A marketing firm run by the sister of Liberal Minister Ahmed Hussen’s advisor deleted its website and social media presence after Global News discovered it received $93,050 in constituency funds.
The food-based firm Munch More Media deleted its website and Twitter account after Global News started asking questions. The firm kept its Instagram account but unfollowed every account it had been following.
“Of the 20 accounts the Munch More account followed on Instagram as of Wednesday afternoon, 19 were restaurant or food-industry related. The other was Hussen’s official account,” reports Global News.
“By Wednesday night, however, the Instagram profile did not follow any accounts.”
Munch More Media marketed itself as helping food companies, chefs, and bloggers.
The firm’s co-director, Hiba Tariq, received $93,050 from Hussen’s office between July 2020 and September 2022. This funding was the sum of 14 separate contracts to her firm from Hussen’s Housing and Diversity and Inclusion department.
Liberal Minister of Women and Gender Equality Marci Ien also issued a contract to Munch More Media.
Furthermore, Tariq’s sister, Tia Tariq, has been a Liberal staffer for six years in a senior position. Tia Tariq currently serves as director of policy in Infrastructure Canada, which Minister Hussen oversees.
When contacted by Global News, Hiba Tariq said she had no connection with Liberal Minister Hussen. However, she later conceded that she knew a former policy director of Hussen’s, Abdikhier Ahmed.
Hiba Tariq and Ahmed are co-directors of Empire of Goodness, a corporation based in Vaughn, Ontario.
According to Empire of Goodness’ website, the corporation focuses on “Helping humanitarian services, volunteers, and charitable services find and connect with each other to magnify their goodness.”
Hussen’s office claimed it committed no ethics violations in issuing the contracts to the food-based marketing firm. However, the ethics commissioner’s office wouldn’t comment on the matter when asked by Global.
Last month, Federal ethics commissioner Mario Dion determined that the Liberal International Trade Minister Mary Ng contravened ethics rules by awarding a contract to her friend.
Ng apologized but refused to step down from her public service role.
