History of the Office: 1980s

Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau issues a revised set of guidelines similar to those of Prime Minister Joe Clark, but with the provisions dealing with spouses and dependent children removed.​

A Member in the House has his vote questioned on the grounds of direct pecuniary interests. (See p. 18709 in the Debates.)​

​​​Appointment of a Task Force on Conflict of Interest by the federal government for a major review of the policies and procedures on conflict of interest, their evolution, and whether new approaches to the matter should be devised. This is in response to a former minister of PM Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s government allegedly lobbying his former deputy minister (the Gillespie Affair).​

​​Release of the Report of the Task Force on Conflict of Interest entitled Ethical Conduct in the Public Sector (the Starr-Sharp Report). The report recommends the creation of a Code to replace the existing guidelines. Draft Ethics in Government Act appended to the report, which contains a Code of Ethical Conduct and would have established an independent Office of Public Sector Ethics, with an Ethics Counsellor.​

​​Report of the Special Committee on Reform of the House of Commons (the McGrath Report) issued. The Committee was appointed December 5, 1984, to act as a Parliamentary Task Force on the reform of the House of Commons to examine the power, procedures, practices, organization and facilities of the House of Commons.​

​​The Mulroney Government establishes the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders. The Code is based primarily on a number of the Starr-Sharp Task Force’s recommendations. It consolidates in one document the rules for ministers, parliamentary secretaries, ministerial staff, also public servants and Governor-in-Council appointees. Instead of setting up an independent office to administer the Code, it was decided that the Code would continue to be administered by the Assistant Deputy Registrar General. The Code comes into effect on January 1, 1986.

​​A Member abstains from voting on a matter in which the Member has a direct pecuniary interest. (See p. 6473 of the Debates.)​

​​House of Commons agrees that the Standing Committee on Management and Members’ Services will consider matters related to establish a Register of Members’ Interests. (See p. 87​71 of the Debates.)​

​​Standing Order 22 is adopted by the House, obliging the Clerk to keep a public registry of sponsored travel. It reads: “The Clerk of the House shall maintain a public registry of foreign travel by Members of parliament in which Members shall register all visits they make outside Canada, arising from or relating to their membership in the House of Commons where the cost of any such travel is not wholly borne by the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the Member personally, any interparliamentary association or friendship group recognized by the House of Commons and any recognized party, together with the name of the sponsoring person or organization which paid for travel to and or from Canada.”​

​​Five Members travelled to South Korea, some of whom did not register the trip before departing leading to debate in the House with respect to Standing Order 22. The Leaders of the House concluded that a Member may register the trip before or after it takes place.​

​​Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee of the Management and Members’ Services on the Register of Members’ Interests. The government had asked the Standing Committee on Management and Members’ Services to consider whether it would be appropriate to establish a registry of members’ interest (disclosure of remuneration members receive for sitting on the boards of public or private firms or for performing other duties or occupying other positions in various organizations). The Committee concludes that there is no need to alter the existing legislation respecting Members’ conflicts of interest.​

​​Report of the Senate Standing Committee on Standing Rules and Orders on the Register of Senators’ Interests.​

​​Appointment of the Honourable William Parker as a Commissioner to inquire into and report on the allegations of conflict of interest relating to the Honourable Sinclair Stevens.​

​​Jean-Pierre Kingsley replaces Robert Boyle as Assistant Deputy Registrar General with the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs.​

​​Release of the Report of the Parker Commission on Conflict of Interest (Commission of Inquiry into the Facts of Allegations of conflict of Interest Concerning the Honourable Sinclair M. Stevens). The report found that Mr. Stevens had violated conflict of interest rules on 14 counts. The report also “suggested that the ADRG be redesigned and given a separate and more visible status.” ​

​​Introduction and first reading of Bill C-114, the Members of the Senate and House of Commons Conflict of Interest Act.​

​​A legislative committee is created to study Bill C-114. It holds three meetings but is unable to complete its deliberations prior to its dissolution on October 1, 1988.​

​​Introduction and First Reading of Bill C-46, the Members of the Senate and House of Commons Conflict of Interest Act (the Bill is essentially the same as Bill C-114 with a few minor changes). The bill dies on the Order Paper when Parliament is prorogued on May 12, 1991.​