What is a conflict of interest for a Canadian MP?

Under the Conflict of Interest Act, a conflict arises when an MP makes or influences a decision that could further their private interests or those of family members. MPs must avoid placing themselves in positions where private interests could conflict with public duties.

Who enforces conflict of interest rules for Canadian MPs?

The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (CIEC) administers the Conflict of Interest Act for MPs, ministers, and parliamentary secretaries. The Commissioner investigates complaints and publishes examination reports.

What must MPs disclose under the Conflict of Interest Act?

MPs must file confidential disclosure statements listing assets, liabilities, outside activities, and sources of income. A public summary is published on the Ethics Commissioner's registry. Ministers and parliamentary secretaries face additional requirements under the Conflict of Interest Act: material changes within 30 days, divestment of controlled assets within 120 days of appointment, and a cooling-off period after leaving office of one year for most reporting public office holders and two years for ministers.

How do I look up an MP's conflict of interest filings?

Public summaries are available through the CIEC website. Integrity Index aggregates and links the same source records so you can search by MP name or riding at integrityindex.ca/members.

MP conflict of interest in Canada | Ethics rules & public registry

The Conflict of Interest Act sets out what MPs and ministers must disclose, what conduct is prohibited, and how the Ethics Commissioner investigates potential breaches.

What is the Conflict of Interest Act?

The Conflict of Interest Act (S.C. 2006, c. 9) governs the conduct of federal public office holders — including ministers, parliamentary secretaries, ministerial staff, and Governor in Council appointees. Ordinary MPs are subject to a parallel instrument called the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons, which the Ethics Commissioner also administers.

Who enforces the rules?

The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (CIEC) is an independent Officer of Parliament. The Commissioner receives confidential disclosures from covered individuals, publishes public summaries, and can investigate alleged contraventions on request from an MP or the Prime Minister, or on the Commissioner's own initiative.

Examination reports are published on the CIEC website and remain publicly available as permanent records. A finding of contravention may result in a fine of up to $500 for public office holders under the Act.

What must be disclosed?

Covered individuals file confidential disclosure statements that include:

Assets and liabilities above the reporting threshold
Outside employment and board memberships
Sources of income (employment, business, investment)
Gifts received above prescribed values
Material changes in financial circumstances (including securities transactions)

The Commissioner publishes a public summary of each disclosure — not the full confidential statement. The public summary identifies reportable assets and liabilities without full values. Integrity Index links directly to those published summaries; we do not alter or re-interpret the wording of filed entries.

What counts as a conflict of interest?

A conflict arises when an MP or minister makes or participates in a decision that could further their own private financial interests, or those of a family member or private entity in which they hold a stake. The rules also prohibit:

Using insider information gained from public duties for personal benefit
Awarding contracts or appointments to a family member without proper process
Accepting gifts that could reasonably be seen as influencing decisions
Lobbying the federal government within one year (ministers: two years) of leaving office

How to find conflict filings for your MP

The CIEC website hosts the public registry at ethicscanada.ca/en/public-registry. You can search by name and view filed public summaries and any examination reports.

On Integrity Index, open any federal representative's profile from Browse members and navigate to the Disclosures tab. Source-linked rows from the CIEC registry are listed alongside filing dates. Conflict-review flags on profiles identify combinations of disclosed assets and committee or vote activity that warrant closer review — see Methodology for the exact logic.

Provincial rules

Each province has its own ethics regime for MPPs, MLAs, and MNAs. Ontario MPPs are covered by the Members' Integrity Act and the Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario. Rules around disclosure thresholds, blind trust requirements, and post-employment restrictions vary significantly between jurisdictions. Integrity Index surfaces provincial disclosure data where it is machine-readable — see MPP financial disclosure for the provincial comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Can the public file a conflict of interest complaint?

Only an MP or a senator may request an examination under the Act. Members of the public cannot directly trigger an investigation — but they can contact their MP and ask them to file a request with the Commissioner, or raise concerns with media and advocacy organizations.

Is a disclosed asset automatically a conflict of interest?

No. Disclosure is designed to surface potential conflicts so they can be managed — through recusal, divestment, or a blind trust. A filed asset is not itself evidence of wrongdoing. The conflict arises if the MP takes action that furthers that financial interest without proper management.

What happens after an examination report?

Examination reports are tabled in Parliament and published publicly. A finding of contravention for a public office holder can result in a fine. For ordinary MPs, the House of Commons may take further action. Examination reports remain as permanent public record regardless of outcome.

MP conflict of interest in Canada