Oath of trust proposed for provincial MPPs

An Ontario Liberal wants to restore trust in public institutions.

Adil Shamji is proposing a new oath for MPPs to adhere to when taking office.

The Toronto-area MPP says it outlines basic principles that need to be reiterated.

“It calls for things such as telling the truth, acting in the public interest, rejecting payment or reward to be persuaded to act in a biased or corrupt manner, and obeying the principles of our legislature and the laws of our land,” says Shamji.

Shamji says he was shocked to see how little trust there is in public institutions when he was first elected in 2022, after coming to political office as a family physician, feeling that he had gone from the most trusted profession to the least trusted.

He notes that similar oaths are also followed by police officers, lawyers and municipal councils.

“I think Ontarians want to know that their MPPs will represent their best interests, will tell the truth, will act fairly, impartially, and honestly, that their MPPs will not use their office for personal gain, and that they will follow the law. Because no one should be above the law, and no one should be allowed to use their powers or privileges for personal gain.”

Currently, MPPs are only required to pledge our allegiance to the King.

They are governed by Integrity laws, but Shamji feels an oath of trust addresses issues not made explicit.

“There’s right and wrong, and then there can be gray areas, and an oath of office that outlines a shared set of values and principles can help navigate the conduct of members in those gray areas, says Shamji.

While his Private Member’s Bill has yet to be voted upon, Shamji is asking in the interim for all members to voluntarily subscribe to his oath as a signal of their commitment to acting in the public interest and with fairness, honesty and integrity.

Personalized copies were delivered to all members on Tuesday.

Members of the Liberal Party were among the first to sign.