OTTAWA, March 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Canada's ethics commissioner has announced he will launch an investigation against Prime Minister Stephen Harper over his controversial appointment of a liberal parliamentarian into cabinet, who has defected to the ruling Conservative Party.

    Commissioner Bernard Shapiro said he will look into what influence may have been wielded in the decision by former Liberal David Emerson to switch parties immediately after the Jan. 23 elections and join Harper's Conservative-led cabinet.

    The announcement came in a letter Shapiro wrote to House Speaker Peter Milliken, which was written on Thursday and released on Friday.

    Emerson, industry minister of the former Liberal government and reelected as a Liberal MP during the elections, surprisingly showed up in Harper's cabinet as foreign trade minister when the new government was sworn in on Feb. 6.

    The move prompted a furor among Emerson's voters in Vancouver, who staged protests outside his constituency office. The Liberals and other opposition parties have demanded that Emerson run a by-election, and have urged Shapiro to begin a probe.

    Harper met with strong criticism during his first press conference after the swearing-in ceremony. His simple response was that Emerson could do more for the country in the government than in its parliament.

    Analysts said Shapiro was apparently investigating whether Harper induced Emerson to come over with the offer of a cabinet post, and indicated that it was a very serious charge.

    Shapiro said he would issue one report on the conduct of both Harper and Emerson.

    Shapiro's decision was met with a stern rebuke from the Prime Minister's Office later Friday, which said the prime minister "is loath to co-operate with an individual whose decision-making ability has been questioned".

    Harper's communications director, Sandra Buckler, accused Shapiro of playing politics and applying double standards because he had turned down the Tories' request to investigate Liberal Tony Valeri's landholdings during the election campaign. Enditem