Ms. Blewett, the minister is subject to a screen on issues involving J.D. Irving, Limited, and I noticed in the Federal Court documents disclosure that the decision contained no reference to the matters covered by the screen relating to J.D. Irving, Limited.
We know the minister's wife's cousin was set to run Five Nations Clam Company. We also know that the Liberal MP Darrell Samson's brother is the owner of Premium Seafoods, the Five Nations' partner.
Does the department do an ethical screen for all decisions made to determine if there might be a conflict of interest, outside of the Irving screen, and were you, or anyone else in the department, aware of the family connections or the close ties to former and currently sitting Liberal MPs?