Evidence of meeting #112 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Iqra Khalid Liberal Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON
Well, I will definitely clarify now.
It is my belief that the role Ms. Byrne plays within the Conservative Party is similar if not the same as the role a minister's staff plays, and to have those conflicts of differing interests here I think is a flag for a conflict of interest.
Have you looked into this matter at all? Has anybody brought this up to you?
Commissioner, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
No, I have not looked at it, and nobody has raised it with me except you today.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Ms. Khalid.
Mr. Villemure, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.
Bloc
René Villemure Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Rushworth, the difference between interest and conflict of interest would be a very interesting topic for a training course.
I believe it was noted in the 2021-22 report that not all the funds had been spent by the Office of the Commissioner. Was there a reason for this?
Director, Corporate Management, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
Are we talking about the 2021-22 report or the 2023-24 report?
Director, Corporate Management, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
In the 2021–2022 report, there was only a surplus of $286,000, which represented 4% of the total. I have to say that last year, in 2023-24, there was a bigger surplus, because for 6 months there was no commissioner in place. So there were delays in staffing given that we didn't have the authority to do it and since the commissioner position was vacant.
Bloc
René Villemure Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC
All right. That makes perfect sense.
Commissioner, what are your main short-term and long-term challenges?
Commissioner, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
My main challenge in the short term is to communicate the strategy I have announced. Our first task is to facilitate the movement of talent between the public and private sectors, which means avoiding conflicts of interest. So far, we've focused on conflicts of interest and seen facilitation as a secondary task. In my opinion, we need to do exactly the opposite.
Our second task is to create tools that will help appointed and elected individuals. As I said, we are going to offer the online training we've offered to MPs to appointees as well.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Mr. Villemure.
Mr. Green, you have two and a half minutes.
Go ahead, please.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you very much.
I just want to speak to the process of funding. Before each fiscal year, you prepare an estimate for the budgetary requirements. It's considered by the Speaker of the House and then transmitted to the President of the Treasury Board, who lays it before the House with the estimates of the government.
How does this differ from processes through which other officers of Parliament receive their funding?
Commissioner, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
Sandy, go ahead.
Director, Corporate Management, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
How it differs is that we don't have a minister who approves the main estimates that we propose. It comes here for approval. That's how it differs. We don't have a minister responsible for us.
The Speaker acts as the minister for the office, but he or she does not approve them. They just consider the estimates. There's no approval.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
What are the benefits or drawbacks of that budget process for your office?
Director, Corporate Management, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
For us, it makes things a lot easier because we can manage our projects. The commissioner can decide what he wants to push forward. There's no one approving or disapproving the request we're making, or whatever the commissioner decides that his priorities are for the next year and how he will manage these resources.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Just for the record, can you again state your role and how long you've been in it?
Director, Corporate Management, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
I'm the director of corporate management. I'm also the chief financial officer for the office. I've been in this role since June 2016. That's almost eight years now.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Have you had instances where requests for estimates haven't been met or your budgetary requirements haven't been met? Have you ever had that, to your recollection?
Director, Corporate Management, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
No, that's never happened before. Everything we ask for usually represents a small increase every year for economic increases and salary increments. It's the same case this year.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Minus the gapping that you had by not having a permanent person, would you have found upward pressures, given the cost of living, collective agreements and everything else? Are you able to adequately meet the demands?
Forgive me if I came off pretty sharp in the last round, but I was trying to find out how many complaints go in and how many are investigated. Is there a gap there, and if so, why? Is it funding? Could you use more people, given the state we're in with the lack of trust and the cynicism that we have in government?
In my estimation, if an allegation was made against me, I would want it quickly investigated and would want it turned around. When it's not pursued or perhaps when it's dismissed, it's left hanging out there without a conclusion.
In your opinion, does your full-time complement of staff meet the growing demand for complaints?
Director, Corporate Management, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
Yes, so far it has.
I just have to say that most of our budget doesn't go to investigations and legal services. It's mostly for advisers, as that's about 40% of our complement. We have not had any issues from our budget in being able to respond to complaints.