Thank you kindly, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for submitting your report.
I want to start by saying that we are on your side. We really do want to see the code and the act made better. We feel it is critical to hold members and ministers to a very high ethical standard. That is absolutely paramount.
Where I think the problem lies when you talk about friends—and it has already come up a lot—is really in the limit. As mentioned, it is obviously very easy to determine who is a family member. I understand your position: for you, it is very limited.
At the same time, however, it becomes difficult for me, as a member, to read the code and know precisely when an acquaintance has entered the realm of friendship sufficiently that I need to disclose a conflict of interest to the commissioner. So it becomes rather tough to understand how you are supposed to navigate that. I don't quite know the best way to define it clearly so we don't inadvertently end up in a conflict of interest situation.