An all-party Committee of the Legislative Assembly is reviewing the Conflicts of Interest Act (COI). The public consultation process is now complete and the Committee will begin reviewing the responses and issues raised at its next meeting, scheduled for September 19th. The proceedings will be recorded and can be accessed on the Alberta Hansard.

The fundamental principles of the Act are:

• to foster public confidence and trust in elected officials
• to establish trusted accountability mechanisms and processes to maintain and enhance public confidence
• to charge the Ethics Commissioner with oversight of the Act and with educating those governed by it
• to legislate a Members’ reporting function that is aimed at eliminating the perception that elected representatives have the opportunity to use the powers of their public office to advance their own private interests (or the interests of those close to them)

Additional information is available from the Select Special Conflicts of Internet Act Review Committee page on the Legislative Assembly of Alberta website.

The deadline for submissions was September 9th, 2005.