Canadians should be able to trust that elected officials and senior public office holders are making decisions in the public interest — not in ways that could increase their own personal wealth.

Canada already has conflict-of-interest laws, disclosure requirements, recusals and blind-trust rules. But those safeguards may not fully address situations where an office holder retains a significant financial interest connected to a company or industry that can benefit from government decisions.

A blind trust may prevent someone from managing an investment directly, but it does not necessarily eliminate their underlying economic interest. Likewise, broad government policies affecting an entire industry may still create substantial benefits for particular companies in which an elected official or senior office holder has a significant financial interest.

We are calling for stronger, clearer rules that apply equally to every political party and every present and future government.

We call upon Parliament and the Government of Canada to strengthen federal conflict-of-interest rules by:

1. Requiring senior public office holders to divest company-specific shares, stock options, deferred share units, deferred compensation and comparable financial interests where those interests could reasonably be materially affected by matters over which they exercise influence.

2. Where immediate divestment is legally or practically impossible, requiring an independent fair-market valuation when the person enters office and safeguards against receiving a material personal financial benefit arising from government decisions, contracts, expenditures or policies over which they exercised significant influence.

3. Requiring Members of Parliament and senior public office holders to disclose and recuse themselves from debating, voting on, recommending or materially influencing an identifiable matter where they or their immediate family could reasonably receive a material financial benefit.

4. Requiring independent conflict-of-interest review of broad or industry-wide government measures when an office holder retains a substantial company-specific financial interest that could benefit.

5. Limiting reliance on blind trusts when an office holder continues to be economically exposed to the success or failure of the underlying corporation.

6. Strengthening public disclosure requirements for deferred compensation and similar financial arrangements, including the corporate connection and material terms.

7. Strengthening the investigative, audit, disclosure and enforcement powers and resources of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

These reforms should apply equally to Liberals, Conservatives, New Democrats, Bloc Québécois, Greens, Independents and any future political party or government.

This is not about targeting one politician or one party.

It is about establishing a simple principle:

No person entrusted with public power should be placed in a position where exercising that power can materially increase their own private financial wealth.

Please support stronger conflict-of-interest laws in Canada and help demonstrate that Canadians want transparency, accountability and public decisions made in the public interest.