It was scope. Okay. However, if we start having judicial powers when dealing with conflict of interest issues, I think it's going to be a whole other ball of wax. It could be used, for example, as a political or partisan weapon against anybody the majority decides should be on the receiving end of that. This is where I really feel that this....
You know, I read the evidence. I looked at it again. I listened carefully to all the questions that were asked. I asked my own questions. There's really nothing more to be said. It has all been clearly dealt with.
Chair, I just want to....
Sometimes my constituents ask me what committees are and what they do. They hear things, and then they ask me how they can keep an eye on MPs' and ministers' work.
I mentioned fake scandals earlier. People ask me what's going on in Ottawa and tell me there must be a way to look into allegations. They want to have confidence in their MPs and their ministers. They ask me why people are always stirring up fake scandals. They see all this and they hear about text messages and Purolator and so on.
They wonder if that's why they're sending MPs to Ottawa to get paid big bucks. We know exactly what we get paid, what our budgets are and how much we get to spend on staff. Are we being paid to look at MPs' texts about a Purolator account? This is so weird.
I'm very happy with the answer the minister gave today. I think I'll make a little clip and post it on social media. It doesn't really come naturally to me, but I do my best. People are wondering if the process is thorough and trustworthy, so I want to show them the minister's response. That way, they'll have a better understanding of the Commissioner's investigation process and see how the minister answered his questions. When I show them that the issue was text messages about a Purolator account…. I didn't get to hear Mr. Anderson's testimony, but, based on what my colleagues have told me, he's not a very trustworthy person. That may be worth looking into, but we're not talking about him, are we? We're talking about the minister, and the minister provided all his information and all his communications. I wonder what would happen if officials had the right to search everyone's phone.
I was here when the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics examined the use of parliamentary email addresses and resources by political parties. I think Mr. Cooper and Mr. Barrett were here. In 2019, 2020 and even 2021, I was still getting fundraising emails from the Conservative Party of Canada, since I used to be a member, as well as emails from some MPs that were sent from their parliamentary email addresses. It was interesting. I should have suggested that we look at the use of parliamentary resources for partisan purposes. Maybe I'll get another chance. That might be interesting, so I'll jot it down and come back to it at another time.
This motion is really just a witch hunt. Actually, it's not even a witch hunt, because there are no witches. The rabbits are
down the rabbit hole. The rabbits are gone.
There are no witches. Nothing to see. It's just about a few text messages and a silly story about a Purolator account. I think all of us have given our information and phone number to a business and then received a call telling us to forward something. It's seriously annoying. For sure, it can lead people who don't trust the process to speculate and make assumptions. The Conservatives certainly do that. I see that Mr. Green does not trust the work of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. I would like him to explain exactly what he would like from him. Obviously, my colleagues don't think his work is comprehensive enough.
I am just a member of Parliament. I do not have a big portfolio, nor am I in business. I find that he follows up the files very well. He asks us questions, follows up, gives us deadlines to meet, and all the information we provide ends up being made public. I imagine that this makes for very interesting and relevant reading, not only for the other members, but also for all the employees who work here.
There is certainly a reason why Parliament created the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. It wasn't just a matter of having a regular way for the public to find out about the profile of MPs. The public has a right to know that because we are responsible for millions if not billions of dollars. This is even more true for the people who form the government.
Also, I'm not sure when the Conflict of Interest Act was enacted. I think it was in the 1980s or 1990s. The analysts can help me with that. That was the act that created the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.