Manitoba news: Greg Nesbitt inadvertently broke conflict law [Video]

WINNIPEG –

Manitoba’s ethics commissioner says a politician broke the province’s conflict law, but it was inadvertent and he should not be penalized.

The governing NDP caucus filed a complaint in August about Greg Nesbitt, a member of the Opposition Progressive Conservatives who represents the Riding Mountain constituency.

The NDP’s caucus chair said Nesbitt is a shareholder in a company tied to a hotel and conference centre in the Town of Russell that has a contract with the provincial government.

Nesbitt’s shares in the company are listed in mandatory disclosure statements filed with the ethics commissioner, but the contract was not.

Nesbitt said he was unaware of the contract, and said he sold his shares in the hotel company in 2018 under an 11-year buyout that is not yet complete.

Ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor has ruled Nesbitt has an indirect interest in the company through another company, but has no voting shares …