City of Ottawa employees can no longer accept gifts of hospitality such as tickets or dinners from corporations or individuals who do business with the city.

'What we've seen with the public is discretion doesn't inspire their confidence.'— Coun. Peter Hume

City manager Kent Kirkpatrick announced the change to the staff code of conduct on Wednesday after some senior city managers attended an Ottawa Senators playoff hockey game as guests of Waste Management, a company that is applying to expand the controversial Carp Road dump.

Kirkpatrick says he wanted to "remove any ambiguities" with respect to the city's employee code of conduct, which previously stated that employees shouldn't accept "gifts, favours, hospitality or entertainment," but also said they could accept gifts such as meals if they're "part of a reciprocal business relationship" that "benefits the city."

Councillors to get their own gift policy

The staff code of conduct does not apply to councillors, who have begun trying to come up with their own policy.

Alta Vista Coun. Peter Hume said Wednesday he favours a rule like the new staff policy.

"You have to make it very clear like that because as soon as you introduce a grey area, there's discretion," he said Wednesday. "And what we've seen with the public is discretion doesn't inspire their confidence."

Mayor Larry O'Brien said he would prefer instead to have a public registry of all gifts and hospitality that councillors accept.

"There are times when it is a responsible thing for a politician … to go to a dinner when it is for the benefit of the community or benefit of a charity. There are other times when it isn't," he said. "And I think we need to be able to draw the line in the sand with a little bit more definition."

Last weekend, media reports revealed Richard Hewitt, deputy city manager of public works and services, was among employees who watched a recent Senators game from Waste Management's corporate box at Scotiabank Place. Hewitt's department oversees waste disposal and services.

On Monday, after those reports appeared, Ottawa Auditor General André Lalonde announced his department was investigating two cases to determine whether senior employees broke the city's staff code of conduct when they accepted gifts, including hockey tickets.