PM Carney requests ethics screen with close friend’s company, Telesat

Summary

• Prime Minister Mark Carney requested a formal conflict-of-interest screen from Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein to separate himself from his close friend, Dan Goldberg, CEO of Telesat.
• The request follows Conservative MP Jamil Jivani's formal demand for an ethics review after Telesat secured a $2.3-billion government contract in August 2026.
• Carney stated the move was an "abundance of caution" to avoid public perception issues regarding the relationship, despite previously claiming he disclosed the connection.
• Telesat is a Canadian satellite operator championed by the Prime Minister as a sovereign alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink, with the two companies competing in the low-Earth-orbit market.
• Carney has maintained he was not involved in discussions regarding the specific Telesat contract but has not clarified if he recused himself from other related government decisions.
• Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon is already subject to an ethics screen covering Goldberg and Telesat due to his friendship with the CEO, while no such screen existed for Carney until now.
• The ethics commissioner's office declined to comment on whether an investigation will be launched or if the requested screens will be implemented, citing confidentiality.
• Carney and Goldberg have been friends since the 2000s through their children's soccer league, later becoming running buddies, with the relationship continuing during Carney's tenure as Bank of England governor.
• Goldberg attended Carney's 2025 swearing-in ceremonies, was appointed to the Strategic Exports Advisory Council, and spoke at the Canada Investment Summit this year.
• Telesat asserts that Goldberg never sought government funds, contracts, or special treatment from Carney before or after his election.