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Dawson announced in December that Trudeau violated four provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act when he and his family accepted an invitation to be flown to the Aga Khan’s private island. The trip could have been seen as a gift meant to influence the prime minister, she said. And Trudeau was wrong to participate in meetings focused on government grants to the philanthropist’s endowment fund, Dawson ruled.

The opposition had waited almost a year for Dawson’s report and feared the public would forget all about it over Christmas. With committee hearings this week and the ethics commissioner explaining her thoughts on Wednesday, the prime minister faced fresh criticism and was forced to address his ethical behaviour during his now-annual road show to mingle with regular people.

In her testimony, Dawson said that even if Trudeau considered the Aga Khan a friend — and therefore an acceptable person to give him gifts — he should not have also been involved in funding decisions.

Eventually, she wants to see the friend exemption removed from the law.

EXPORTS

The federal government’s Donald Trump charm offensive — intense bilateral diplomacy to persuade Americans to stick with the North American free-trade agreement — took a puzzling turn this week.

It was a year ago this week that Trudeau shuffled his cabinet to focus squarely on dealing with Trump and the fallout of his unpredictable politics.

But now, as whispers in Canada grow more frantic about the possibility that Trump will pull out of the pact and talk picks up that Canada’s friend-making efforts are going unheeded, Ottawa is launching an aggressive attack on U.S. trade practices.