Stop picking on Morneau

[LEP]

I use every legal means to reduce my tax bill. I don't have a problem with anyone else who does either.

But with his position prior to getting elected he should not be in charge of pension reform. Blind trust or not, he would have a pretty good idea that his changes would be positive to the industry and therefore his shares.

If he had liquidated his shares then that is better. Even though the changes likely would benefit members of his family. No good answer.

It's too bad Frank McKenna wouldn't run. I always liked him.

[westernvicki]

con·flict of in·ter·est
noun
a situation in which the concerns or aims of two different parties are incompatible.
"the conflict of interest between elected officials and corporate lobbyists"
a situation in which a person is in a position to derive personal benefit from actions or decisions made in their official capacity.

[15444]

I'd have no problem being finance minister. My response would be, I don't want to pay personal income tax on you ****ers and you shouldn't on me. I would follow up with eliminating all personal income taxes for all brackets and implementing lots of user fees, tolls and sin taxes. Also start taxing lottery and casino winnings at 50%. In combination with massive spending cuts, I mean ****ing massive. Cut federal workforce in 1/2 at least.

[saskshafe]

So maybe Morneu is the best one in cabinet for finance minister. Because of his genes may cause some conflict issues. But why did he lie to his own company about his shares being in a blind trust? May be technically on side by using all the loopholes available. Would using loopholes to try and leave yourself in a position of power, while being able to create rules for self benefit, not be on a level a multitude of times above a taxpayer using loopholes?
And funny how they don't clamp down on the .1 or .01%.
Then is he really not capable of answering for himself about the issues involved.
Maybe the whole thing is because his infallible leader is the visually most arrogant person I have saw in parliament (I am far from an expert). And that arrogance drops through the ranks.
Is this whole leadership what they mean when they say the monkeys are running the zoo!?

[Oliver88]

Conflict of interest is what will lead to the demise of Morneau or bring down the Liberal party again.

[bobofthenorth]

I gotta admit I'm a little conflicted on this one too. Morneau was one of the few (maybe the only) cabinet members who was there by merit. The balance were largely there to fill Truedumbs diversity goals - they had ovaries, or turbans, or coloured skin or ideally all of the above. Morneau by contrast had actually done something useful in his life. It appears however that either he is the unluckiest SOB in Ottawa or colossally stupid or has incredibly bad judgement. He's trying to pretend that the ethics commissioner told him not to use a blind trust but its pretty clear that she told him he didn't HAVE to use a blind trust. It was his judgement not to do so and it is pretty clear that was a great big ***** mistake. The only sympathy I have for him is an entry in Webster's, somewhere between shit and syphilis.

[mcfarms]

Here's the message its going to send to future politicians, Be a true leader and lead. Be a person of Good Moral character and ethics. Ask no more of the people who have put you in a position of trust than you are willing to give yourself. Accept your mistakes and be humble enough to admit them. Do not blame others when the choices were yours.

Despite the fact that Bob is right there is no one even remote qualified to take this portfolio it doesn't excuse Morneaus blatant conflict of interest.
Not only should he be replaced he likely should be charged!

I for one expect better than we are getting no matter the political stripe what he tried to pull is not acceptable.

Morneau I think its time for NeauMor.

[GDR]

I can't say there are too many politicians I like or trust. It's pretty easy to sit back and criticise but I sure wouldn't want to hold public office. And when the media decides to look for dirt on you they can take just about any life detail they find and turn it and twist it around to make you look like a real asshole.

I've lived a pretty honest life but I'm sure someone could find something in my history to smear my reputation if they tried hard enough. I figure everyone's in that boat.

Like already said at least he's had some bus experience, if he gets replaced might be by someone that lives in their parents basement and hasn't even ran a lemonade stand.

[farmaholic]

There's some good points made here...but.

There's nothing wrong with becoming a public servant. But using the post for personal gain beyond the compensation??

[burnt]

I can't say there are too many politicians I like or trust. It's pretty easy to sit back and criticise but I sure wouldn't want to hold public office. And when the media decides to look for dirt on you they can take just about any life detail they find and turn it and twist it around to make you look like a real asshole.

I've lived a pretty honest life but I'm sure someone could find something in my history to smear my reputation if they tried hard enough. I figure everyone's in that boat.

Like already said at least he's had some bus experience, if he gets replaced might be by someone that lives in their parents basement and hasn't even ran a lemonade stand.

Yeah, really, in an important position like that, we'd hate to end up with someone whose biggest contribution to life has been teaching drama part time...