ETHI Committee Report

Mr. Pat Martin
Chair
Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Dear Mr. Martin:

Pursuant to House of Commons Standing Order 109 and on behalf of the Government of Canada, I am pleased to provide the Government’s Response to the First Report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, on its statutory review of the Conflict of Interest Act (COIA).

The creation of the COIA was a key component of the 2006 Federal Accountability Act. Through this initiative, the Government enshrined strong conflict of interest and post-employment rules for public office holders into law, and provided for their administration by an independent Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, with powers to initiate formal investigations, report to Parliament, and levy monetary penalties for administrative breaches of the Act. Along with other aspects of the Federal Accountability Act, such as the strengthening of the Lobbying Act, the COIA has provided greater government accountability and transparency to Canadians.

The Government welcomes and supports the sixteen recommendations outlined in the Committee’s report and agrees with the intended improvements to the COIA. The Government will consider how best to implement these improvements in a manner that furthers the purposes of the Act. Further, the Government reiterates its commitment in response to the Committee’s Report on the Lobbying Act, and will examine how best to align amendments to the COIA and Lobbying Act to ensure coordinated coverage and administration of the two Acts.

The Government is committed to ensuring Canada remains a world leader in upholding the principles of accountability and transparency. These foundations are paramount to maintaining the trust of Canadian taxpayers.

The Government thanks the Committee for their work in conducting a thorough review.

Yours sincerely,

The Honourable Tony Clement, P.C., M.P.