The federal government is suing Tony Merchant's law firm for $25 million, claiming it over-billed for work it did for the government.
Merchant's wife is a senator.
His brother-in-law is Otto Lang, who was Justice Minister and Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board.
I recall that Lang, when he held both positions, broke the law by refusing to pay grain-handling companies for storing wheat under the Temporary Wheat Reserves Act.
Lang had introduced legislation to get rid of that subsidy which tended to plug the system with so much wheat that it was difficult to move other crops to market at the end of the wheat year, which is when the volume in storage was calculated.
The point, however, is that the act was still in place and the money should, in my opinion, have been paid. But Lang snubbed his nose at the law and because he was also justice minister, who would file a lawsuit?
So, I'm one of those who is not surprised that Merchant has landed himself in hot water.
