Finance Minister Bill Morneau voted Business Newsmaker of 2017

Canada’s Finance Minister Bill Morneau has been named Business Newsmaker of the Year after winning an annual poll conducted by The Canadian Press.

Morneau won 50% of the vote, despite being pitted against eight other candidates including Bombardier CEO, Alain Bellemare and Foreign Affairs Minister, Chrystia Freeland.

See also:

• Finance Minister to unveil changes to tax reform proposals

• John Manley moves big money out of Canada due to controversial tax proposals

• CFIB to deliver 14,691 tax petition letters to Ottawa

Morneau largely remained prominent in the news throughout 2017 due to his controversial tax reform plans that, once implemented, resulted in significant backlash from business owners, tax experts and multiple leading figures, including those within his own Liberal Party.

These reforms were then followed by Morneau’s proposed pension reforms that critics stated would bring him personal financial benefit.

In addition to this, Morneau was faced with a number of ethical questions about how he handled his personal assets whilst being a leading figure in office, as well as facing a formal examination from the Federal Ethics Commissioner and calls for his resignation.

The title has been running annually since 1946, with Justin Trudeau and Gord Downie having won the 2015 and 2016 editions previously.