It's a condition of employment to actually disclose conflicts of interest. He agreed with this when he signed his letter of offer. He did not declare anything at the point of hiring or within the 60-day time frame. As he was on a probationary period, the natural consequence would have been termination of employment. If we were dealing with someone who has been a long-standing employee, you might get a different answer, but when someone is on probation, it's very easy to reach the conclusion that they don't fit the ethical profile of someone we would like in the public service.
On March 21st, 2024. See this statement in context.