Latest news with #MikeMoroz
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Manitoba cabinet minister did not break conflict law, ethics report says
WINNIPEG — Manitoba's ethics commissioner has ruled Mike Moroz, the minister of innovation and new technology, did not break the province's conflict of interest law. The Opposition Progressive Conservatives had accused Moroz of being in a conflict by answering questions about a 9-1-1 service outage while owning shares in Telus. The Tories also accused Moroz of using inside information that criticized the phone company for the outage and selling company stock. In a nine-page report, ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor says there is no evidence that Moroz made any government decisions involving Telus and there is no ban on cabinet ministers owning shares in publicly traded companies. Schnoor also says Moroz did not have insider information, and only had access to documents that were publicly available at the time. The Tories had said the 9-1-1 disruption in March occurred at a time when a 55-year-old man from Fisher Branch died of a heart attack, and family and friends said they were unable to get through to the emergency line. 'There is no evidence that Minister Moroz made any decision in this matter. At most, he wrote to Telus to express concern and ask for information; this cannot be characterized as a decision,' Schnoor wrote in his decision released Wednesday. Phone services are regulated federally by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, not provincially, Schnoor added, and Moroz did not have inside information. 'On the contrary, his information about this matter appears to have come from media reports and publicly available documents on the CRTC's website,' Schnoor wrote. Moroz sold his 500 shares in Telus in May and garnered $10,391, incurring a loss of $1,591, the report states. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2025 Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press
CBC
16-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Manitoba cabinet minister cleared of insider trading allegation after ethics review
Manitoba's ethics commissioner has ruled Mike Moroz, the minister of innovation and new technology, did not break the province's conflict of interest law. The Opposition Progressive Conservatives had accused Moroz of being in a conflict by answering questions about a 911 service outage while owning shares in Telus. The Tories also accused Moroz of using inside information that criticized the phone company for the outage and selling company stock. In a nine-page report, ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor says there is no evidence that Moroz made any government decisions involving Telus and there is no ban on cabinet ministers owning shares in publicly traded companies. Schnoor also says Moroz did not have insider information and only had access to documents that were publicly available at the time. The 911 disruption in March occurred at a time when a 55-year-old man from Fisher Branch died of a heart attack, and family and friends said they had been unable to get through to the emergency line. "There is no evidence that Minister Moroz made any decision in this matter. At most, he wrote to Telus to express concern and ask for information; this cannot be characterized as a decision," Schnoor wrote in his decision released Wednesday. Phone services are regulated federally by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, not provincially, Schnoor said, and Moroz did not have inside information. "On the contrary, his information about this matter appears to have come from media reports and publicly available documents on the CRTC's website," Schnoor wrote. Moroz sold his 500 shares in Telus in May and garnered $10,391, incurring a loss of $1,591, the report says.
Winnipeg Free Press
11-06-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Province adds $5M to Research Manitoba funding
Research Manitoba is getting $5 million more annually to create 'an intellectual property collective' and support scholars who specifically study artificial intelligence, information technology and data. A total of $18.9 million has been earmarked for the grant-collection agency in 2025-2026, the province announced in a news release Wednesday. A provincial spokesperson confirmed a portion of that funding will be designated to establish a collective that ensures Manitoba researchers can retain intellectual property related to major scientific breakthroughs. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Innovation and New Technology Minister Mike Moroz said a $5-million top-up for Research Manitoba is necessary 'to rebuild' capacity for scientific breakthroughs. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Mike Moroz (River Heights), is sworn in as minister of innovation and new technology. Premier Wab Kinew expanded and shuffled his cabinet after a year in office during a ceremony Wednesday morning at the Manitoba Legislative Building. Mike Moroz, the MLA for River Heights, will lead the department of innovation and new technology, an entirely new division. The other two new members of cabinet are Mintu Sandhu (the Maples), who is now minister of the delivery of public services, and Nellie Kennedy (Assiniboia), who is now minister of sport, culture, heritage and tourism. Jamie Moses (St. Vital) is now minister of business, mining, trade and job creation. lan Bushie (Keewatinook) is now minister of natural resources. He remains the minister of Indigenous economic development. Glen Simard (Brandon East) is now minister of municipal and northern relations. Lisa Naylor (Wolseley) remains minister of transportation and infrastructure but is no longer minister of consumer protection and government services, the news release stated. Including the premier, there are now 19 cabinet members. Reporter: Carol Sanders 241113 - Wednesday, November 13, 2024. Jennifer Cleary, chief executive officer of the agency, called the changes 'a turning point for research in Manitoba.' 'It strengthens our foundation, accelerates innovation and ensures that Manitoba's brightest minds have the support they need to thrive right here at home. We are not just keeping pace — we are setting the pace,' Cleary said in a news release. Research Manitoba had lost significant spending power over the last decade. In 2015-2016, it received $17 million to support local research projects. The agency's annual allotment was $13.6 million when the NDP was elected in 2023. Local researchers have been calling on the Kinew government to reinstate Research Manitoba's funding in recent months as their colleagues in the United States grapple with budget cuts and political interference. Premier Wab Kinew invited disgruntled U.S. scientists to relocate north during a scrum with reporters at the legislature on March 28. Multiple petitions were launched in response to his comments. Hundreds of signatories urged the government to address status-quo research funding and local workforce challenges before recruiting international scholars. 'Research is not a luxury, but a vital investment in economic growth, resilience, and opportunities for all Manitobans,' said Robert Beattie, an assistant professor of biochemistry and medical genetics at the University of Manitoba. Beattie said he was 'thrilled' to learn the developments Wednesday. Innovation and New Technology Minister Mike Moroz said a $5-million top-up for Research Manitoba is necessary 'to rebuild' capacity for scientific breakthroughs. Moroz said additional investments in research chair positions will encourage high-calibre researchers to stay put and attract an influx of experts from the U.S. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Research Manitoba, previously housed under the department of advanced education and training, has been moved to his department. The shift is being touted as a way to position the province as a leader in 21st-century digital governance and expand research into cloud computing and data analytics, among related areas. Every dollar spent on research in Manitoba is estimated to yield upwards of $4 in economic benefits. Based on a review of its grants between 2010 and 2015, Research Manitoba has pegged the return on the dollar at $4.77. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Ethics complaint lodged against Manitoba politician over stock sold in wake of CTV article
An ethics complaint has been made against Mike Moroz, Minister of Innovation and New Technology, regarding Telus shares he sold earlier this month. Moroz said that the accusations are baseless. (Glenn Pismenny/CTV News Winnipeg) An ethics complaint has been made against Mike Moroz, Minister of Innovation and New Technology, related to stock he sold in the wake of a CTV News report about a man who died during a Telus outage. Konrad Narth, MLA for La Vérendrye, alleged on Tuesday that Moroz used 'insider information available to him as a minister of the crown to sell personal shares in a corporation before a report that reflects negatively on that corporation was made public.' From March 22 to 24, a Telus outage prevented calls to 911 from going through. On March 23, Dean Switzer, 55, suffered a heart attack in his home outside Fisher Branch, Man.; however, his family and friends were unable to connect to 911 due to the outage. He died later that night. Two months later, on May 16, Telus filed a three-page final report following an investigation on the outage. Moroz stated during question period on Tuesday that he sold his shares in Telus on May 8, but added that the information was already public knowledge. 'On April 8, CTV published their story. This is important, because the outage and Telus' responsibility was public information,' he said. 'The next day, my office wrote a letter to Telus expressing outrage over the situation at the way it was handled and urging them to work with the CRTC, which regulates them, and all other levels of government, to provide the answers and assurance that this would not happen again.' The minister explained he sold his shares in Telus as he wanted to go 'above and beyond the recommendations,' adding that he lost money on the transaction. 'The accusations are baseless,' Moroz said during question period. 'I acted based on publicly available information and media reporting. If the opposition had done their research properly, they also would've made this determination.' During Tuesday's question period, Opposition Leader Obby Khan said there seems to be a 'direct conflict of interest and violation,' adding that Moroz was privy to insider information regarding a 'damaging' Telus report. 'The questions Manitobans have is something looks fishy here, something looks wrong,' Khan said. 'We ask questions, Manitobans deserve answers.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Manitoba cabinet minister denies insider trading after selling shares in phone company blamed for 911 outage
A Manitoba cabinet minister is being accused of insider trading for selling his shares in Telus while knowing the company's 911 phone outage may have contributed to a 55-year-old's death. The Tories filed a complaint with the ethics commissioner Tuesday, alleging Mike Moroz, minister of innovation and new technology, relied on information he only knew as government minister when he unloaded his stocks in the telecommunications company. The party argued Moroz's actions violated Manitoba's conflict of interest act. It seems that the "minister was privy to insider information that only he had in regards to a damning … Telus report in relation to the death of a Manitoban when the 911 system went down," Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan said. However, Moroz is rejecting the allegations. He said he was solely acting on public information and media reports when he chose to sell his stocks in Telus, and his decision shows he was going "above and beyond" requirements from the ethics commissioner. Shares sold 1 month after news The Tory complaint centres on the timing of Moroz selling his shares. Public disclosure records show he disposed of his Telus shares on May 13, one day before he named the company in question period for a 911 outage that prevented Dean Switzer's loved ones from reaching emergency dispatch centre. None of their more than 20 calls were answered. Switzer, 55, died of a heart attack in his home outside Fisher Branch, Man., on March 23. The story was initially reported by CTV News on Apr. 8 and the next day Moroz sent a letter to Telus regarding his concerns. A month later, the Progressive Conservatives brought up the outage in question period and Moroz didn't single out the company while answering questions, according to a official transcription of the legislative debate. He only mentioned Telus by name on May 14, the day after he sold his shares, according to disclosure records. The next day in question period, Moroz revealed he had read Telus's interim report about the phone outage. "Mr. Moroz had a private interest, he owned shares in Telus Corporation. He sold those shares while being informed of an internal investigation into a system failure that disrupted access to emergency services," the PC complaint reads. "This is a textbook example of making financial decisions related to information not available to the general public, and abusing access available solely as a result of his position as a minister of the Crown." Moroz denied having privileged information. He called the Tory accusations "baseless." "I acted based on publicly available information and media reporting. If the opposition had done their research properly, they also would have made this determination," he told reporters, who waited 46 minutes for Moroz to address media after the Progressive Conservatives answered questions on the ethics commissioner complaint. Moroz said he was relying on publicly accessible information, such as Telus's letters to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which can be found online. "We have no regulatory authority over telecommunications, so there is no conceivable inside information that I could have access to," Moroz said. "Telus owes me nothing in terms of communication. In fact, neither the interim report nor the final report were sent to my office. I got them online with everyone else." He added the ethics commissioner, with whom he met shortly after becoming a cabinet minister late last year, had no issue with him owning stocks in Telus. Moroz said he went "above and beyond what's necessary" in choosing to sell the stocks. The minister's office said Moroz lost around $1,000 on the transaction, but his spokesperson didn't answer when asked about the value of the stocks he had in total. 'No impropriety:' Moroz "What I wanted to make sure I did was make sure that not only was there no impropriety, but there's no appearance of impropriety." Public disclosure records only require MLAs to list the shares, held by themselves, their spouse or dependents, in which the value exceeds $5,000. Moroz added he sold his shares on May 8, but it took until May 13 for the change to be reflected in the disclosure records. The PCs brought forward the new ethics complaint just days after the party was rapped by the ethics commissioner for trying to push through a silica sand mining project after losing the 2023 election. The commissioner recommended three senior Tories, including former premier Heather Stefanson, be fined between $10,000 and $18,000 each.
