Saturday October 26, 2017
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday October 26, 2017
Bill Morneau vows to donate share profits
On Thursday the embattled finance minister said he will donate the profits earned on his Morneau Shepell shares since he was elected to charity.
The finance minister met with the conflict of interest commissioner earlier in the afternoon.
“I told her it was the intent of my family to donate any difference in value from my family shares from the time I was elected on Oct. 19, 2015, until now,” he told the House of Commons.
Morneau said he doesn’t know what the value of the proceeds is yet.
Morneau said he will unload the million shares, worth about $20 million, he has in Morneau Shepell, the human resources and pension management company his father founded.
“If he hadn’t owned those stocks over the last two years while ministers are banned from owning stocks then he wouldn’t have those profits in the first place,” said Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre.
“Can he confirm now if he will donate the resulting tax savings that he will enjoy from the charitable tax credit to help pay off his deficit?” (Source: CBC News)
Letter to the Editor, Hamilton Spectator (Saturday Nov 4, 2017)
One-sided cartoon unfair to Morneau
RE: Oct. editorial cartoon
This amusing cartoon, portraying our finance minister doing hoops for his salvation from not putting his family business in trust, is surely very one sided.
He originally sought the advice of our ethics commissioner, who told him that it was not a necessity for him to do so. Now that he is trying to rectify his “mistake” he is subjected to much scorn by the opposition parties.
A cheering Justin Trudeau reminds me that it is hard to recall one MacKay cartoon with something positive about our PM.
A bigger concern is the lack of media support for left-wing Canada. It is easy to list six families/corporations who own the majority of our major print and broadcast media and are all supporters of the Conservatives. Even the CBC, with its president and eight Harper-appointed directors, too often follows suit.
The Star and Spectator used to provide regular support but these days, I find that to be hit and miss. All issues should be subject to scrutiny but it would be refreshing to have more balance.
Richard Ring, Grimsby