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 the same distinctions and make the same judgments the member was speaking about as Minister of Finance and Prime Minister, with very extensive business dealings--much more extensive than mine--in this country.
So I think that people can make it work. It was not notably a hindrance. It didn't create a notable bureaucracy at that time. Today we actually have an office created by statute to administer it. My view is that this will actually be very straightforward, not complex, and will work.
And it will protect fundamentally what we care about, which is that you can bring people into government to bring their outside experiences, their knowledge, their background to bear, and do so in a way that ensures with full transparency and full accountability that the interests of the people of Canada are served first and foremost.
That's my own personal commitment. It matters to me. It matters to this government. And that's the reason this legislation was the first piece of legislation introduced by this government into the House.