You and members of your family may be offered gifts and other benefits in connection with your position as a Member of the House of Commons.
You must consider the rules in the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons before you or your family members accept any gifts. (Your family members are your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children, and the dependent children of your spouse or common-law partner.)
It’s a good idea to speak with your advisor in the Commissioner’s Office whenever you or your family members are offered or accept gifts or other benefits that were given in connection with your position as a Member. Please call 613-995-0721 or send us an email.
You and your family members may be offered, by a variety of givers and in a range of situations, gifts and other benefits that may include:
- Money (if you do not have to repay it and nobody expects you to)
- Consumer goods like books, flowers, artwork, furniture or wine
- Property like vehicles, offices, houses or cottages
- The use of property or facilities at no cost or for less than their commercial value (the amount someone in Canada would have to pay for something similar)
- Membership in a club or other organization at no cost or for less than its commercial value
- Services, like dry cleaning or a haircut, at no cost or for less than their commercial value
- Meals, travel or accommodation costs paid for by another individual or organization
- Invitations or tickets to attend an event, like a sports match, gala, concert, play or fundraiser, at no cost or for less than its commercial value
You must consider the rules in the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons before you or your family members accept any gifts.
The Code prohibits you and your family members from accepting any gift or other benefit that might reasonably be seen to have been given to influence you, with certain exceptions.
This acceptability test also applies to gifts or other benefits you get from attending a charitable or political event, or from an all-party caucus (a group of Members from different political parties) focussed on a specific topic or interest.
You and your family members may accept gifts or other benefits:
- that are received as a normal expression of courtesy or protocol, or
- that are within the customary standards of hospitality that normally accompany your position as a Member.
You may also accept, from family and friends, gifts that are not related to your position as a Member.
If you or a family member have accepted an acceptable gift or other benefit related to your position as a Member that has a value of $200 or more, you must publicly declare it.
You must do that within 60 days after accepting it, via the disclosure portal (you can also access it from a link at the top of every page of this website) or by filling out a Public Statement of Gifts or Other Benefits and submitting it to the Commissioner’s Office.
Keep in mind that the value of a gift does not determine if it’s acceptable. The $200 amount is a disclosure threshold only. Please consult with your advisor in the Commissioner’s Office, by calling 613-995-0721 or sending us an email.