OTTAWA – Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is demanding Bill Morneau hand in his resignation as political rivals intensify their attacks on a finance minister mired in controversy for weeks.
But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched a spirited defence of Morneau Wednesday, accusing the Tories of engaging in baseless personal attacks that they won’t repeat outside the House of Commons for fear of being sued.
Morneau’s troubles began in the summer when he proposed changes to the tax code. He has since been attacked over his personal finances and conflict-of-interest allegations over proposed pension reforms.
Morneau has faced intense political pressure over his shares in the human resources firm Morneau Shepell, for which he was executive chairman until his 2015 election victory.
The Tories and the New Democrats have been grilling the Liberals about his late-2015 sale of shares in Morneau Shepell — a transaction that took place ahead of a tax change announcement.
Scheer also advised Trudeau to fire Morneau if he refused to step aside on his own.