Post-employment is always a major problem. This is the debate on people's right to have a career afterwards. We cannot impose restrictions on post-employment, given that public office holders have the right to find a subsequent job.
However, there is always the question of whether we have the tools to follow up on those careers. What often happens is that, less than six months after they leave, former public office holders are working for companies they have been in contact with before. We have even seen ministers negotiate their post-employment while they were in office, which is certainly a problem. It is often a matter of figuring out if they are lobbying former partners. It is not really the lobbying that should be monitored, but the potential benefits and preferential treatment.
In terms of the issue that I am discussing, there is a whole debate on the orders in council that were used during the transition. The perception is rather negative. People were wondering if the orders in council were not used as favours. It is not about passing judgment, but about the rationale behind the perception. In other cases, the question was whether post-employment was negotiated while individuals were working in the government.
I think those in charge of managing post-employment should have the opportunity and the necessary resources for oversight for about a year or two, depending on the type of public office. This follow-up would enable us to hold public office holders accountable. Every two or three months, for instance, former public office holders could be required to provide a post-employment report. The possibility of imposing sanctions should also be explored. Our colleagues might be able to talk about this issue in terms of non-compliance.
I see people shaking their heads, but I think we should provide those people with the tools to impose sanctions on former public office holders who commit offences. An instance of an offence would be if a public office holder becomes the vice-president of a company they dealt with in the last six months of their mandate as a public office holder. I think it might be interesting to hear what Mr. Giorno has to say about this.
I feel that imposing sanctions should be a key tool.