Justin Tang/CP Finance Minister Bill Morneau speaks to reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill on Oct. 26, 2017.

OTTAWA — The federal ethics watchdog has never proactively checked whether public office holders with potential conflicts of interests are actually recusing themselves from decisions that could place them in an actual conflict, HuffPost Canada has learned. In her 10 years in office, Mary Dawson, the House of Commons' conflict of interest and ethics commissioner, has only once investigated whether an MP failed to do so because of a conflict — and that was after a complaint was lodged by another MP, her spokesperson told HuffPost. "You asked whether the Commissioner has investigated a member for not recusing himself or herself formally (by filling a recusal) or informally (by not showing up to votes or debates) because of a conflict," Margot Booth, the communications and outreach manager for Dawson's office wrote in an email to HuffPost. "The Commissioner has undertaken one inquiry in relation to a failure to recuse, the Thibault Inquiry in 2008." Dawson has never investigated a cabinet minister. Watch: New Democrats bash Morneau:

Sean Kilpatrick/CP Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson leaves after appearing as a witness at a Commons committee on Parliament Hill on Oct. 17, 2017.