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This advisory opinion is issued by the Conflict
of Interest and Ethics Commissioner for the guidance of Members under subsection
26(4) of the Conflict of
Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. Members can get confidential advice about their individual situations by
calling the Office at 613-995-0721 or sending an email.
As a Member of the House of Commons, you help decide which organizations in your riding will get money under the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program managed by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
This advisory opinion outlines what you can and cannot do when suggesting who in your riding should get CSJ grants. This advice also applies when, as a Member, you have a chance to help decide who gets money from similar federal programs.
ESDC gets grant applications from non-profit, public, and small private-sector employers who want money to help pay students who qualify for the program. It sends Members a list recommending which projects should get money and how much. You are asked to look over the list. You can also suggest changes. When deciding who gets grants, ESDC will consider any changes you suggest.
When you get the list of projects in your riding that ESDC recommends for CSJ grants, you cannot give your opinion about projects connected to businesses in which you have an interest, or that employ or are owned by a family member. (Family members include your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children and your spouse or common-law partner's dependent children.)
It is also important to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. For example, you should not give an opinion about projects connected to organizations that you belong to or are closely associated with. These could include service clubs, religious institutions, or advocacy groups.
Under sections 9 and 11 of the Code, you are not allowed to use your position as a Member to influence or attempt to influence a decision to further your private interests or those of a family member, or to improperly further the private interests of another person or entity.
Consider an example where your spouse or common-law partner works for a non-profit or owns a small business that applied for a CSJ grant. If ESDC has recommended that the organization receive one, you should not make any recommendations about it. If you did, you could be contravening section 9 or 11 of the Code.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact your advisor in the Office.
