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Lest that sound like they were blaming the ethics commissioner, Mary Dawson, for the fix Morneau now finds himself in, the ministers have been quick to turn the double play. By questioning Morneau’s conduct, they charge, opposition critics are really questioning the judgment of the ethics commissioner.

Decrying the Conservatives’ “thinly veiled attacks on the quality of work done by the ethics commissioner,” the prime minister has noted that “on this side of the House, we support and honour the work done by the conflict of interest and ethics commissioner…. We will continue to demonstrate our faith in the commissioner… Day after day I stand up and defend the ethics commissioner.”

Photo by Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

Of late the prime minister has broadened it out. What is at stake, he suggests, is not just respect for the ethics commissioner, but all the independent officers of Parliament — even Parliament itself. “The personal and nasty attacks by the members opposite,” he laments, are an effort to “lower Canadians’ confidence in our institutions… We are going to keep working with the conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and with all commissioners here in Parliament to make sure that we respect and defend the institutions of this House.”

The amazing thing about this charade is it seems to be working. Opposition leaders have been scrupulous to assure everyone that they have the utmost respect for the ethics commissioner. “We rely on the ethics commissioner to do her job,” Andrew Scheer told the Commons. “The only people in this House right now who do not respect the work of the ethics commissioner are the ministers of the Crown…”