‘Rampant hypocrisy’: Backlash grows against Liberal MP who hired sister

This story is for an assignment for the Advanced Journalism program at Humber College.

TORONTO – A backbench Liberal member of parliament announced her departure from the party caucus late on Monday after CBC revealed she employed her sister for several years, breaking parliamentary rules.

MP Yasmin Ratansi said in a post to Facebook that she will now sit as an independent and await the results of an inquiry by the ethics commissioner.

The story was picked up by PNCN, a Punjabi and English news channel that publishes to the southeast Asian community in the Greater Toronto Area.

The backlash from former members of parliament, prominent community members and other politicians was quick and critical.

Law-breaking ex-Liberal MP #Yasmin Ratansi needs to repay the nearly $270K of taxpayers' dollars that went to her sister, who worked under an assumed name. That is a crime and criminal conspiracy. Plain & simple. Make it so @JustinTrudeau. Make it so.
— David Tait 🇨🇦 (@taiterstan) November 11, 2020

David Tait tweet.

I'm all for slamming the LPC and their obvious disregard for ethics. In this case though, there's nothing to indicate the the LPC or PMO had any knowledge of this. Rogue MP.
— Ian (@ian_heyting) November 10, 2020

Ian tweet.

Rampant hypocrisy.. Trudeau seems to have forgotten his numerous ethical violations! Typical of his compartmentalized silo mentality.
— Cassandra (@Athena1944) November 11, 2020

Cassandra tweet.

There is a common thread running through this government and Canadians deserve better and it is not good. Ratansi must resign.
— Suzanne Allen (@suzannealma) November 10, 2020

Suzanne tweet.

One Twitter user dove into the archives to find a time Ratansi was calling others out.

Well @Yasmin_Ratansi said it … repay. Now. https://t.co/MFWYp4RZtD
— daveaurkov (@daveaurkov) November 11, 2020

Dave tweet.

Others tried to tie Ratansi’s conflict-of-interest with the Liberal Party at-large, including its leader Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

@CanadianPM Excuse me. Did I miss something?🤔. Justin Trudeau states that Yasmin Ratansi was wrong by hiring her sister yet it’s ok if he gets his mother on the WE Charity Payroll? She was just following by example.
— Acadian (@Acadian06528549) November 11, 2020

Acadian tweet.

Disappointed…..lol

The guy is so corrupt I think we all know he is upset she got caught.

How is the MP not arrested for fraud on the public? Answer…because the PM's scale of fraud dwarfs anyone elses.
— A view from Neptune (@AVFNeptune) November 11, 2020

Neptune tweet.

While Ratansi, a long-serving MP, does appear to have a friendship with Trudeau, the prime minister made it clear her behaviour was not appropriate.