Thank you.
I think we can all agree—and I've said this before—that the initial proposal brought forward by my colleague, MP Mr. Angus, to study the ethical mechanisms in place to protect against the conflict of interest in the Prime Minister's Office is fair and is a study that could yield some fair and reasonable recommendations from members of this committee. This motion, Mr. Chair, fits the mandate of our committee. It fits the basic functions of our committee to study the key aspects as they relate to our mandate as found in the Standing Orders of the House of Commons.
However, I would like to point out that what is not found in our Standing Orders is any reference to this committee being an investigative body. As MP Sorbara said a few minutes ago—and it's worth repeating—this committee is not a court of law. There are no rules of judicial fairness. There are no judges—