Carney conflict screen sidelines PM from eight more government decisions
Over 100 companies have been identified by the government as creating potential conflicts of interest for Mark Carney.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has been excluded from eight additional federal government decisions because of potential conflicts tied to his former business interests, bringing the total number of times his ethics screen has been invoked to 25 since he became prime minister.
According to a new Privy Council Office report to the House of Commons ethics committee, documented by the Peterbourough Examiner, Carney was screened out of decisions involving airline financing, housing, nuclear strategy and a federal loan to a Baffin Island iron mine.
The conflict screen covers companies connected to Carney's former role at Brookfield Asset Management, where he served as chair of the board before entering politics.
The government has identified 103 companies that could potentially create conflicts for the prime minister.
One of the newest recusals involved Ottawa's nuclear strategy. Brookfield is a co-owner of Westinghouse, which is seeking to build nuclear reactors in Canada.
Carney was also kept out of a decision involving at least US$510 million in financing for a struggling Baffin Island iron mine that entered creditor protection in May.
The mine reportedly owed $2.6 billion to creditors, including Oaktree Capital Management, a Brookfield-owned firm that had invested in the project.
Export Development Canada later provided debtor-in-possession financing to keep the operation running.
Carney was also screened from a federal program announced in June that offered Canadian airlines up to $150 million in low-cost loans to help offset soaring fuel costs.
Although Carney's assets are now held in a blind trust, he left Brookfield with millions of dollars in stock and stock options.
Decisions on whether the prime minister must recuse himself are made by his chief of staff, Marc-André Blanchard, and Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Sabia.
Carney has previously defended the arrangement, saying cabinet has enough senior ministers to make decisions without him.
The Prime Minister's Office says the ethics screen is functioning as intended.
“It has been an effective compliance measure to prevent conflicts of interest and protect the trust that is placed in him by the Canadian public,” PMO press secretary Sofia Ouslis said.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
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