Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney has been called out for refusing to submit his ethics disclosure until after he wins the leadership race and becomes Canada’s new prime minister.
Critics argue that by not revealing any potential conflicts of interest from his work in the private sector, Canadians may be left feeling some buyer’s remorse.
Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett penned a letter to Carney telling him that “Canadians expect transparency and deserve better.”
Barrett pointed to the fact that Carney had already previously been protected from an ethics disclosure by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he appointed him to be an economic growth advisor.
“This procedure differs from what most advisors to the Prime Minister would face, precisely because the standard process would require you to disclose your conflicts of interest,” wrote Barrett on Tuesday.
“During that time, you also advocated for heat pumps, a product tied to Brookfield Asset Management, which owns a heat pump company that stood to benefit massively from any government support,” he continued.
“While serving in that role, you were also Chair of Brookfield Asset Management, at a time when Brookfield was actively lobbying the Liberal government for $10 billion in taxpayer funds.”
Carney said that he’s stepped away from his various private enterprises and boards such as PIMCO, Stripe and the Chairmanship of Bloomberg. For example, Carney came under fire from a small business advocacy group for his involvement with Stripe, a payment processor known for allegedly predatory practices.
“Yet, you have failed to disclose how any of those roles may have influenced the advice you gave the government,” wrote Barrett.
Carney was pressed on this issue during an interview with CBC’s Rosemary Barton Sunday but managed to skirt the question by saying that he would agree to submit disclosure once elected as the new Liberal leader.
“You are not yet subject to ethics requirements-” said Barton before Carney interrupted to say that he doesn’t “have any power yet.”
“No, but would you put anything out there for Canadians to better understand your business dealings and your financial picture before you’re elected?” asked Barton.
Carney responded by saying that he would “obviously comply with all the ethics guidelines, conflicts of interest guidelines, blind trust.”
“But during an election,” Barton reiterated, “before you have a seat. Would you be willing to show Canadians what they’re dealing with and what you’ve been dealing with?”
Carney said that much of his philanthropic work is already public and that he would offer full disclosure of other, private dealings, once prime minister. Barrett takes issue with that stance because the “Public Office Holder Conflict of Interest Act does not require you to submit an ethics disclosure until 60 days after you are first appointed to a government role.”
“In your case, this would mean 60 days after you potentially assumed the role of Prime Minister,” writes Barrett.
“You would have up to 120 days to sign your public declaration. This means you could be Prime Minister for up to four months before Canadians see your ethics disclosure—more than enough time for you to make decisions that benefit your rich and well-connected friends, and even after holding an election.”
Barrett called for Carney to “commit to fully revealing any conflicts of interest and other ethical disclosures before potentially being appointed Prime Minister and definitely before an election is called” should he become the next Liberal leader.
Additionally, he demanded that Carney disclose all forms of compensation received while serving as an advisor to Trudeau as well as any compensation received or that he may receive in the future as a result of stepping away from his various positions.
“You must show transparency on this matter. A potential Prime Minister of Canada must not hide his ethical disclosures from Canadians,” Barrett concluded.
