Agriculture minister skips vote on potato virus

P.E.I. Agriculture Minister George Webster excused himself from an important vote on the potato industry last week due to a possibility of conflict of interest.

Cabinet voted last week to raise the virus levels allowable in seed potatoes. Virus levels are unusually high, and there were concerns there would not be enough seed to plant in the spring.

While Webster spoke for the government after the vote, he did not take part in it. Webster is a potato farmer, but his assets are currently held in a blind trust.

"Some of my family members are still farming, actually, and are producing potatoes. Certainly everything I have is in a blind trust which is what we're required to do and it's arms length and I'm not involved in the farm any more," Webster told CBC News Tuesday.

"From time to time people may see that there could be a conflict of interest somewhere, and to avoid that conflict of interest or the appearance of conflict of interest it's important to step out of the room."

Webster said he will not step away from all Cabinet votes concerning potatoes. He left a similar vote on virus levels in 2007.