With respect to an ethics screen, no, I have not had to apply that in a political context. As a cabinet secretary in Manitoba, I had to manage recusals of ministers on policy matters for legal reasons. That worked very well, and I reflected those in the minutes.
An ethics screen may be imperfect, but it's not illegitimate. It's a known technique, a known tool to use. I think you want to give your commissioner, as an independent officer.... I think you should be looking at how to strengthen the role and the sanctions that the independent officer has. You need to give that person the tools to manage the diversity of conflicts that can come from 300-plus members of Parliament and a 40-member cabinet, etc.
It doesn't mean that the individual is in an automatic conflict of interest. They've actually taken some steps to try to remedy that, which is the first thing. Step one is to actually remedy any potential conflicts by having the commissioner sign off on them.
I'm not convinced that the Prime Minister or the premier, as an example, really has to have an extra sanction or an extra layer, as long as they are sufficient and adequate for everybody.