For the committee's recollection, this is a motion I put forward a little while ago. I'll read the motion, and then we can have a quick talk about it. It says:
That, notwithstanding the motion adopted by the Committee on Monday, October 30, 2017, regarding the Conflict of Interest Act study, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner be invited to appear before the end of her tenure set for January 8, 2018.
We've checked with the commissioner, and I believe she is available when we have meetings on December 11 and December 13. The committee has no committee business during those days, so that would work.
The reason we moved this forward is initially when I stood down.... I think I stood down on the motion. I don't think we ever got to vote on it because the idea was that.... I remember having the exchange with Mr. Erskine-Smith that we would just simply invite her through estimates, not realizing that she didn't have any estimates. Only the commissioners of Information and Lobbying had estimates; the Ethics Commissioner did not. We can't call a commissioner forward if they haven't asked for more money during the estimates process.
That is compounded by the fact that her term is up on January 8. She's been extended twice already, and as the Ethics Commissioner has said, she has no desire or intention to be extended a third time. That would be a 24-month extension, which stops being an extension. That's just a new hire.
I perceive this as an exit interview, because in order for us to call her as a witness in the future beyond her date as commissioner, if she were not willing to come—and some of us may forgive her for not wanting to come back here if she's just left—I wouldn't want any circumstance in which we'd have to subpoena her. I think an exit interview is a very natural and normal process for a long-serving public official who has played a vital role for all of us as members of Parliament.
She's made recommendations to this committee before about the act, and I imagine that will be the topic of discussion for us. She also has valuable information and experience that is unique because she's the only Ethics Commissioner our country has ever had, as far as I know. Why not take the opportunity? She's available. We're available. Let's do this.
That's my motion.