To provide an opportune response, I am a substitute for Mr. Angus and would never want to pretend to speak on his behalf, nor would I want to impugn his motives. It is very clear and contextual from where we're at today, from where I sit, that there are some factual statements that have been made that go beyond opinion in terms of results from previous transgressions.
While I appreciate the challenges the member might face in terms of the content of the preamble, I'm also confident that the results that will be had from successfully moving this motion here today will help us get to a better place in governance, because we have to have accountability. Saying I'm sorry is not good enough. Quite frankly, it just does not cut it. Saying I'm sorry is not being responsible.
Being responsible means learning from your transgressions and changing. This is elementary stuff. None of this stuff is overly complicated in terms of allegations that have been made or things that have been made public. This is very clear-cut stuff, things that I would hope learned and honourable members....
I should say this on the record now that I'm reminded of it, Madam Chair. I misspoke. I believe I said, “Garneau” hadn't read it. Of course, it was “Morneau”. I believe Garneau might speak a few languages and is probably pretty well read. It was Morneau who made the admission by omission that he probably hadn't even read the Conflict of Interest Act, even though it was in his mandate. That's where we're at. There's far too much at stake to simply sidestep this.
I hope that all members will recognize that as we walk through what will be, no doubt, a very delicate situation, balancing the privacy rights of private citizens with the need for openness, accountability and transparency at this table. As New Democrats—and I'm sure I can speak for my colleague Mr. Angus on this—we will always work to respect the private and delicate nature that we find ourselves in. This is actually about getting to somewhere where the hope is that future governments don't find themselves in the situation that this current government finds itself in. That's where we're at.
Again, I'll ask for the full support of all members. If we don't get it, I ask that this passes, and we get into the work of this committee to provide the types of recommendations that will help improve the governance and help improve democracy and accountability for all Canadians, quite frankly.
My apologies to Mr. Garneau for misspeaking his name earlier. I don't want to have to stand up in the House of Commons and suggest that I misled this committee. For the record, I'm quite clearly stating, it was Minister Morneau who suggested he hadn't read the act, when asked by my colleague Mr. Angus.