Wants to reassure Canadians
Sale of shares not an admission of conflict of interest, says Morneau
Donating money he made from shares in his family business since taking office is not an admission that he was in a conflict by controlling those shares, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau told a political talk show that aired Sunday.
Morneau told Global TV’S “The West Block” he made the move simply to reassure Canadians that he isn’t in politics for his own benefit.
The minister announced last week he’ll donate to charity the difference in the value of his shares in Morneau Shepell between the date he was elected in October 2015 and the day they’re sold.
He made the pledge after revealing that he would sell his shares in Morneau Shepell, the human resources and pension management firm he helped build with his father, and that he would place all of his other assets in a blind trust.
The move also came after days of allegations from Morneau’s political rivals that he was in a conflict of interest over his sponsorship of a pension bill that could benefit Morneau Shepell.
When asked directly whether donating the money was an admission that holding the shares
in the first place was a conflict of interest, Morneau replied “Really, no.”
“I believe that when people have questions you need to listen to those questions and decide if there’s a way that you can assure people that they’re not something they need to be concerned with,” Morneau later added.
“And I’ve chosen a way to do that that makes absolute assurance that no one can have any question.”
In a separate interview aired
on CTV’S “Question Period,” Morneau said he didn’t believe he was in a conflict by introducing C 27, which proposes changes to private pension plans — legislation that could benefit Morneau Shepell.
“I don’t see that as a conflict at all,” Morneau said, telling interviewer Evan Solomon he’s dealt with pension issues “for decades,” and that the Liberal government’s long-term goal is to ensure pensions are available so Canadians can retire in dignity.