NDP Wants Ethics Probe into Raitt's Air Canada Tickets

The labour minister says she paid for her business-class upgrade with points, but that doesn't explain why a top Air Canada exec signed off on the upgrade.

The NDP is set to lodge a complaint with the federal ethics commissioner over two upgrades to Air Canada flights for Labour Minister Lisa Raitt and her chief of staff. Raitt, who has spent her week finding ways to prevent Air Canada flight attendants from exercising their democratic right to strike, says that she and her chief of staff paid for the upgrades to business class – worth about $550 each – by redeeming frequent flyer points they had accumulated. It's one of the nicer perks of getting to fly around the country all the time on the taxpayer's dime. The NDP's Yvon Godin is wondering why, then, did Air Canada's chief of government relations and chief operating officer, Duncan Dee, personally sign off on both upgrades. MPs must make public any free gifts and upgrades they receive, and the two upgrades could now be tested against the Conflict of Interest Act to see whether Raitt is in the clear here or not. Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson has not commented on the case.