Organization Profile - Office of the Privacy Commissioner

The Governor in Council shall, by commission under the Great Seal, appoint a Privacy Commissioner after consultation with the leader of every recognized party in the Senate and House of Commons and approval of the appointment by resolution of the Senate and House of Commons. The Privacy Commissioner holds office during good behaviour for a term of seven years, but may be removed for cause by the GIC at any time upon address of the House of Commons and Senate. The Privacy Commissioner is eligible for reappointment for terms not exceeding seven years. The Commissioner shall have the rank and all the powers of a deputy head of a department, and shall engage exclusively in the duties of the office of Privacy Commissioner under this Act or any other Act of Parliament.

The GIC may appoint, on the recommendation of the Privacy Commissioner, one or more Assistant Privacy Commissioners to hold office during good behaviour for renewable terms not exceeding five years. An Assistant Privacy Commissioner shall engage exclusively in such duties or functions of the office of the Privacy Commissioner under this Act or any other Act of Parliament as are delegated by the Privacy Commissioner.

In the event of the absence or incapacity of the Privacy Commissioner, or if that office is vacant, the GIC may appoint any qualified person to hold office in the interim for a term not exceeding six months, and that person shall, while holding that office, be paid the salary or other remuneration and expenses that may be fixed by the GIC.

The GIC may appoint as Privacy Commissioner under the Privacy Act, the Information Commissioner appointed under the Access to Information Act.

In the event that the Information Commissioner is appointed as Privacy Commissioner, the Privacy Commissioner shall be paid the salary of the Information Commissioner but not the salary of the Privacy Commissioner.

The Privacy Commissioner is an Agent of Parliament. The Minister of Justice has been designated as the "appropriate Minister" for the purposes of the Financial Administration Act.

Privacy Act

54 (2) The Privacy Commissioner shall be paid a salary equal to the salary of a judge of the Federal Court, other than the Chief Justice, and is entitled to be paid reasonable travel and living expenses incurred in the performance of duties under this Act or any other Act of Parliament.