Independence ensures impartial oversight, prevents political interference, promotes accountability, and guards against abuses of power.
The independence of the Commissioner’s Office is assured in several ways:
- As an Officer of the House of Commons, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is independent of the government of the day. The Commissioner’s Office is independent and non-partisan.
- The Commissioner is solely responsible to Parliament, not to the federal government or an individual minister, and reports directly to Parliament.
- The Office is part of Parliament, along with the Senate, the Office of the Senate Ethics Officer, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament, and the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
- The Commissioner is appointed under the Parliament of Canada Act by the Governor in Council (the Governor General acting on the advice of the Cabinet) after consulting the leader of every recognized party in the House of Commons.
- The Commissioner is appointed for a seven-year term, which can be renewed. They can only be removed from the position if there is a serious issue with their work or conduct. The removal of a Commissioner must be approved by the Governor in Council after the House of Commons makes a formal request.
- The Commissioner is a separate employer. Office employees are not part of the federal public service.
- The Commissioner sends the Office’s annual budget estimate to the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Speaker sends it to the President of the Treasury Board, who tables it in the House with the government’s estimates for the fiscal year.