Information & Ethics committee  Yes. This is increasingly the case in many areas.

Information & Ethics committee  I think my colleague has answered clearly. It affects your reputation. It follows you forever on Google. I would point out, although it's not my role, that Mr. Fergus was elected. He was not promoted by the Prime Minister.

Information & Ethics committee  The sponsored travel is fine, by definition, under the code—

Information & Ethics committee  —therefore, it doesn't matter who the donor is, because it's perfectly okay to be sponsored and to go on a trip. Anything that's incidental to the trip is also perfectly acceptable under the code.

Information & Ethics committee  It doesn't matter who gives the gift. The MPs are authorized to accept sponsored travel, period, from any entity.

Information & Ethics committee  As long as you go a few kilometres away, it is sponsored travel. There is no definition. Travel means you are not at your usual place of residence, period. If somebody pays for your trip to go there—

Information & Ethics committee  I would point out that there are no immediate consequences. There could very well be consequences of another nature, basically. That's why, for the reports, we investigate; we come to a conclusion; we send the report to the Prime Minister, and we publish immediately after, so that the public can see the report for themselves—what the findings were, what happened, and so on and so forth.

Information & Ethics committee  No. Frankly, I am not. I have a sense of what it could be, but I have not come across that situation.

Information & Ethics committee  It's complex and hypothetical; therefore, I will resist the temptation.

Information & Ethics committee  It's possible.

Information & Ethics committee  I posted it because I thought it was an interesting article about a situation I've been following for several years. That's all I wanted to do.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes, obviously. Before producing the investigation report, we analyzed the documents and testimonies available to us.

Information & Ethics committee  Seriously, I have no opinion on that.

Information & Ethics committee  It's obvious that a leader has a lot of influence on the behaviour of the people he leads. I saw it when I was at Correctional Service Canada and the Department of Justice. I've seen it everywhere I've worked. The leader's behaviour is, indeed, very important. It plays a role.

Information & Ethics committee  On the notion of besties, it's pretty obvious.