You are subject to the Conflict of Interest Act as a reporting public office holder if you are:
- A minister
- A parliamentary secretary
- A member of ministerial staff who works 15 hours or more per week on average
- A ministerial adviser as defined in the Act
- Someone appointed by the Governor in Council (the Governor General acting on the advice of Cabinet) or a minister who works in their public office full-time, or part-time but with an annual salary and benefits
- The Chief Electoral Officer
- The Parliamentary Budget Officer
Some other appointed officials are not subject to the Act.
If you are a reporting public office holder, you must not only follow the Act’s general conflict of interest and post-employment rules, but are also subject to its:
- Reporting and public disclosure requirements
- Restrictions on outside employment and other activities
- Prohibition on holding certain kinds of assets (called “controlled” assets)
Some of the rules also affect your family members. They are your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children, and the dependent children of your spouse or common-law partner.
If you are a minister or parliamentary secretary, you must follow some extra rules in the Act, and are also subject to the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. Please consult the section of our website meant specifically for you.
Compliance with the Act is a condition of your appointment or employment as a public office holder.
The Commissioner’s Office assigns each reporting public office holder an advisor. Your advisor can help you follow the Act’s rules and prevent conflicts of interest. You can reach your advisor by calling 613-995-0721 or sending us an email.
The Commissioner’s Office also offers educational sessions on the Act. You are welcome to join any sessions that you would find helpful.
You have a general duty under the Conflict of Interest Act to arrange your private affairs to prevent conflicts of interest.
While doing your job, you are not allowed to:
- Make or participate in decisions that could put you in a conflict of interest
- Give preferential (special) treatment to someone because of the person or organization representing them
- Use insider information (information that is not available to the public) to further private interests
- Use your position to try to influence a decision to further private interests
- Let offers of outside employment affect how you do your work
- Accept gifts or other advantages that might reasonably be seen as an attempt to influence you (if it could look like the person offering the gift wanted to affect how you do your job). Your family members may not accept such gifts either.
- Hire or give contracts to your spouse, common-law partner, child, sibling or parent
- Personally solicit donations if it puts you in a conflict of interest
- Do anything to try to get around the Act’s rules