Carney asks ethics commissioner for Telesat conflict screen

Request for ethics screen

Prime Minister Mark Carney asked the federal ethics commissioner to impose a conflict-of-interest screen between himself and a close friend who runs a company that does extensive work with the federal government. The request was made in a letter sent to Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein on Friday.

Carney has been friends with Dan Goldberg, the president and CEO of Telesat, for nearly two decades. Goldberg was one of a select few invited to last year’s swearing-in ceremonies.

In the letter, Carney said: “Out of an abundance of caution and to avoid any doubt in public perception considering the current public attention to Telesat, I have concluded that it would be prudent to establish additional screens.” He asked that the screens be put in place with Goldberg, Telesat and its subsidiaries.

Background and government ties

Telesat received a $2.3-billion contract from the federal government in August. The prime minister has said he was not involved in any discussions connected to the contract or the decision to award it. However, he has not clarified whether he similarly removed himself from other discussions connected to Telesat, despite his office saying in September that he had.

CTV News reported on Nov. 3 that the federal Conservatives had submitted a formal request for a review to von Finckenstein. They asked for a screen to be imposed and for the commissioner to consider launching a review of whether Carney had broken the Conflict of Interest Act.

In a statement sent to CTV News Friday, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani, who sent the original letter to the ethics commissioner, said there are “many more questions for Carney to answer.” Jivani said: “The Canadian people deserve to know why Carney made this decision AFTER Telesat got a massive government contract, and what the impact has been of the PM having no ethics screen on Dan Goldberg and Telesat for the last year and a half.”

Telesat is a Canadian satellite operator that the prime minister and federal government have publicly championed as an alternative to Starlink and an avenue to bolster Canadian sovereignty. Elon Musk’s SpaceX owns and operates Starlink, which Telesat would compete with once its low-Earth-orbit satellite network is launched. Telesat relies on SpaceX to launch its satellites.

Carney has also championed Telesat at the NATO summit in Turkiye and in joint statements with Norway. In December 2025, Telesat was made a strategic partner with the federal government “to develop and bolster” the Canadian Armed Forces’ military satellite communications capabilities.

Other officials and Telesat’s response

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon is also friends with Goldberg and is subject to an ethics screen covering both Goldberg and Telesat. Neither the prime minister, nor the ethics commissioner, has explained why a screen was not also put in place for Carney from the time he took office.

On Friday, the ethics commissioner’s office said it couldn’t say whether von Finckenstein has decided to launch an investigation into Carney’s Telesat connections, citing confidentiality. It also declined to comment on implementing the screens.

Telesat previously said that Goldberg never asked Carney for government money, government contracts “or for special treatment of any kind related to Telesat, either before or after he took office.”

Why it matters

• The prime minister is seeking a formal ethics screen after previously defending his handling of the relationship.
• Telesat has received a $2.3-billion federal contract and is promoted by the government as a Starlink alternative.
• The ethics commissioner has not said whether an investigation will proceed.

Sources

• bnnbloomberg.ca: Mark Carney asks ethics watchdog for screen with Telesat CEO
• ctvnews.ca: Mark Carney asks ethics watchdog for screen with Telesat CEO

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.