VICTORIA (NEWS1130) – Independent MLA John van Dongen wants BC’s conflict of interest commissioner to remove himself of an investigation just days after he asked him to step in to look at allegations against Premier Christy Clark.

Van Dongen says conflict commissioner Paul Fraser is facing his own conflict because his son, John Paul Fraser, holds a senior position within Clark’s government.

Earlier this week, Van Dongen filed an official request with Fraser’s office to conduct an investigation to determine Clark’s role nine years ago when she was part of the Liberal government which sold Crown-owned BC Rail.

Clark was BC’s education minister and deputy premier when the government sold the railway to CN Rail, touching off a series of events that saw the police raid the legislature and two Liberal government aides plead guilty to corruption-related charges.

Clark said this week she will co-operate fully with an investigation, if one proceeds.

Van Dongen says he didn’t realize when he lodged the formal complaint with the commissioner that Fraser’s son worked for the province and that he is a personal friend of the premier.