Transparency is like a window that lets people see how things work. Not only must public officials follow the rules, they must be seen to do so.
The Conflict of Interest Act, and the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons support transparency in several ways:
- Members and reporting public office holders must give the Commissioner a lot of personal and financial information. The Commissioner’s Office makes some of it public, by posting it in the public registry. The registry is a searchable database that anyone can access. It lets Canadians see how federal officials are complying with the Act and the Code.
- The Commissioner’s investigation reports are made public.
- The Commissioner’s Office gives Parliament, the media, and Canadians as much information as it can.
- It publishes quarterly statistical reports that track its work, and how it is meeting its service standards.
- It shares the results of its public office holder surveys.