As a public office holder, you and your family members are allowed to accept some gifts under the Conflict of Interest Act. In most cases, the Act requires you to disclose those gifts.
In this video, I will discuss when you must disclose an acceptable gift to our Office and how to do so.
WHEN AN ACCEPTABLE GIFT MUST BE DISCLOSED
If you or a member of your family receives an acceptable gift valued at $200 or more, you must disclose it to our Office within 30 days.
If you receive from the same source a series of acceptable gifts in a 12-month period, you must disclose them to our Office within 30 days after their combined value reaches $200.
A gift is deemed to have been accepted when there is actual physical transmission of the object.
For example, when your staff member accepts a gift on your behalf.
Also, the value of the gift is based on the gift's fair market value in Canada. That is the amount you would have to pay in Canada to purchase a similar gift.
HOW TO DISCLOSE AN ACCEPTED GIFT
To make a disclosure, you can either:
- Contact your advisor in our Office
- Or, do it electronically using our secure Declaration Portal
Information about the nature of the gifts, their source and the circumstances under which they were given is then made public on the searchable public registry through our website.
FORFEITURE
Please note that if you've received an acceptable gift valued at $1,000 or more, you must forfeit it unless I determine otherwise.
Your department is responsible for deciding what happens to forfeited gifts.
MORE INFORMATION
Consult our website for more information.
If you have any questions about disclosing a gift that you have accepted, consult your advisor in our Office.