Sep 15 2010
comm 101 first post
Although Brian Mulroney was a main contributor to Canada-US free trade, he is no longer reputable for this milestone in Canadian history. Unfortunately his business dealings with shady tax evader Karlheinz Schreiber, and his untruthful testimony during the Airbus case has destroyed his reputation. Consequently his actions have proven to conflict with proper business ethics. Specifically Mulroney’s cost of legal fees, acceptance of cash payments from Schreiber, and the business arrangement the pair shared while Mulroney was still an MP, opposes not only business ethics itself but also his own 1985 Ethics code. While lead inquirer of the case Jeffrey Oliphant was unable to conclude with any legal ramifications, his inquiry brought Mulroney’s ethical behaviour into question. Particularly his indirect involvement in criminal activity undermined the integrity of the Canadian government, thus decreasing citizen’s dependability in their parliament. Additionally the fact that his legal fees were covered by taxpayers is enraging. Ultimately from a business standpoint, Brian Mulroney’s engagement with Karlheinz Schreiber and his tax evasion scheme is the main ethical issue at hand. The presence of illegal activities in Mulroney’s business involvement inevitably was his downfall.