Minister of Natural Resources Christian Paradis responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on June 7. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis says he will co-operate with the federal ethics commissioner's investigation into his alleged dealings with former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer.

"If the commissioner wants to make an investigation, so be it," he told reporters as he arrived to testify at the Senate national finance committee. "I always conducted myself in an appropriate manner."

In June, Liberal MP Marlene Jennings asked ethics commissioner Mary Dawson to investigate whether Paradis breached portions of the Conflict of Interest Act in his interactions with Jaffer when Paradis was minister of public works.

Dawson later confirmed that she would open an examination into the matter.

The government operations committee has been investigating allegations that Jaffer, a former Conservative caucus chair and husband of MP Helena Guergis, lobbied his former government colleagues for access to a green infrastructure fund.

Documents show some staff and parliamentary secretaries of cabinet ministers, including Paradis and Transport Minister John Baird, treated Jaffer's inquiries about the fund on a priority basis.

"If the commissioner wants to investigate, [it's because] probably the law says she has to," Paradis said. "It's not because Madame Jennings is submitting a complaint that we have to take the facts for granted.

"I'm confident that the conclusion will be OK, but I will let the commissioner do her job."