Nothing to see here, insists Champagne despite personal Alto rail ties
When Champagne was repeatedly asked whether his spouse is an executive at Alto, he deflected his answers, instead accusing the Conservatives of politicizing the project.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne insisted there is no conflict of interest to be found in his involvement with the $90-billion Alto high-speed rail project, despite his close personal relationship with a senior executive at the Crown corporation leading it.
Champagne claimed he followed all ethics rules, even as questions mount over his role, his budget decisions and a Liberal-blocked push to release key documents.
Alto falls under the purview of Transport Canada and will oversee Ottawa’s $90-billion plan to build high-speed rail between Toronto and Quebec City.
