Inquiry: Subsections 3(1)-(2) of Public Office Holders Code

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The third legal initiative launched that related to David Emerson’s switch of parties was:

(L-3)   Did David Emerson violate Subsections 3(1)-(2) of the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders?

In a 14 March 2006 letter and same-day news release, Democracy Watch asked Mr. Shapiro to investigate whether David Emerson had violated the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders (known as the Public Office Holders Code for short), currently only available in English and French in PDF

Democracy Watch asked the Commissioner to investigate Mr. Emerson because he was a Cabinet minister when he switched parties for possible violations of Subsections 3(1) and 3(2) of the Public Office Holders Code. These Subsections read as follows:

3.   Every public office holder shall conform to the following principles:

3.    Le titulaire d’une charge publique doit se conformer aux principes suivants :

Ethical Standards

Normes en matière d’éthique

(1)   Public office holders shall act with honesty and uphold the highest ethical standards so that public confidence and trust in the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of government are conserved and enhanced.

(1)    Il agira avec honnêteté ainsi que selon des normes supérieures en matière d’éthique de façon à préserver et à faire croître la confiance du public dans l’intégrité, l’objectivité et l’impartialité du gouvernement.

Public Scrutiny

Examen public

(2)   Public office holders have an obligation to perform their official duties and arrange their private affairs in a manner that will bear the closest public scrutiny, an obligation that is not fully discharged by simply acting within the law.

(2)    Il doit exercer ses fonctions officielles et organiser ses affaires personnelles d’une manière si irréprochable qu’elle puisse résister à l’examen public le plus minutieux; pour s’acquitter de cette obligation, il ne lui suffit pas simplement d’observer la loi.

Democracy Watch expected a response from the Commissioner within 30 days, but it seems that the Commissioner never did respond to the NGO’s request for an inquiry.

► More on the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders.