6.3 CBSA Values, Ethics & Conflict of Interest

6.3 Integrity, Fairness and Trust

Core skill: Client service includes honest records, fair treatment and protection of information. These are general professional judgments. Questions in this section supply any rules needed; no statute or internal CBSA manual needs to be memorized for the OTEE.

Integrity in everyday decisions

A public-facing worker may face pressure from a friend, an upset client or a busy colleague. The ethical answer does not change because the person is familiar, senior or forceful. A professional admits an error, corrects it through the process stated in the scenario, and records facts accurately. Altering a record to protect a colleague or hiding a known mistake sacrifices trust and can harm clients later.

Separate facts from assumptions

A nervous traveller is not automatically dishonest. A damaged form is not automatically fraudulent. If an item asks for the most professional response, first identify what is actually observed. Do not convert an impression into a definite accusation. Record the specific discrepancy, ask an appropriate question and use the escalation path given in the stem. If the question provides no evidence of misconduct, choose a neutral action.

Service under pressure

When time is short, integrity can feel inconvenient. A rushed answer may ignore a required check, overlook a conflict or copy an unverified claim. A better answer balances speed with accuracy: state what is known, identify what remains unverified and give the next person a clear handoff. If the request is beyond your authority under a stated hypothetical rule, seek the named decision-maker rather than improvising permission.

Consider a supervisor’s request to change a report after discovering an arithmetic mistake. If the goal is to correct an error transparently, update the figures, note the correction and inform affected people. If the request is to erase a true observation because it is embarrassing, decline to falsify it and use the reporting route available in the scenario. The distinction is whether the record becomes more accurate or less.

Answer-choice traps

• Status bias: A high-status person does not receive a different rule merely because of status.
• Outcome-only reasoning: A quick result achieved by concealment is not effective service.
• Mind reading: Nervousness, accent or disagreement is not proof of wrongdoing.
• False dilemma: It is often possible to enforce a stated condition and still explain a helpful next step.

These principles support the four published OTEE competencies through fair judgment and clear communication. They are not an examination of legal powers or statute numbers.