Finance Minister Bill Morneau is placing his assets in a blind trust and divesting shares in his family-built company to calm a growing ethics controversy over his personal holdings. His other assets will be placed in a blind trust in order to avoid any public perception of conflict of interest, he said. He has been under fire since the Globe and Mail reported Monday that Morneau did not put his business assets into a blind trust. Earlier today, Morneau insisted he sought and followed advice from the federal ethics commissioner "to the letter." Morneau conceded the ethics controversy has become a "distraction," but said he took guidance from the ethics watchdog.

Source: CBC News October 19, 2017 17:26 UTC