The Commissioner can start an investigation (called an inquiry) under the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons in one of three ways:
- When asked to investigate by a Member of the House of Commons who has reasonable grounds to believe another Member has contravened the Code.
- When directed to by the House of Commons. (This hasn’t happened yet.)
- On his own initiative if he believes, based on information from various sources, including media reports and complaints from members of the public, that someone may have contravened the Code.
When the Commissioner finishes an inquiry, he sends a report to the Speaker of the House of Commons. That report is also made public.