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Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

“As I have said before, I cleared this business relationship in advance with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, have followed the commissioner’s advice, and will continue to do so,” Grewal said in a statement to the Post Thursday.

“I understand that the Commissioner would like more information and as I have done in the past, I will be cooperating fully with the Commissioner’s Office.”

Grewal is not the first Liberal MP to be investigated during Trudeau’s tenure — an investigation into Finance Minister Bill Morneau is ongoing and Trudeau himself was found guilty of breaking ethics law by outgoing commissioner Mary Dawson last December, before Dion took over the following month.

“What concerns me is that we have a government that came in and made very strong promises about accountability and setting the bar higher, and then immediately started to act as though rules belonged to other people but not Liberals,” Angus said in an interview.

“This is going to be one of the first tests for the new commissioner. … I’m hoping we’ll get a ruling that may give other government officials, government MPs, pause to consider that they have an obligation to serve the public interest. That’s their job. That they’re there, elected by citizens, to serve the public — not to serve their friends or to serve their business interests.”

The Conflict of Interest Code prohibits Dion from speaking publicly about investigations — they are mandated to occur in confidence — but a spokeswoman for the office, Margot Booth, confirmed that the inquiry has been launched. At the conclusion of an inquiry, the commissioner will issue a report, which could include recommendations for sanctions against the MP if he is found to have broken the rules. The commissioner has no powers to enforce punishment.

• Email: mdsmith@postmedia.com | Twitter: mariedanielles