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Analysis

No One Seems to Believe Bill Morneau’s Official Story Explaining His Resignation as Finance Minister

Bill Morneau’s surprise resignation follows weeks of controversies over his dealings with WE Charity

Justin Trudeau’s finance ministers has announced his surprise resignation — and no one seems to believe the official story he’s giving for why he’s leaving his job.

At a snap press conference Monday night in Ottawa, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced he was resigning as finance minister and would not seek re-election as a Liberal MP in the next election.

“It has never been my plan to run for more than two federal election cycles,” Morneau said at the impromptu press conference, explaining that he plans to launch a bid to become the next Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The timing of Morneau’s immediate resignation is curious, coming less than a year after the last election and only weeks after he facing calls for his resignation after he admitted he failed to disclose $41,000 in travel expenses paid for by WE Charity for trips to Ecuador and Kenya.

The Trudeau government has been mired in scandal over its $900 million Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) program after the government awarded a sole-sourced contract to WE Charity.

Both Trudeau and Morneau admitted that they failed to recuse themselves from discussions related to the program. Morneau reportedly caught the Prime Minister’s Office off-guard when he revealed he had repaid $41,000 in travel expenses to WE.

That might explain why many observers are questioning the official story being offered by Morneau and the Prime Minister’s Office for the surprise resignation:

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