Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
Parliament of Canada
Centre Block, P.O. Box 16
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
October 17th, 2017
Madame Commissioner,
From my very first day in office, you and your office have worked closely with me to help my
family and I comply with the letter and spirit of the Conflict of Interest Act, and all the rules and
responsibilities that govern my role as Member of Parliament, and Minister of Finance. I greatly
appreciate the professional and confidential nature of our interactions.
Over the last two years my family and I have placed our trust in you, and we have the utmost
confidence in the recommendations you put forward. I have taken great care to follow them
diligently. However, as you know, these recommendations have recently been the subject of
increased public scrutiny, and I am writing to seek further guidance in this matter.
I would ask that we meet again to discuss the guidance you have provided and the assets,
holdings and disclosures I have.
As a result of this discussion, should you determine that additional measures – such as a blind
trust – would be an appropriate course of action, I would be pleased and eager to move forward
on any revised recommendations you might provide.
I strongly believe that yours is a role that provides two crucial services in our democracy. The
first, and perhaps most obvious, is to uphold the trust and confidence Canadians place in their
elected representatives by ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to avoid conflicts of
interest in the carrying out of our duties. The second is to share information that the public has a
right to know, while at the same time protecting the privacy of those of us who choose to serve in
public life.

 I look forward to working with you in ensuring the integrity of the Offices we hold, the
institutions that govern them, and the public trust that supports them.
Sincerely,

Bill Morneau, P.C., M.P
Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre