Tobacco-selling councillor in a conflict of interest?

Congratulations to our city council for the backbone they’re showing with respect to addressing one of Nunavut’s most serious public health issues — smoking.

But every news story on this issue seems to end with a clip from Councillor Stu Kennedy suggesting that maybe we shouldn’t go too fast, or that some element of a proposal is going too far, etc.

I’ve read the city’s Conflict of Interest Bylaw (#526). It requires that councillors “self-declare” any conflicts, and act accordingly.

As someone with a financial stake in the continued high volume of sales of tobacco products in the community, is councillor Kennedy not in conflict of interest? And should he not act accordingly?

Jack Hicks
Iqaluit