Source: http://www.laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-36.65/20140619/P1TT3xt3.html
Timestamp: 2018-01-20 09:26:29
Document Index: 474935161

Matched Legal Cases: ['ART 1', 'art 2', 'art.\n18', 'ART 2', 'art 3', 'ART 3', 'ART 1', 'ART 2', 'ART 3', 'ART 4', 'ART 5']

ARCHIVED - Conflict of Interest Act
S.C. 2006, c. 9, s. 2 - Table of Contents
Version of document from 2014-06-19 to 2014-11-27:
Assented to 2006-12-12
[Enacted by section 2 of chapter 9 of the Statutes of Canada, 2006, in force July 9, 2007, see SI/2007-75.]
1 This Act may be cited as the Conflict of Interest Act .
Commissioner means the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner appointed under section 81 of the Parliament of Canada Act . (commissaire)
common-law partner means a person who is cohabiting with a public office holder in a conjugal relationship, having so cohabited for a period of at least one year. (conjoint de fait)
common-law partnership means the relationship between two persons who are cohabiting in a conjugal relationship, having so cohabited for a period of at least one year. (union de fait)
dependent child means a child of a public office holder, or a child of the public office holder’s spouse or common-law partner, who has not reached the age of 18 years or who has reached that age but is primarily dependent on the public office holder or public office holder’s spouse or common-law partner for financial support. (enfant à charge)
former reporting public office holder
ex-titulaire de charge publique principal
former reporting public office holder means a former public office holder who, while in office, was a reporting public office holder. (ex-titulaire de charge publique principal)
gift or other advantage
cadeau ou autre avantage
gift or other advantage means
(b) a service or property, or the use of property or money that is provided without charge or at less than its commercial value. (cadeau ou autre avantage)
ministerial adviser means a person, other than a public servant, who occupies a position in the office of a minister of the Crown or a minister of state and who provides policy, program or financial advice to that person on issues relating to his or her powers, duties and functions as a minister of the Crown or a minister of state, whether or not the advice is provided on a full-time or part-time basis and whether or not the person is entitled to any remuneration or other compensation for the advice. (conseiller ministériel)
ministerial staff means those persons, other than public servants, who work on behalf of a minister of the Crown or a minister of state. (personnel ministériel)
private interest does not include an interest in a decision or matter
(c) that concerns the remuneration or benefits received by virtue of being a public office holder. (intérêt personnel)
titulaire de charge publique
public office holder means
(a.1) the Chief Electoral Officer;
(iii) a person appointed or employed under the Public Service Employment Act who is a head of mission as defined in subsection 15(1) of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act ,
(iv) a judge who receives a salary under the Judges Act ,
(v) a military judge within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the National Defence Act , and
(e) a person or a member of a class of persons if the person or class of persons is designated under subsection 62.1(1) or 62.2(1). (titulaire de charge publique)
entité du secteur public
public sector entity means a department or agency of the Government of Canada, a Crown corporation established by or under an Act of Parliament or any other entity to which the Governor in Council may appoint a person, but does not include the Senate or the House of Commons. (entité du secteur public)
public servant has the meaning assigned by subsection 2(1) of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act , but includes officers and non-commissioned members of the Canadian Forces and employees of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or the Communications Security Establishment. (fonctionnaire)
reporting public office holder
titulaire de charge publique principal
reporting public office holder means a public office holder who is
(f) a person or a member of a class of persons if the person or class of persons is designated under subsection 62.1(2) or 62.2(2). (titulaire de charge publique principal)
spouse does not include a person from whom a public office holder is separated if all support obligations and family property or patrimony have been dealt with by a separation agreement or a court order. (époux)
Marginal note:Family members
Marginal note:Relatives
2006, c. 9, s. 2 "2";
2013, c. 33, s. 192, c. 40, s. 288;
2014, c. 12, s. 145.
Marginal note:Purpose of the Act
3 The purpose of this Act is to
PART 1Conflict of Interest Rules
Marginal note:General duty
Marginal note:Decision-making
Marginal note:Abstention from voting
Marginal note:Preferential treatment
7 No public office holder shall, in the exercise of an official power, duty or function, give preferential treatment to any person or organization based on the identity of the person or organization that represents the first-mentioned person or organization.
Marginal note:Insider information
8 No public office holder shall use information that is obtained in his or her position as a public office holder and that is not available to the public to further or seek to further the public office holder’s private interests or those of the public office holder’s relatives or friends or to improperly further or to seek to improperly further another person’s private interests.
Marginal note:Influence
9 No public office holder shall use his or her position as a public office holder to seek to influence a decision of another person so as to further the public office holder’s private interests or those of the public office holder’s relatives or friends or to improperly further another person’s private interests.
Marginal note:Offers of outside employment
10 No public office holder shall allow himself or herself to be influenced in the exercise of an official power, duty or function by plans for, or offers of, outside employment.
Marginal note:Gifts and other advantages
11 (1) No public office holder or member of his or her family shall accept any gift or other advantage, including from a trust, that might reasonably be seen to have been given to influence the public office holder in the exercise of an official power, duty or function.
(a) that is permitted under the Canada Elections Act ;
Marginal note:Travel
12 No minister of the Crown, minister of state or parliamentary secretary, no member of his or her family and no ministerial adviser or ministerial staff shall accept travel on non-commercial chartered or private aircraft for any purpose unless required in his or her capacity as a public office holder or in exceptional circumstances or with the prior approval of the Commissioner.
Marginal note:Contracts with public sector entities
13 (1) No minister of the Crown, minister of state or parliamentary secretary shall knowingly be a party to a contract with a public sector entity under which he or she receives a benefit, other than a contract under which he or she is entitled to pension benefits.
Marginal note:Partnerships and private companies
Marginal note:Contracting
14 (1) No public office holder who otherwise has the authority shall, in the exercise of his or her official powers, duties and functions, enter into a contract or employment relationship with his or her spouse, common-law partner, child, sibling or parent.
Marginal note:Public sector entity — public office holders
Marginal note:Public sector entity — ministers
Marginal note:Other ministers or party colleagues
Marginal note:Certain contracts excluded
Marginal note:Prohibited activities
15 (1) No reporting public office holder shall, except as required in the exercise of his or her official powers, duties and functions,
2006, c. 9, s. 2 "15";
2011, c. 24, s. 168.
Marginal note:Fundraising
16 No public office holder shall personally solicit funds from any person or organization if it would place the public office holder in a conflict of interest.
Marginal note:Divestiture of controlled assets
17 No reporting public office holder shall, unless otherwise provided in Part 2, hold controlled assets as defined in that Part.
18 No public office holder shall take any action that has as its purpose the circumvention of the public office holder’s obligations under this Act.
Marginal note:Condition of appointment or employment
19 Compliance with this Act is a condition of a person’s appointment or employment as a public office holder.
PART 2Compliance Measures
20 The following definitions apply in this Part.
assets includes any trusts in respect of which a public office holder or a member of his or her family is a beneficiary. (bien)
bien contrôlé
controlled assets means assets whose value could be directly or indirectly affected by government decisions or policy including, but not limited to, the following:
(d) stock options, warrants, rights and similar instruments. (bien contrôlé)
exempt assets means assets and interests in assets for the private use of public office holders and the members of their family and assets that are not of a commercial character, including the following:
(q) investments in limited partnerships that are not traded publicly and whose assets are exempt assets. (bien exclu)
Marginal note:Duty to recuse
21 A public office holder shall recuse himself or herself from any discussion, decision, debate or vote on any matter in respect of which he or she would be in a conflict of interest.
Marginal note:Confidential report
22 (1) A reporting public office holder shall, within 60 days after the day on which he or she is appointed as a public office holder, provide a confidential report to the Commissioner.
Marginal note:Additional content
Marginal note:Benefits from contracts
Marginal note:Notification of material change
Marginal note:Disclosure of gifts
23 If the total value of all gifts or other advantages accepted by a reporting public office holder or a member of his or her family exceeds $200 from any one source other than relatives and friends in a 12-month period, the reporting public office holder shall disclose the gifts or other advantages to the Commissioner within 30 days after the day on which the value exceeds $200.
Marginal note:Disclosure of offers
24 (1) A reporting public office holder shall disclose in writing to the Commissioner within seven days all firm offers of outside employment.
Marginal note:Disclosure of acceptance
Marginal note:Public declaration — recusal
25 (1) If a reporting public office holder has recused himself or herself to avoid a conflict of interest, the reporting public office holder shall, within 60 days after the day on which the recusal took place, make a public declaration of the recusal that provides sufficient detail to identify the conflict of interest that was avoided.
Marginal note:Public declaration — certain assets
Marginal note:Public declaration — liabilities
Marginal note:Public declaration — outside activities
Marginal note:Public declaration — gifts
Marginal note:Public declaration — travel
Marginal note:Summary statement
26 (1) A reporting public office holder shall, within 120 days after the day on which he or she is appointed, sign a summary statement containing the information required under subsection (2) and provide it to the Commissioner.
Marginal note:Divestment on appointment
27 (1) Subject to subsections (9) and (10), a reporting public office holder shall, within 120 days after the day on which he or she is appointed as a reporting public office holder, divest each of his or her controlled assets by doing one of the following:
Marginal note:Divestment of gift or bequest
Marginal note:Prohibition on blind management agreement
Marginal note:Blind trust requirements
Marginal note:General investment instructions
Marginal note:No oral instructions
Marginal note:Confirmation of sale or trust
Marginal note:Information confidential
Marginal note:Assets of minimal value
28 The Commissioner shall review annually with each reporting public office holder the information contained in his or her confidential reports and the measures taken to satisfy his or her obligations under this Act.
Marginal note:Determination of appropriate measures
29 Before they are finalized, the Commissioner shall determine the appropriate measures by which a public office holder shall comply with this Act and, in doing so, shall try to achieve agreement with the public office holder.
Marginal note:Compliance order
30 In addition to the specific compliance measures provided for in this Part, the Commissioner may order a public office holder, in respect of any matter, to take any compliance measure, including divestment or recusal, that the Commissioner determines is necessary to comply with this Act.
Marginal note:Reimbursement of costs
31 (1) The Commissioner may order that the following administrative costs incurred by a public office holder be reimbursed:
(v) commissions for transferring, converting or selling assets if there are no provisions for a tax deduction under the Income Tax Act ; and
Marginal note:Post-employ­ment obligations
32 Before a public office holder’s last day in office, the Commissioner shall advise the public office holder of his or her obligations under Part 3.
PART 3Post-employment
Marginal note:Prohibitions after leaving office
33 No former public office holder shall act in such a manner as to take improper advantage of his or her previous public office.
Marginal note:Previously acting for Crown
34 (1) No former public office holder shall act for or on behalf of any person or organization in connection with any specific proceeding, transaction, negotiation or case to which the Crown is a party and with respect to which the former public office holder had acted for, or provided advice to, the Crown.
Marginal note:Improper information
Marginal note:Prohibition on contracting
35 (1) No former reporting public office holder shall enter into a contract of service with, accept an appointment to a board of directors of, or accept an offer of employment with, an entity with which he or she had direct and significant official dealings during the period of one year immediately before his or her last day in office.
Marginal note:Prohibition on representations
Marginal note:Prohibition on former ministers
Marginal note:Time limits: former reporting public office holder
36 (1) With respect to all former reporting public office holders except former ministers of the Crown and former ministers of state, the prohibitions set out in subsections 35(1) and (2) apply for the period of one year following the former reporting public office holder’s last day in office.
Marginal note:Time limits: former ministers
Marginal note:Report to Commissioner
37 (1) A former reporting public office holder who, during the applicable period under section 36, has any communication referred to in paragraph 5(1)(a) of the Lobbying Act or arranges a meeting referred to in paragraph 5(1)(b) of that Act shall report that communication or meeting to the Commissioner.
Marginal note:Requirement to file return
2006, c. 9, ss. 2 "37", 36.
38 (1) The Commissioner may, on application, exempt from the application of section 35 or 37 a former reporting public office holder who, while in office, was a member of ministerial staff who worked on average 15 hours or more a week.
Marginal note:Waiver or reduction of limitations
39 (1) On application by a reporting public office holder or a former reporting public office holder, the Commissioner may waive or reduce any applicable period set out in section 36.
Marginal note:Balancing
Marginal note:Decision of Commissioner
40 On receipt of a report under section 37, the Commissioner shall immediately determine whether the former reporting public office holder is complying with his or her obligations under this Part.
Marginal note:Order: official dealings
41 (1) If the Commissioner determines that a former reporting public office holder is not complying with his or her obligations under this Part, the Commissioner may order any current public office holders not to have official dealings with that former reporting public office holder.
Marginal note:Duty to comply with order
Marginal note:No impact
42 For greater certainty, no exemption granted in respect of a person under section 38 and no waiver or reduction granted in respect of a person under section 39 affects any obligation or prohibition that applies to that person under the Lobbying Act .
2006, c. 9, ss. 2 "42", 35.
Marginal note:Confidential advice
43 In addition to carrying out his or her other duties and functions under this Act, the Commissioner shall
Marginal note:Request from parliamentarian
44 (1) A member of the Senate or House of Commons who has reasonable grounds to believe that a public office holder or former public office holder has contravened this Act may, in writing, request that the Commissioner examine the matter.
Marginal note:Examination
Marginal note:Information from public
Marginal note:Referral to Speaker
Marginal note:Making report available
Marginal note:Examination on own initiative
45 (1) If the Commissioner has reason to believe that a public office holder or former public office holder has contravened this Act, the Commissioner may examine the matter on his or her own initiative.
Marginal note:Discontinuance
Marginal note:Presentation of views
46 Before providing confidential advice under paragraph 43(a) or a report under section 44 or 45, the Commissioner shall provide the public office holder or former public office holder concerned with a reasonable opportunity to present his or her views.
Marginal note:Conclusion in report final
47 A conclusion by the Commissioner set out in a report under section 44 or 45 that a public office holder or former public office holder has or has not contravened this Act may not be altered by anyone but is not determinative of the measures to be taken as a result of the report.
48 (1) For the purposes of paragraph 43(a) and sections 44 and 45, the Commissioner has the power to summon witnesses and require them
Marginal note:Powers exercised in private
Marginal note:Inadmissibility
Marginal note:Suspension of examination
49 (1) The Commissioner shall immediately suspend an examination under section 43, 44 or 45 if
Marginal note:Investigation continued
50 (1) The Commissioner, or any person acting on behalf or under the direction of the Commissioner, is not a competent or compellable witness in respect of any matter coming to his or her knowledge as a result of exercising any powers or performing any duties or functions of the Commissioner under this Act.
Marginal note:Protection
(3) The protection provided under subsections (1) and (2) does not limit any powers, privileges, rights and immunities that the Commissioner may otherwise enjoy under section 86 of the Parliament of Canada Act .
Marginal note:Public registry
51 (1) The Commissioner shall maintain a registry consisting of the following documents for examination by the public:
Marginal note:Confidences of Queen’s Privy Council
(ii) special operational information within the meaning of subsection 8(1) of the Security of Information Act ; and
(ii) special operational information within the meaning of subsection 8(1) of the Security of Information Act ,
Marginal note:Violation
52 Every public office holder who contravenes one of the following provisions commits a violation and is liable to an administrative monetary penalty not exceeding $500:
53 (1) If the Commissioner believes on reasonable grounds that a public office holder has committed a violation, the Commissioner may issue, and shall cause to be served on the public office holder, a notice of violation.
54 The Governor in Council may make regulations respecting the service of documents required or authorized to be served under sections 53 to 57, including the manner and proof of service and the circumstances under which documents are deemed to be served.
Marginal note:Payment of penalty
55 If the public office holder pays the penalty proposed in the notice of violation, he or she is considered to have committed the violation and proceedings in respect of it are ended.
Marginal note:Representations to Commissioner
56 (1) If the public office holder makes representations to the Commissioner in accordance with the notice of violation, the Commissioner shall decide, on a balance of probabilities, whether the public office holder committed the violation and, if so, may impose the penalty proposed, a lesser penalty or no penalty.
57 A public office holder who neither pays the penalty nor makes representations in accordance with the notice of violation is deemed to have committed the violation. The Commissioner shall impose the penalty proposed and notify the public office holder of the penalty imposed.
Marginal note:Due diligence available
58 (1) Due diligence is a defence in a proceeding in relation to a violation.
59 In any proceeding, a notice appearing to have been issued under subsection 53(1) or 56(2) is admissible in evidence without proof of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed it.
60 (1) Proceedings in respect of a violation may be commenced at any time within but not later than five years after the day on which the Commissioner became aware of the subject-matter of the proceedings.
Marginal note:Certificate of Commissioner
Marginal note:Recovery of administrative monetary penalties
61 Any administrative monetary penalty required to be paid by a public office holder constitutes a debt due to Her Majesty and may be recovered as a debt from the public office holder in the Federal Court or any other court of competent jurisdiction.
62 If an administrative monetary penalty is imposed on a public office holder in respect of a violation, the Commissioner shall make public the nature of the violation, the name of the public office holder who committed it and the amount of the penalty imposed.
Marginal note:Minister designating public office holder
62.1 (1) The appropriate minister of the Crown may designate a full-time ministerial appointee as a public office holder for the purpose of paragraph (e) of the definition public office holder in subsection 2(1).
Marginal note:Minister designating reporting public office holder
(2) The appropriate minister of the Crown may designate a full-time ministerial appointee who is a public office holder as a reporting public office holder for the purpose of paragraph (f) of the definition reporting public office holder in subsection 2(1).
2013, c. 40, s. 289.
Marginal note:Governor in Council designating public office holder
62.2 (1) The Governor in Council may, by order, designate any person or class of persons as public office holders for the purpose of paragraph (e) of the definition public office holder in subsection 2(1).
Marginal note:Governor in Council designating reporting public office holder
(2) The Governor in Council may, by order, designate any person who is a public office holder or any class of persons who are public office holders as reporting public office holders for the purpose of paragraph (f) of the definition reporting public office holder in subsection 2(1).
Marginal note:Section 126 of Criminal Code
63 Section 126 of the Criminal Code does not apply to or in respect of any contravention or alleged contravention of any provision of this Act.
Marginal note:Activities on behalf of constituents
64 (1) Subject to subsection 6(2) and sections 21 and 30, nothing in this Act prohibits a member of the Senate or the House of Commons who is a public office holder or former public office holder from engaging in those activities that he or she would normally carry out as a member of the Senate or the House of Commons.
Marginal note:Rights, etc. not affected
(2) Subject to subsection 6(2) and sections 21 and 30, nothing in this Act abrogates or derogates from any of the privileges, immunities and powers referred to in section 4 of the Parliament of Canada Act .
65 Proceedings under this Act may be taken at any time within but not later than five years after the day on which the Commissioner became aware of the subject-matter of the proceedings and, in any case, not later than ten years after the day on which the subject-matter of the proceeding arose.
Marginal note:Orders and decisions final
66 Every order and decision of the Commissioner is final and shall not be questioned or reviewed in any court, except in accordance with the Federal Courts Act on the grounds referred to in paragraph 18.1(4)(a), (b) or (e) of that Act.
67 (1) Within five years after this section comes into force, a comprehensive review of the provisions and operation of this Act shall be undertaken by such committee of the Senate, of the House of Commons or of both Houses of Parliament as may be designated or established by the Senate or the House of Commons, or by both Houses of Parliament, as the case may be, for that purpose.
Marginal note:Referral from Public Sector Integrity Commissioner
68 If a matter is referred to the Commissioner under subsection 24(2.1) of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act , the Commissioner shall
2006, c. 9, s. 37.
4 - PART 1 - Conflict of Interest Rules
20 - PART 2 - Compliance Measures
21 - Recusal
22 - Confidential Disclosure
25 - Public Declaration
27 - Divestment
28 - Functions of the Commissioner
33 - PART 3 - Post-employment
33 - Rules for All Former Public Office Holders
35 - Rules for Former Reporting Public Office Holders
39 - Functions of the Commissioner
43 - PART 4 - Administration and Enforcement
43 - Mandate and Powers of the Commissioner
51 - Public Registry
52 - Administrative Monetary Penalties
62.1 - PART 5 - General