Thank you.
Madam Chair, thank you for inviting me to appear before the committee today, as it studies the question of renewing my mandate as commissioner.
I was originally appointed to the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and took office July 9, 2007, the same day the Conflict of Interest Act came into force.
Prior to my time as commissioner, I enjoyed a long career in the public service as a lawyer with the Department of Justice. I spent part of my Department of Justice career as a legislative drafter, and the rest as a public law lawyer with particular emphasis on constitutional law. I was privileged to be directly involved in some of the key files that have shaped Canada's constitutional and legal framework.
My last position with the department was that of associate deputy minister, and I retired from the department in 2005.
In 2007, I accepted the appointment as Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. As commissioner, I continued to work in the field of law, but through a different lens, interpreting and administering both the act and the conflict of interest code for members of the House of Commons, which has been in place since 2004.
I have now served as commissioner for nearly seven years, and have met with this committee on many occasions to discuss the mandate, activities, and budget of my office. My annual reports for the 2013-14 fiscal year under both the act and under the members' code were tabled in Parliament last week. In my reports, I took the opportunity to review many of the achievements of my office since my appointment. I would like to briefly highlight some of these now.
When I became commissioner, my intention was to ensure that the act and the members' code were interpreted and applied fairly and consistently, with clarity and common sense. I also sought to ensure that public office holders and members received the support they needed from my office to achieve and maintain compliance with the two regimes. In support of this, I have pursued a number of priorities, including establishing the new administrative monetary penalties regime that was instituted under the act, organizing the operations and staffing of my office, improving the public registries under the act and members' code, and establishing a case management system. I continue to regularly review organizational and technical needs to ensure that the office is well positioned to deliver on its mandate.
In applying the act and the members' code, I view my role as being primarily to advise, inform, and try to prevent contraventions. Indeed, my office is organized to support this emphasis. Nearly half of all employees in my office are engaged in advisory or outreach activities.
In order to provide guidance to public office holders and members on their obligations under the two regimes, I have issued a number of guidelines, information notices and advisory opinions.
My staff and I have also made numerous presentations to groups of individuals subject to the act or members' code.
In addition, I have ensured that the office website is updated regularly with information for public office holders and members.
I also have a mandate to enforce compliance. Over the years, I have issued a number of compliance orders, imposed administrative monetary penalties under the act, and when necessary have investigated possible contraventions of the act and the members' code. Since 2007, I have issued reports on 17 examinations under the act and six inquiries under the members' code.
I am pleased to say that my office can now draw on a significant body of work that includes precedents, procedures and interpretations that form a solid framework for future progress. Our engagement with other domestic and international jurisdictions also continues to grow and to inform our work. We respond regularly to inquiries and requests from government officials and ethics practitioners in other countries seeking information about the Canadian regime, and from members of the public and the media who wish to know more about our mandate and operations.
I have over the years developed my own views on how well the act and the members' code work. I have on a number of occasions, including several times before this committee, stated that at their core I believe both regimes work relatively well. I have also shared my views on areas in which I believe they may be enhanced or strengthened. My annual and investigative reports, as well as my submissions to this committee and to the procedure and House affairs committee for the five-year reviews of the act and the members' code, provide clear statements of my views and recommendations.
Over the years, my office and I have continued to develop solid internal management and policy frameworks to oversee human and financial resources, in line with public sector practices and based on the principles of transparency and integrity. I am pleased to say that the annual audits of our financial statements have consistently resulted in positive evaluations.
In terms of my priorities moving forward, I plan of course to continue the day-to-day work of administering the act and the members' code. I look forward to seeing what changes may actually come from the five-year reviews.
I will ensure that all the cases that are under investigation are dealt with in as timely a way as possible.
Another priority will be to renew the public registries on the office's website. They will be updated using new technology to allow for greater search functionality and ease of use.
We will continue to work on documenting precedents through an internal practice manual, as well as internal processes, and on improving the way we manage electronic records.
We will develop a succession plan, and begin to implement a performance measurement framework to allow us to measure and report on results.
Finally, we will continue to assess our practices and procedures to ensure that we operate in an effective, efficient, and fiscally prudent manner.
I would be remiss if I did not comment on the fact that I have an excellent management team and dedicated employees within the office who have supported me in the delivery of my mandate over the past seven years. I thank them for their continued work.
In conclusion, I believe that my record as commissioner provides you with a solid indication of my approach to administering the act and members' code.
If confirmed, I intend to continue with the same approach of applying the act and the members’ code with clarity, consistency and common sense.
Once more, I thank the committee for inviting me. I'll be pleased to answer any questions.