The position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner was created, effective July 9, 2007, under the Federal Accountability Act.
The status of the Office is different from that of Agents of Parliament who are part of the executive arm of government, report through a minister and are created by the legislation they administer. The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is an Officer of Parliament whose mandate is set out in the Parliament of Canada Act. Moreover, the Office is an entity of Parliament along with the House of Commons, the Senate and the Library of Parliament.
Because of its status as part of Parliament, the Office does not produce Reports on Plans or Priorities or Departmental Performance Reports. It provides its budget estimates to the Speaker of the House of Commons; they are reviewed by the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, which has oversight of the Conflict of Interest Act. Information about the Office’s resources is provided in its annual reports and annual financial statements, which are available on this website.
