Thank you, Chair.
Just to clarify, Mr. Barrett may have misunderstood what I asked earlier. My specific ask to Mr. Barrett was to seek a response, based on his consent, about his correspondence with the Ethics Commissioner on this specific topic that we have spent two hours discussing today. I asked how the Ethics Commissioner responded to him and whether we could see that correspondence. Mr. Barrett referred to part of that correspondence in his remarks later on, after I made the request.
I would again put it to Mr. Barrett, if he feels so willing.... If he wants to share what, specifically, the Ethics Commissioner said in his initial inquiry into this matter, I think it's quite on topic for the committee to see what that response was.
On the general topic of this motion, the Ethics Commissioner provides a bit of a consultation role to ensure that members of Parliament and elected officials are provided.... The Ethics Commissioner provides rules for and consultation on how to best act to ensure that there is continued trust in the democratic process. It is paramount to ensure that this solicitor-client privilege type of consultation continues to exist.
I think we would be setting a very bad precedent if we started to go down this road of asking the Ethics Commissioner, or any other elected official, to share their correspondence with the committee and make public their correspondence when the nature of that correspondence, regardless of what it is, is to seek advice from the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to ensure that we are abiding by the rules, that we are conducting ourselves in a fair process, that we are conducting ourselves in a transparent process and that we are continuing to ensure not just a lack of a conflict of interest but also a perceived lack of a conflict of interest as well.
I think this motion to produce documents would set a very bad precedent. I'm sure Mr. Barrett would not like for his correspondence with the Ethics Commissioner and any advice he has sought from the Ethics Commissioner to become public and be presented to this committee, just as much as I think any member of Parliament—not just part of this committee but any member of Parliament—or any elected official would not like to see that private consultation becoming public.
Chair, given my remarks, I'm quite opposed to this. It's not because I have any doubt about what would come out of this correspondence or this release of documents, but it's more with respect to the precedent it would set in terms of that solicitor-client privilege and that ability for a member of Parliament to consult with the Ethics Commissioner's office, which is their role. Their role is to ensure that we are conducting ourselves, as elected officials, in a manner that not only complies with the code but also ensures that there is that perceived lack of a conflict of interest as well.
Thanks, Chair.