One would think that members of Parliament would do the ethical thing and recuse themselves in those circumstances. Mind you, if they've put their names on those cheques, there is a question mark as to whether or not they would do the ethical thing.
We've previously discussed the $1,000 limit on gifts. But there's an exclusion for trips abroad. We've seen trips that have cost up to $10,000 per person. Family members of MPs have in fact taken such trips abroad. We have a $1,000 limit on gifts, but for trips abroad it's basically a free-for-all. It appears that some MPs actively take part in such foreign trips, with costs much higher than tens of thousands of dollars.
Should that be addressed, especially when you have committee members sitting on committees? These trips are often funded by foreign governments or lobbying organizations. Should that not be addressed, and is it ethical for members of Parliament who have participated in such trips to take part in discussions in committees pertaining to policies that relate to those countries or organizations?