We did look at that aspect, Peter, just in terms of where the proper place for this was. The advice that we were given is that, while it could exist within PROC, as is sometimes legislated, Standing Order 108(3) allows us at the end, with “the ethical standards of public office holders” the purview to review.
What we're trying to do is, as my grandmother used to say, “Never waste a good crisis.” If something goes wrong, the worst thing you can do is not learn any lessons from what has happened. We see this use of the Ethics Commissioner.... She is in an awkward space sometimes, Chair, as you know, because the conversations that we as MPs have with her are by default private, in order to say things. I've had conversations with her privately, and I want to have them publicly. I think that would be helpful to everybody.
If we are not to learn from these things, the concern is that the message sent is that the act has contained within it provisions, for example, that if I own a company but I number the company, then it changes my ethical obligations on reporting. It changes my obligations with respect to conflict of interest, which is the code, a different thing. Yet this committee is charged under 108(3) to look at moments like this, and we have a moment like this right now, “the ethical standards of public officer holders”.
I hear the concern about whether it's best done at PROC or best here. We read 108(3) pretty clearly. It says, “the ethical standards of public office holders”, so here is where we can review. The Ethics Commissioner certainly would be the first witness we would want to call.