Today, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario appointed Cathryn Motherwell as the province’s Integrity Commissioner for a five-year term.

Ms. Motherwell has served in several positions at the Office of the Integrity Commissioner since 2009 and has been Deputy Commissioner for the past six years.

“It is an honour to serve in this role, and to continue the important work of the Office as a centre of excellence in the areas of ethics, accountability and transparency,” said Commissioner Motherwell.

J. David Wake, K.C., Integrity Commissioner since 2016, retired at the end of February. Commissioner Motherwell and Office staff extend their appreciation for his significant contributions in service of government ethics in Ontario.

The Integrity Commissioner is an Officer of the Ontario Legislative Assembly and is appointed by unanimous consent by the Assembly.

Biographical note

Ms. Motherwell, a former journalist, has been with the Office of the Integrity Commissioner since 2009. Her leadership and dedication have been instrumental in shaping the office’s work across its seven mandates.

Ms. Motherwell has represented Ontario in government ethics, lobbyist registration and disclosure of wrongdoing meetings with other jurisdictions across Canada. She is a regular speaker and panelist at the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws and currently serves as its conference program co-chair. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.

About the OIC

The Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario is independent of government and works to reconcile private interests and public duties to encourage a culture of integrity among Ontario’s elected officials and public servants.

The Office has seven mandates under five pieces of legislation:

• Members’ Integrity, providing confidential conflict of interest advice to MPPs and conducting inquiries into alleged breaches;
• Ministers’ Staff Ethical Conduct, providing conflict of interest advice and direction to public servants in ministers’ offices;
• Lobbyists Registration, operating Ontario’s lobbyist registry and conducting investigations into potential non-compliance;
• Public Sector Ethics, providing conflict of interest advice and direction to Ethics Executives in ministries and public bodies;
• Disclosure of Wrongdoing, receiving whistleblowing disclosures from current and former members of the Ontario Public Service; and,
• Expenses Review:
  • Reviewing the travel, meal and hospitality expenses of Cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants, Opposition leaders, and their staff; and,
  • Reviewing the travel, meal, and hospitality expenses of selected provincial agencies.

Contact: Michelle Renaud, Manager, Communications and Outreach