Public Declaration of Agreed Compliance Measures (Section 29)

Conflict of interest screens are preventive compliance measures, agreed upon pursuant to section 29 of the Conflict of Interest Act (Act) by a public office holder and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, to assist public office holders in avoiding conflicts of interest. Screens also seek to minimize the possibility of conflicts arising between the public duties of the public office holder and their private interests or those of their relatives and friends.

The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and I have agreed that a conflict of interest screen is an appropriate compliance measure for me, aimed at preventing any opportunity to further the private interests of my friend, Mr. James D. Irving, President and Chief Executive Officer of J.D. Irving Limited, including J.D. Irving Limited its subsidiaries, affiliates, associates, divisions and or any legal form of business, (collectively, Mr. Irving’s business interests) or to give preferential treatment to any of them, while I exercise my official powers, duties and functions as a reporting public office holder.

Accordingly, I have agreed to recuse myself from any discussion or decision in relation to my friend’s private interests including his business interests. I also agree not to have any communication with government officials in relation to any matter or decision-making processes which I or my administrator know or reasonably should know to affect Mr. Irving’s interests.

This screen is administered by my Chief of Staff and by the Deputy Minister of Finance to ensure that I am neither made aware of nor participate in any official matters or decision-making processes involving Mr. Irving’s interests. I will participate in decisions or matters of general application and those that may affect Mr. Irving’s interests as a member of a broad class of persons unless those interests are disproportionate to the other members of the class.

Moreover, all powers, duties and functions on matters that form part of this screen will be exercised by the Prime Minister as it relates to funding decisions and the President of the Treasury Board of Canada for all other matters.

The Prime Minister of Canada, the Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Governance), the Deputy Clerk and Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, the Deputy Minister of the Department of National Defence, the Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Deputy Minister of Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the Government representative in the Senate, my ministerial staff members and other necessary ministerial staff and public servants have been informed in writing about this conflict of interest screen.

I have undertaken to inform the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner at the earliest opportunity of all changes of which I become aware that relate to or should form part of the matters caught by this screen.

In the event that I am made aware of a matter forming part of this screen or any such matter comes before me, I am required under section 21 of the Act to recuse myself from that matter. I must so inform the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and, where appropriate, make a public declaration of recusal pursuant to subsection 25(1) of the Act.