Toronto, Aug 17: Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau is stepping down from his cabinet role and as the parliamentarian for a Toronto riding after weeks of scrutiny for his role in a charity scandal that has plagued the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Trudeau and Morneau have incurred backlash after multiple investigative pieces revealed close ties between their families and the WE Charity, which was awarded a USD 670-million sole-source contract to administer a government-sponsored student volunteer program.

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Morneau has faced increasing criticism following his admission that he accepted expense paid trips from the WE Charity and amid a disconcerting fiscal picture resultant from the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.

"I will be stepping down as the finance minister and as Member of Parliament for [the riding of] Toronto-Centre," Morneau told reporters on Monday.

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