Information & Ethics committee  I will obviously have a full exit briefing with the Ethics Commissioner and her staff, as is provided for under the act. I've read the act several times very thoroughly. I've thought very carefully about how it might apply to me in my circumstances. Again, I think it's a very wel

Information & Ethics committee  Mr. Chair, I have just a very few. First of all, I want to thank the members. These are important matters. I think they've been treated as important matters, so I actually appreciate the invitation to come here to speak about them. I feel it's been a good conversation. I just ho

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you. I think that was very well stated. It's how the act does work and should work. I note that although the Right Honourable Paul Martin did not have the benefit of an independent officer of Parliament to help administer his system, he certainly seemed to be able to draw

Information & Ethics committee  I think it's a very well-intentioned question, so I appreciate it. Part of my comfort, Mr. Chair, is because I know the deputy chief of staff in the Prime Minister's Office who is going to be the supervisor of the ethical wall. I think you actually need an individual like that w

Information & Ethics committee  Mr. Chair, I would make a couple of observations in answering that question. First of all, my own view is that the matters covered by the law will be limited in number. As I said, it was 10 one year for Mr. Martin as prime minister, 15 another year, 11 times in one year for Ms.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you. It will be, as I think Mr. Wild has stated, for the Ethics Commissioner to determine whether there are aspects of any budget that cover matters within the scope of the ethical wall. If that determination is made, then I would recuse myself, remove myself from any of

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you. I have started a leave of absence from Onex. What that means, as I've already said, is I am earning no compensation there, have no contact with them, no longer have access to the premises, files, information, have told the Office of the Ethics Commissioner I will not

Information & Ethics committee  The blind trust was set up under agreements that are standard form documents created within the Office of the Ethics Commissioner. It was set up with an arm's-length trustee owned by one of the Canadian chartered banks, and all of the controlled assets, as that term is defined in

Information & Ethics committee  Mr. Chair, the act governing me is the Conflict of Interest Act. The act does provide that No former reporting public office holder shall enter into a contract of service with...or accept an offer of employment with, an entity with which he or she had direct and significant off

Information & Ethics committee  Mr. Chair, with the greatest respect to the member, the person who will advise and make determinations about whether something is or is not possible under the act is the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. To the second question, I have already stopped earning. I will

Information & Ethics committee  Mr. Chair, I don't accept the member's description. I can only speak to my experience, and my experience is that the amount of interaction between Onex and the Government of Canada has been extremely limited. When we look at two other examples, Mr. Chair--

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we look at two other examples of very senior public officials, Prime Minister Martin and the Honourable Belinda Stronach, both had very extensive business dealings. When I count the number of times it was published that matters came to their attention

Information & Ethics committee  Mr. Chair, the Ethics Commissioner has not indicated to me, based on the disclosure I've made to her, that general corporate income tax rates in Canada are subject matter for the wall.

Information & Ethics committee  There's no requirement for me to avoid dealing with corporate tax rates as a matter of general application, as you see in the statute, and it does not affect the public office holder other than as a broader class of persons. If the Ethics Commissioner makes a different determinat

Information & Ethics committee  That's the second question, Mr. Chair. I think the matter is very straightforward. I think the wall itself is clear. I think people will know what their functions are. The ultimate decision-maker is very clear; it's established by statute. I expect this to be of minimum hindr