Guest Speaker: The Honourable Roy Cullen, Former Liberal MP
Friday, April 16, 2021 - Time: 12:00 Noon to 1:15 PM
Rotary Virtual Meeting via Google Meet and YouTube Live
Topic: Money laundering in British Columbia and across Canada
– How did we get here and what can be done?
Host: William (Bill) Empey
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Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions are those expressed by the Speaker and
do not necessarily reflect the official views or opinions, policy or position of The Rotary Club of Toronto or its Members.
If you wish to support this Canadian Author for his book The Poverty of Corrupt Nations,
the publisher is The Dundurn Press. Here is the link - https://www.dundurn.com/books_
In addition to The Poverty of Corrupt Nations, Roy as an author has two other books, you may be interested in. One is non-fiction and the other fiction, they are both available on-line at Amazon.ca and Chapters.Indigo.ca. #1. Beyond Question Period, or What really goes on in Ottawa and #2. A Cursed English* *this is a fiction novel
April 16, 2021 Topic Title: Money laundering in British Columbia and across Canada – How did we get here and what can be done?
Canada has prided itself on being a jurisdiction that money launderers avoided. While Canada has never been immune to money laundering, something different began to change in 2015 when vast amounts of dirty money, from various sources, began surfacing in British Columbia's casinos. In May 2019, the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia issued an Order in Council establishing the Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in British Columbia. The Commission was established in the wake of growing public concern regarding the nature and extent of money laundering in British Columbia as well as the effectiveness of those responsible for preventing it. According to the media, a staggering amount of money was being laundered through Lower Mainland casinos, and money laundering was becoming a problem in other sectors of the economy as well. The laundering of dirty money In Canada is not limited to British Columbia. As the Commission’s Interim Report, released in November 2020 notes, money laundering “is a crime that strikes at the heart of our collective values and corrupts the fabric of a free and democratic society.” During his talk, Mr. Cullen will discuss the extent and methods of money laundering in various sectors of the economy and offer his views on what can be done to turn the tide in Canada.
Biography
Roy Cullen was initially elected to the House of Commons in a by-election in 1996 and was then re-elected in the 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2006 general elections. He retired from the House of Commons in 2008. As a member of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s government, and later under Prime Minister Paul Martin, he served as chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, as parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance, as parliamentary secretary to the deputy prime minister and the minister for public safety and emergency preparedness. In 2008 his book, The Poverty of Corrupt Nations, was also published.During his tenure as parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance, Mr. Cullen was actively involved in designing and implementing Canada’s anti-money-laundering regime. Mr. Cullen has also been very active with the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption in the international fight against corruption and money laundering. He has spoken out on these scourges and has played a leadership role at several anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering workshops and conferences.