The House of Commons voted 170–164 to expand ethics hearings into Prime Minister Mark Carney’s finances and potential conflicts, setting a tighter timetable for witness testimony and document review.
The motion, introduced by Conservative MP Michael Barrett, orders the ethics committee to scrutinize Carney’s financial disclosures and blind-trust arrangements and to hear from key witnesses by November 21, including Privy Council Clerk Michael Sabia, Carney’s chief of staff Marc-André Blanchard, and Brookfield executives Bruce Flatt and Connor Teskey, alongside other senior Brookfield officials.
Barrett framed the probe around tax-haven exposure and equality before the law.
“Should a Prime Minister have investments in tax havens? I would say no,” he told MPs. “They should be paying taxes like everyone else, not using accounting tricks that the wealthy rely on to avoid paying their fair share.”
The committee’s work will reference Carney’s July 11 ethics filing, which the notes say lists shares in more than 600 global corporations, including federal contractors and regulated multinationals.
Ethics committee chair John Brassard said the case exposes gaps in the Conflict of Interest Act, saying the law “has never contemplated a situation where a designated public office holder holds this many private interests.”
Liberals called the push partisan. Parliamentary secretary Kevin Lamoureux said Conservatives aimed to “embarrass the government” rather than pursue accountability, questioning the manner and timing of the motion.
The ethics committee will set its witness roster and dates to meet the November 21 deadline. The motion was tabled while Carney was abroad in Singapore, and hearings are expected to begin in the coming weeks once the clerk issues summonses and schedules testimony.
Information for this story was found via Western Standard and the sources mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
