Access to Information Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. A-1)

Marginal note:Hospitality expenses

71.06 Within 90 days after the end of the quarter in which any expenses incurred by a member of the House of Commons for a hospitality activity are reimbursed, the Speaker of the House of Commons shall cause to be published on the House of Commons’ website the following information:

• (a) the member’s name;

• (b) the purpose of the hospitality activity;

• (c) the date of the hospitality activity;

• (d) the municipality in which the hospitality activity took place;

• (e) the name of any commercial establishment or vendor involved in the hospitality activity;

• (f) the number of persons who attended the hospitality activity; and

• (g) the total amount of the expenses for the hospitality activity.

Marginal note:Contracts

• 71.07 (1) Within 90 days after the end of the quarter in which a contract is entered into by a member of the House of Commons with respect to House of Commons business, including a contract for professional, technical or administrative services or expertise, the Speaker of the House of Commons shall cause to be published on the House of Commons’ website the following information:

  • (a) the member’s name;

  • (b) the subject matter of the contract;

  • (c) the names of the other parties;

  • (d) the contract period; and

  • (e) the value of the contract.

• Marginal note:Increase or decrease in value of contract

  (2) Within 90 days after the end of the quarter in which a contract referred to in subsection (1) is amended so that its value is increased or decreased, the Speaker of the House of Commons shall cause to be published on the House of Commons’ website the value of the contract as amended.

Parliamentary Entities

Marginal note:Definition of head of a parliamentary entity

71.08 In sections 71.09 to 71.11, head of a parliamentary entity means

• (a) in respect of any administrative unit of the Senate — including a business sector, an operational division or a directorate — the person or committee that the Senate, by its rules or orders, designates;

• (b) in respect of the office of the Senate Ethics Officer, the Speaker of the Senate;

• (c) in respect of any administrative unit of the House of Commons, the Speaker of the House of Commons;

• (d) in respect of the office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, the Speaker of the House of Commons;

• (e) in respect of the Library of Parliament, the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons, jointly;

• (f) in respect of the Parliamentary Protective Service, the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons, jointly; and

• (g) in respect of the office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons, jointly.

Marginal note:Travel expenses

71.09 Within 60 days after the end of the quarter in which any travel expenses incurred by an employee of a parliamentary entity are reimbursed, the head of the parliamentary entity shall cause to be published on the entity’s website the following information:

• (a) the employee’s name;

• (b) the purpose of the travel;

• (c) the dates of the travel;

• (d) the places visited;

• (e) the total cost for each of the following classes of expenses, including the costs for any other person such as a spouse or dependant who participated in the travel:

  • (i) transportation,

  • (ii) lodging,

  • (iii) meals and any incidental expenses, and

  • (iv) other expenses; and

• (f) the total amount of the travel expenses.

Marginal note:Hospitality expenses

71.1 Within 60 days after the end of the quarter in which any expenses incurred by an employee of a parliamentary entity for a hospitality activity are reimbursed, the head of the parliamentary entity shall cause to be published on the entity’s website the following information:

• (a) the employee’s name;

• (b) the purpose of the hospitality activity;

• (c) the date of the hospitality activity;

• (d) the municipality in which the hospitality activity took place;

• (e) the name of any commercial establishment or vendor involved in the hospitality activity;

• (f) the number of persons who attended the hospitality activity; and

• (g) the total amount of the expenses for the hospitality activity.

Marginal note:Contracts over $10,000

• 71.11 (1) Within 60 days after the end of the quarter in which a contract that is in relation to the activities of a parliamentary entity and that has a value of more than $10,000 is entered into, the head of the parliamentary entity shall cause to be published on the entity’s website the following information:

  • (a) the subject matter of the contract;

  • (b) the names of the parties;

  • (c) the contract period; and

  • (d) the value of the contract.

• Marginal note:Contracts of $10,000 or less

  (2) Within 60 days after the end of the quarter in which a contract — that has been entered into in relation to the activities of a parliamentary entity and that has a value of $10,000 or less — is amended so that its value exceeds $10,000, the head of the parliamentary entity shall cause to be published on the entity’s website the information referred to in paragraphs (1)(a) to (d) with respect to the contract as amended.

• Marginal note:Increase or decrease in value of contract

  (3) Within 60 days after the end of the quarter in which a contract referred to in subsection (1) or (2) is amended so that its value is increased or decreased, the head of the parliamentary entity shall cause to be published on the entity’s website the value of the contract as amended.

Parliamentary Privilege and Security of Persons, Infrastructure and Goods

Marginal note:Parliamentary privilege

71.12 Sections 71.02 to 71.11 do not apply to any of the information or any part of the information referred to in those sections if the Speaker of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Commons, as applicable, determines that the publication may constitute a breach of parliamentary privilege.

Marginal note:Security of persons, infrastructure and goods

71.13 The Speaker of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Commons or the person or committee designated for the purposes of paragraph 71.08(a), as applicable, is not required to cause to be published any of the information or any part of the information referred to in any of sections 71.09 to 71.11 if the Speaker of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Commons, as applicable, determines, after receiving the advice of the Parliamentary Protective Service or any administrative unit of the Senate or of the House of Commons, that the publication could compromise the security of persons, infrastructure or goods in the parliamentary precinct, as defined in section 79.51 of the Parliament of Canada Act.

Marginal note:Final decision

71.14 A determination by the Speaker of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Commons or a delegate of either Speaker that a publication may constitute a breach of parliamentary privilege or could compromise the security of persons, infrastructure or goods is final for the purposes of this Part, subject to the rules and orders of both Houses of Parliament.

Ministers

Marginal note:Definitions

72 The following definitions apply in sections 73 to 80.

minister

minister includes the Prime Minister and any Minister of State or Associate Minister. (ministre)

ministerial adviser

ministerial adviser has the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) of the Conflict of Interest Act. (conseiller ministériel)

ministerial staff

ministerial staff has the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) of the Conflict of Interest Act. (personnel ministériel)

quarter

quarter means a three-month period that begins on the first day of April, July, October or January. (trimestre)

72.1 [Repealed, 2019, c. 18, s. 37]

Marginal note:Mandate letters

73 The Prime Minister shall cause to be published in electronic form any letter or revised letter in which he or she establishes the mandate of any other minister within 30 days after the issuance of the letter or revised letter.

Marginal note:Briefing materials

74 A minister shall cause to be published in electronic form

• (a) within 120 days after the appointment of the minister, the package of briefing materials that is prepared for the minister by a government institution for the purpose of enabling the minister to assume the powers, duties and functions of his or her office;

• (b) within 30 days after the end of the month in which any memorandum prepared by a government institution for the minister is received by his or her office, the title and reference number of each memorandum that is received;

• (c) within 30 days after the last sitting day of the House of Commons in June and December or, respectively, no later than July 31 or January 31 if the House of Commons is not sitting in June or December, the package of question period notes that were prepared by a government institution for the minister and that were in use on the last sitting day of the month in question; and

• (d) within 120 days after the minister’s appearance before a committee of Parliament, the package of briefing materials that is prepared by a government institution for the minister for the purpose of that appearance.

Marginal note:Travel expenses

75 Within 30 days after the end of the month in which any travel expenses incurred by a minister, any of his or her ministerial advisers or any member of his or her ministerial staff are reimbursed, the minister shall cause to be published in electronic form the following information:

• (a) the name of the minister, the ministerial adviser or the ministerial staff member, as applicable;

• (b) the purpose of the travel;

• (c) the dates of the travel;

• (d) the places visited;

• (e) the total cost for each of the following classes of expenses, including the costs for any other person such as a spouse or dependant who participated in the travel:

  • (i) transportation,

  • (ii) lodging,

  • (iii) meals and any incidental expenses, and

  • (iv) other expenses; and

• (f) the total amount of the travel expenses.

Marginal note:Hospitality expenses

76 Within 30 days after the end of the month in which any expenses incurred by a minister, any of his or her ministerial advisers or any member of his or her ministerial staff for a hospitality activity are reimbursed, the minister shall cause to be published in electronic form the following information:

• (a) the name of the minister, the ministerial adviser or the ministerial staff member, as applicable;

• (b) the purpose of the hospitality activity;

• (c) the date of the hospitality activity;

• (d) the municipality in which the hospitality activity took place;

• (e) the name of any commercial establishment or vendor involved in the hospitality activity;

• (f) the number of persons who attended the hospitality activity; and

• (g) the total amount of the expenses for the hospitality activity.

Marginal note:Contracts over $10,000

• 77 (1) Within 30 days after the end of each of the first three quarters and within 60 days after the end of each fourth quarter, a minister shall cause to be published in electronic form the following information with respect to any contract that is entered into during the quarter in relation to the activities of the minister’s office that result in expenses being incurred by the minister or by any of his or her ministerial advisers or any member of his or her ministerial staff if the value of the contract is more than $10,000:

  • (a) the subject matter of the contract;

  • (b) the names of the parties;

  • (c) the contract period;

  • (d) the value of the contract; and

  • (e) the reference number assigned to the contract, if any.

• Marginal note:Contracts of $10,000 or less

  (2) Within 30 days after the end of the quarter in which a contract — that has been entered into in relation to the activities of a minister’s office that result in expenses being incurred by the minister or by any of his or her ministerial advisers or any member of his or her ministerial staff and that has a value of $10,000 or less — is amended so that its value exceeds $10,000, or within 60 days after the end of that quarter if that quarter is the fourth quarter, the minister shall cause to be published in electronic form the information referred to in paragraphs (1)(a) to (e) with respect to the contract as amended.

• Marginal note:Increase or decrease in value of contract

  (3) Within 30 days after the end of the quarter in which a contract referred to in subsection (1) or (2) is amended so that its value is increased or decreased by more than $10,000, or within 60 days after the end of that quarter if that quarter is the fourth quarter, the minister shall cause to be published in electronic form the value of the contract as amended.