed under parliamentary conflict-of-interest rules, so long as legislators report the gift to the ethics commissioner.

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Alberta Conservative candidate Laila Goodridge wrote to commissioner Mario Dion this week asking for a probe to determine whether Sgro contravened conflict of interest rules for parliamentarians.

“Ms. Sgro’s public comments and disclosures raise questions as to why she did not publicly disclose sponsored third party travel,” Goodridge said.

“It also raises questions as to whether or not Ms. Sgro’s public statements are accurate and whether or not taxpayer money was used to pay for the trip.”

Conservative MP Michael Barrett was more explicit.

“She tried to hide it from voters,” he said in a social media post by the party.

Sgro and the Liberals did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Goodridge also faced controversy this week after party members in her riding of Fort McMurray-Cold Lake said they were “appalled” and “blindsided” by her recent appointment as their candidate.

“Our constituents were cheated of their opportunity to democratically select their candidate and were forced by the party on who will represent them,” the Conservative riding association said in a statement Friday.

Goodridge stepped down last Sunday as a United Conservative Party legislator representing Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche in the Alberta legislature to run federally after incumbent David Yurdiga announced he wasn’t running due to health reasons.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2021.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press