Michel Samson cleared of wrongdoing over ferry funding

Nova Scotia's conflict of interest commissioner has cleared a cabinet minister of any wrongdoing last month for not disclosing funding information to the mediaabout the ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine.

Progressive Conservative Chris d'Entremont asked Merlin Nunn to look into comments made by Economic Development Minister Michel Samson.

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D'Entremont alleged Samson violated Conflict of Interest Act because he was "not truthful or forthright to the public" when he told reporters the government had not given ferry operators Nova Star Cruises more than the $26 million in public funds that had already been disclosed.

Samson eventually disclosed that he had known about $2.5 million in additional funding since Dec. 23.

In his five-page ruling, Nunn says the implication that Samson should have revealed to the media that the additional money was given "really has no merit" because it was up to the minister to decide when to make it public.

Nunn says Samson didn't lie to the media andtold them all they were entitled to know at the time.