Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) met on October 1, 2025, to study the Conflict of Interest Act, hearing from three witnesses: Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch; Ian Stedman, Associate Professor at York University; and Lori Turnbull, Professor at Dalhousie University.

Duff Conacher argued that the Conflict of Interest Act is a "sad joke" with loopholes that allow 99% of decisions by powerful officials to avoid scrutiny, including a "general application" exemption that lets Prime Minister Mark Carney participate in decisions affecting his investments. He recommended closing all loopholes, requiring full divestment of financial assets (with tax breaks for those entering office), banning blind trusts and ethics screens, and imposing mandatory penalties. Conacher criticized the Ethics Commissioner for proposing changes that would weaken the law, and disagreed with the idea that ethics screens or blind trusts effectively prevent conflicts of interest.

Ian Stedman emphasized that avoiding the perception of conflict is crucial, and recommended that the Ethics Commissioner first be empowered to give advice on potential and apparent conflicts before enforcement is added. He noted that blind trusts are insufficient because the office holder knows what they own, and suggested that forcing asset sales could deter people from public office. Stedman agreed with Conacher that the Prime Minister's ethics screen is unprecedented in scope and lacks transparency, and he expressed skepticism about its day-to-day operation by staff who serve at the Prime Minister's pleasure.

Lori Turnbull argued that ethics rules exist to enable participation in politics, not to make it impossible, and that no law can substitute for good judgment. She opposed requiring leadership candidates to disclose assets, as they are private citizens with no decision-making power, and suggested that the "appearance of conflict" belongs in a code, not the law. Turnbull disagreed with Conacher on the need for divestment, noting that the Prime Minister's unusual case is manageable under the current regime, and she stressed that the public's trust is not necessarily tied to financial conflicts.

The committee debated a motion by Michael Cooper to order the Prime Minister's Office to produce records of meetings with business and investment leaders during recent trips to New York and London, citing a lack of transparency around the ethics screen.