No more conflict of interest: health minister

Newfoundland and Labrador's health ministersaid Tuesday he is taking steps to ensure his business interests do not conflict with his work by putting his shares in two personal-care homes into a blind trust.

Two weeks ago when Paul Oram was appointed health minister, questions arose about a possible conflict of interest. Oram and his wife own two personal-care homes in the central Newfoundland communities of Glovertown and Gambo.

At the time, Oram said he would ensure there was no conflict with his new duties, but he had to wait to speak to thehouse of assembly'scommissioner of members' interests, Paul Reynolds, who was onvacation, to find out what to do.

"He has come back and just essentially said that our companies would have to be in, or my shares would have to be in, a blind trust, and that's exactly what we intend to do,"Oram said.

Not only is he moving all his shares in personal-care homes into a blind trust, Oram said,but he is going even further bymoving all of his business interests includingstakes in funeral homes, a grocery store and a construction company into a blind trust.

It makes sense to do it all at once, Oram said,in case he changes portfolios.

The personal-care homes will still be owned and operated by Oram's wife, but he said that wasn't an issue as far as Reynolds was concerned.

"It's no different than if I were a physician and I were minister and my wife was a physician as well, and I was making decisions on salary increases and so on," he said.

Oramsaid he has 60 days to set up the blind trust, but it should be done by next week.