Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has full confidence in Finance Minister Bill Morneau and that any reports to the contrary are false.

Trudeau’s office has taken the unusual step of issuing a statement in support of Morneau in a bid to shut down speculation the finance minister is about to be fired.

Opposition parties have been calling for Morneau’s resignation over allegations that he had a conflict of interest in the WE Charity affair.

News that Mark Carney, a former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, is helping to advise Trudeau on the post-pandemic economic recovery has further fuelled speculation that Morneau is about to be replaced as finance minister.

In the statement, the Prime Minister’s Office praises Morneau’s record, including his “lead role” in creating emergency aid programs to help individuals and businesses survive the economic shutdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement says Morneau and other ministers will “keep doing the work that Canadians rely on to get them through this pandemic.”

(Canadian Press)