Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank Mr. Sebert for that part.
Municipal Councils
Municipal councils are not an equivalent level of government, but their standards of conduct are nevertheless an indicator of public expectations. Many municipal governments in Canada have adopted codes of conduct, some of them quite stringent. Ontario provides several similar examples in Barrie, Kitchener, the County of Brant, and others. These codes are both aspirational and prescriptive, with direct references to the Criminal Code of Canada and several Ontario laws governing Members’ conduct.
The County of Brant’s code of conduct, for example, features typical conflict-of-interest provisions as well as general standards of conduct and responsibilities including:
● Members are responsible for making honest statements. No member shall make a statement when they know that statement is false;
● Members shall exercise care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances;
● Members shall competently exercise his or her office by educating themselves either formally or informally, in matters pertaining to their official duties;
● Members of council must uphold the law and conduct themselves with the highest degree of ethical behaviour and integrity; and
● Members shall not attempt, directly or indirectly, to influence the decision-making process as it relates to the awarding of contracts.
As is typical of other municipal codes of conduct in Ontario, Brant County’s includes detailed procedures for complaints and investigations by an Integrity Commissioner. The Commissioner is empowered to recommend a reprimand, or suspension of a councillor’s pay for up to 90 days.
However, the compliance section of Brant County’s code also refers to expulsion; Members of Council may become disqualified and lose their seats if convicted of an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada or for failing to declare a conflict of interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)
Most conduct guidelines for non-parliamentary organizations are vague, unenforceable, and do not deal with personal matters. Generally, such codes focus on workplace conduct and business integrity and do not venture very far into personal conduct.
References to alcohol and substance abuse or violence outside the workplace are virtually nonexistent or purely aspirational in nature. Likewise, confidentiality policies and general integrity clauses (re: good stewardship of public resources) do exist elsewhere but are no more strongly and specifically-worded than what we already have. However, personal conduct is a live issue for many NGOs working to improve governance and ensuring the confidence of donors and funders.
Some organizations’ codes of conduct reflect high standards and are linked to enforcement mechanisms. For example, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) requires its employees to act “at all times with integrity and in a manner that will bear the closest public scrutiny, an obligation that may not be fully satisfied by simply acting within the law.” More specifically, CBC’s code deals with conflict of interest, use of public funds and resources, discrimination and harassment, and so on.
Compliance is a condition of employment, and failure to comply “may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate dismissal.” CBC employees are “obligated to immediately report possible breaches of the Code of Conduct; channels for doing so are clearly set out. Events at CBC in recent years illustrate that to be effective, even a rigorous code of conduct must be actively supported by management and a healthy workplace culture. At this part, I would like to pass on the next part of the report to Mr. Beaulieu. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.