If you are a part-time member of a federal board, commission or tribunal, or a ministerial staffer who works less than 15 hours a week on average, you are subject to the Conflict of Interest Act as a public office holder without reporting obligations.
This means you only need to follow the Act’s general conflict of interest and post-employment rules. You do not have any reporting requirements, and there are no restrictions on your activities outside of your job as a public office holder, or on the types of assets you can own.
Some of the Act’s rules also affect your family members. They are your spouse, your common-law partner, your dependent children, and the dependent children of your spouse or common-law partner.
Compliance with the Act is a condition of your appointment or employment as a public office holder.
Educational sessions offered by the Commissioner’s Office can help you understand how the Act applies to you. If you have questions, you are welcome to call 613-995-0721 or send an email.
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 benefits that might reasonably be seen as an attempt to influence you (if it could look like the giver wanted to affect how you do your job). Your family members may not accept such gifts or other benefits either.
- Hire or give contracts to your spouse, common-law partner, child, sibling or parent, or let your organization do so.
- Personally solicit donations if it puts you in a conflict of interest.
- Do anything to try to get around the Act’s rules.