Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Canadian prime ministers should be required to divest their investment portfolios when they assume office, not just put them in a blind trust, the House of Commons ethics committee recommends in a new report.
In its report made public Thursday morning, the committee said putting assets in a blind trust isn’t good enough, recommending instead “that the Government of Canada amend the Conflict of Interest Act that, for the application of subsection 27(1) the prime minister, as a reporting public office holder, is fully divested from their controlled assets through sale, since placement in a blind trust does not constitute true divestment.”
The committee also wants the law amended to require public disclosure of “high-level holdings categories placed in a blind trust by reporting public office holders (sector/asset class, and whether the holdings are Canadian-market concentrated),” a recommendation that could shed new light on the financial interests of a number of top officials and cabinet ministers.
It’s insuffient because …
The committe is also advising revisions that will affect other officials and cabinet ministers …
It’s all in the very short article link.
Well that’s something of a circular argument.
It’s absolutely true that placing investments in a blind trust isn’t divestment - but I didn’t really see why they considered full divestment (rather than a blind trust) necessary in the first place. The article made is sound like the committee just declared that as their goal.
Regardless, the public disclosure on a broader scale of politicians is a great idea. We deserve to see that.