Mr. Chair, as you mentioned, I am joined by Lyne Robinson‑Dalpé and Melanie Rushworth.

I'm pleased to review the role and mandate of the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

We administer the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons and the Conflict of Interest Act for appointed federal officials. Given the committee's mandate, my remarks will focus on the act.

Individuals subject to the act are called “public office holders”. They fall into two categories.

Those appointed to full-time positions are called “reporting public office holders”. They must follow the act's general conflict of interest rules, plus its reporting and public disclosure provisions. This means they must give the commissioner's office detailed personal and financial information about themselves and, in some cases, their families. The office keeps most of that information secret. However, we are required by the act to disclose some specific information. We do that in a reductive form. It is posted on the registry that forms part of our website.

Those appointed to part-time positions are referred to simply as public office holders. They have to follow the act's general rules, but they do not have reporting requirements.

Confidentiality and transparency are both key to our work. Confidentiality encourages public officials to communicate freely and openly with us, and to ask us for advice when faced with a situation that may put them in a conflict of interest. Transparency means we are as open as possible with Parliament and Canadians. This helps ensure the credibility of the act and its administration.

Our work really supports three key objectives.

First of all, we foster public confidence that the actions of elected and appointed federal officials are free from conflicts of interest. Second, we enable the most competent and qualified people to move in and out of the public service without any problems by helping them manage their conflicts of interest. Third, we examine and report on allegations of conflict of interest that involve elected or appointed federal officials.

Our tools include one-on-one interface with public officials, live educational sessions, online training and investigations. A lot of the office's work is outlined in our latest annual reports that were tabled in Parliament in June. The report under the act identifies six legislative changes that could help it function more effectively and administer the act more efficiently.

First, we suggest you allow the lobbying commissioner to step in temporarily if there is no conflict of interest commissioner—i.e., if I get run over by a truck tomorrow, there will be somebody to do my job: the lobbying commissioner.

Second, add the notion of “apparent” conflict of interest to the general duties of public office holders to arrange their affairs in a way that avoids the appearance of conflict of interest.

Third, allow some assets to be designated as exempt assets if they pose no risk of conflict of interest. For instance, exchange-traded funds pose no conflict, but they are prohibited under the act right now.

Fourth, allow public office holders to participate in matters affecting the private interests of their friends and relatives if those interests are the same as those of other members of the broad class of which they are part. This would make the act consistent with the code.

Fifth, allow the commissioner to approve outside activities that don't conflict with a public office holder's official duties but are presently forbidden. An example is teaching at university in a subject they know something about.

Sixth, raise the maximum administrative monetary penalties to stress the importance of the reporting requirements of the act. Right now, they're extremely low and they look like traffic offences.

That's my presentation. I will be happy to answer any of your questions.

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