Federal Conflict of Interest Investigation Request Form

Canada's federal public office holders—including Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, and Parliamentary Secretaries—are bound by the Conflict of Interest Act and the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. When a potential violation arises, the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has the authority to investigate and ensure that ethical standards are maintained at the highest levels of government.

This Federal Conflict of Interest Investigation Request Form provides a clear, structured way for members of the public, journalists, advocacy groups, or concerned citizens to formally request an investigation into alleged conflicts of interest, breaches of ethics rules, or failures to disclose relevant financial or business interests.

Who Should Use This Form

This template is designed for:

• Advocacy organizations and watchdog groups monitoring government accountability and transparency
• Journalists and media outlets investigating potential ethics violations
• Citizens and stakeholders who believe a public office holder has violated conflict of interest rules
• Legal professionals and compliance advisors submitting formal complaints on behalf of clients or organizations
• Political parties and opposition members raising concerns about government conduct

What the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Does

The Commissioner is an independent officer of Parliament responsible for:

• Administering the Conflict of Interest Act for public office holders (Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, ministerial staff)
• Overseeing the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons
• Conducting investigations into alleged contraventions
• Providing confidential advice and guidance to public office holders
• Issuing public reports on findings and recommendations

Common Grounds for Investigation Requests

Investigation requests often involve:

• Undisclosed financial interests or assets that could influence official duties
• Acceptance of gifts, hospitality, or benefits that may compromise impartiality
• Post-employment activities that conflict with prior government roles (the "cooling-off" period)
• Preferential treatment for businesses, organizations, or individuals with personal connections
• Use of insider information for personal financial gain
• Improperly furthering private interests while in public office
• Failure to recuse from decisions where a conflict exists

How This Form Supports Your Investigation Request

Paperform makes it easy to compile and submit a comprehensive, well-documented request to the Commissioner's office. This template includes:

• Complainant information: Full contact details and the option to submit anonymously or publicly
• Public office holder details: Name, position, constituency, and portfolio responsibilities
• Nature of the alleged violation: Specific provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act or Code that may have been breached
• Detailed description of the complaint: A structured text area for outlining the facts, timeline, and evidence
• Supporting documentation upload: Attach contracts, correspondence, news articles, financial disclosures, or other evidence
• Witness or corroborating information: Optional fields to identify additional sources or testimony
• Desired outcome: What the complainant hopes the investigation will achieve

The form can be customized to align with the Commissioner's evolving submission guidelines, and all data is collected securely and can be exported for formal filing.

Streamline the Submission Process with Paperform and Stepper

For advocacy groups, legal teams, or media organizations managing multiple complaints or coordinating investigations, Paperform integrates seamlessly with Stepper to automate your workflow:

• Auto-generate PDF summaries of each complaint for internal review and record-keeping
• Route submissions for legal review before formal submission to the Commissioner
• Send confirmation emails to complainants with case reference numbers and next steps
• Update tracking databases in Airtable, Notion, or Google Sheets to monitor investigation status
• Trigger Slack or email alerts to notify your team when high-priority complaints are submitted

This level of automation means your team can focus on substantive research and advocacy, rather than manual data entry and follow-up.

Why Paperform for Canadian Legal and Compliance Forms

Paperform is trusted by legal professionals, compliance teams, government relations advisors, and advocacy organizations across Canada for creating secure, accessible, and professional forms. With SOC 2 Type II compliance, conditional logic, file uploads, and multi-language support, Paperform ensures that sensitive requests are handled with care and professionalism.

Whether you're submitting a single complaint or managing an ongoing accountability campaign, this template gives you a clear, credible, and well-documented foundation for engaging with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

For organizations that handle regulatory submissions, public interest complaints, or government accountability work, Paperform provides the flexibility, security, and automation you need to operate efficiently and transparently—without needing developers or complex software.

Start your investigation request today and help uphold the integrity of Canada's public institutions.