Transparency—openness, clarity, unobstructed access and disclosures, when interacting with, or acting on behalf of, the public—is a pillar of effective conflict of interest regimes.
The Conflict of Interest Act and the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons ensure transparency through disclosure and public declaration requirements.
The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner maintains a public registry of compliance documents required under the Act and the Code. Section 51 of the Act, and sections 23 and 24 of the Code identify the information that is made public.
The registry contains reporting public office holders’ summary statements, their public declarations of gifts or other advantages, travel, certain assets and liabilities and outside activities, and other declarations as necessary. It includes Members’ disclosure summaries and public statements of gifts or other benefits, sponsored travel and material changes.
The information for ministers, parliamentary secretaries, and other reporting public office holders can be accessed in the registry throughout their time in public office. It stays in the registry until they have completed their one- or two-year cooling-off period under the Act's post-employment provisions, then is no longer available from the Office. The date a reporting public office holder started post-employment is noted on their entry. The registry contains information for current Members only. Once an individual ceases to be a Member, their information is removed from the registry and is no longer available from the Office.
The Commissioner’s reports on investigations of possible contraventions of the Act and the Code are also made public.
The Office tries to be as transparent as possible, while respecting the strict confidentiality requirements of the Act and the Code, particularly about investigations and advice given to Members and public office holders. The Office is as forthcoming with Parliament, the media and the public as it is permitted to be.
In support of that commitment, the Office releases quarterly statistical reports. They contain data on various activity areas and track how the Office is meeting its service standards.
Quarterly Statistical Reports
