Finance Expert Creates Title: "Carney Defends Top Aide's Ties to Big Tobacco, Says Recusal Not a Concern"

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he makes "no judgment" about principal secretary Tom Pitfield's connection to Big Tobacco, despite Pitfield being a shareholder in a marketing and analytics company that has worked for Philip Morris International. Carney says the matter is a "non-issue" and Pitfield will not recuse himself from health-policy discussions. The revelation raises concerns about Pitfield's involvement in tobacco-related issues given the Liberal government's record of pushing stricter measures to discourage smoking.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated that he makes "no judgment" about principal secretary Tom Pitfield's connection to Big Tobacco, despite Pitfield being a shareholder in a marketing and analytics company that has worked for Philip Morris International. The revelation has sparked concerns about Pitfield's involvement in tobacco-related issues, given the Liberal government's record of pushing stricter measures to discourage smoking.

Tom Pitfield, who shares principal-secretary duties with former cabinet minister David Lametti in the Prime Minister’s Office, is one of the largest shareholders in Data Sciences, a company that has been working on behalf of Big Tobacco in Canada and globally. Data Sciences, founded by Pitfield in 2014, has overseen the Liberal Party's digital operations during elections, with Pitfield serving as the chief digital strategist under Justin Trudeau and Mark Carney [1].

The company's major client is Philip Morris International, the world's largest tobacco company, which earned more than US$37-billion in revenue last year, nearly two-thirds from cigarettes. However, with stricter measures against smoking being implemented, Philip Morris is pushing new non-cigarette alternatives such as vapes and heated tobacco products [1].

The Liberal government has been actively working to reduce tobacco use through various measures, including regulating packaging, funding stop-smoking programs, and enacting regulations against vaping products. The government prohibits sales of vaping products to minors and limits nicotine concentration. It is also under pressure to ban flavored vaping products to counter high youth vaping rates [1].

Pitfield's business connections to a large tobacco company do not fit with the current and past Liberal governments' record of pushing stricter measures to discourage smoking and using tobacco products. However, it is not known whether Pitfield has informed Carney that Data Sciences has been working to promote vaping products such as heated tobacco, nicotine pouches, and e-vapor for Philip Morris and Rothmans, Benson & Hedges – its Canadian subsidiary [1].

In response to questions about Pitfield's connections to Philip Morris, the PMO issued a statement saying that Pitfield left Data Sciences before taking up his government duties. The statement also noted that Pitfield has consulted with the Office of the Ethics Commissioner on his transition plan and is following all instructions from the office [1].

A potential investor with knowledge of a confidential Data Sciences presentation said the company's work for Philip Morris extends to other countries in Asia, including Japan. Japan was the first launch market for Philip Morris's heated tobacco products. Documents leaked last year reveal that Philip Morris has tried to influence anti-vaping strategies and public opinion in Japan through covert academic funding and lobbying of politicians and medical professionals [1].

Pitfield's spouse, Anna Gainey, is the government's Secretary of State for Children and Youth. She was Liberal Party president from 2014 to 2018. The two sources told The Globe that Data Sciences has been looking for equity investors. A potential investor said the company's founding shareholders stand to benefit from any growth in the company. Data Sciences intends to use any new equity investment for acquisitions with the goal of eventually going public [1].

A federal government corporate registry says Pitfield "owns, controls or directs 25 per cent or more of shares" of Data Sciences and "up to 50 per cent of the shares." The registry information was last updated June 30. Another major owner of Data Sciences, according to the registry, is Luc Ménard, who owns "at least 25 per cent and up to 50 per cent of the shares" [1].

The revelation has raised questions about Pitfield's role in health policy discussions. Carney has stated that Pitfield will not recuse himself from these discussions, despite the potential conflict of interest. The Liberal government's commitment to reducing tobacco use is being called into question, given Pitfield's business ties to the tobacco industry.

In a separate development, Defiance ETFs has launched the Defiance Daily Target 2X Long PM ETF (Ticker: ZYN), providing investors with amplified 2X daily exposure to the performance of Philip Morris International Inc. This ETF enables retail investors to participate in the growth of a leading innovator without the need for a margin account [2].

References:
[1] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-top-adviser-to-carney-and-liberal-party-strategist-tom-pitfield-has/
[2] https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/defiance-launches-zyn-2x-long-etf-philip-morris-international-inc-2025-09-04