Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
A long time ago, a French politician said, “If it goes without saying, it will go even better by saying it.” So I'm going to make a couple of points.
The amendment we just passed had to do with the preamble. The problem with preambles is that they can often be useful, but they generally contain value judgments as if they contain a conclusion before the debate is done, which isn't desirable.
With respect to the motion, I'll give the example of the Prime Minister, who has already had problems with gifts and conflicts of interest. However, you don't necessarily have to convict someone in advance. When you're Prime Minister, the chances are slim that you'll try to go to the Ticketmaster site to buy a ticket. It would even be unwise to do so.
So there's a certain logic to someone buying a ticket and paying the price. I fully agree with asking for a document that proves it. There's no problem, since the Prime Minister's history on gifts and conflicts of interest is indeed nebulous.
You can't take advantage of your office for personal gain. I agree, but was there another way to do it? I'm not sure. The documents will show that, but we must avoid having this committee become a permanent tribunal. Ms. Khalid and I are, I think, the only two original members of this committee.
Is that correct, Ms. Khalid?
We're the only members who have been here since the beginning. We've witnessed debates that have served the public interest. I believe that these debates will contribute to positive change.
However, some questions are raised, and Mr. Barrett's is a good one. However, we mustn't become, under the wording of the motion, a court whose purpose is to always convict someone in advance and to act as such.
I'll support the motion because asking for documents is reasonable. That said, I'd like the committee to note that our role isn't that of a court, and that there are bodies such as the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner that will be called upon to judge this type of thing.
Thank you very much.