NEWS RELEASE
Ottawa, April 1, 2019
The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has released the List of Sponsored Travel 2018, which reflects travel taken by Members of the House of Commons in the 2018 calendar year. The report also includes a supplement reflecting changes to the List of Sponsored Travel from previous years. Following review and approval by Commissioner Mario Dion, the report was tabled today in the House of Commons.
This list is prepared annually, as required by subsection 15(3) of the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons, and presented to the Speaker of the House of Commons by March 31 of each year.
Quick Facts
Members, who are not ministers or parliamentary secretaries, may accept, for themselves and their guests, sponsored travel related to their position.
Within 60 days after the end of a trip, Members must disclose to the Commissioner any travel worth $200 or more and not fully paid by the government, a political party, a recognized parliamentary association or themselves.
Sponsored trips are not considered gifts under the Code and are therefore excluded from its gift rule prohibiting Members from accepting gifts or other benefits that might reasonably be seen to have been given to influence them.
Ministers and parliamentary secretaries are prohibited from accepting sponsored travel by the Prime Minister's guidance document, Open and Accountable Government. Under the Conflict of Interest Act, with which ministers and parliamentary secretaries must also comply, such travel would be considered a gift or other advantage and would therefore be subject to the Act's acceptability test for gifts and other advantages.
Public declarations of sponsored travel are posted throughout the year in the Office's public registry.
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For more information, please call 613-995-0721 or email ciemedia@cie.parl.gc.ca.
