Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Feb. 18th, 2016

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Right. I don't see that there's an issue of attendance.

Yet, I had another instance where your office was helpful. I was invited by, let me simply say, a large educational institution to attend a board of trade function in Toronto. The ticket was over the $200 threshold. Your office advised me to decline the ticket, which I did and I did not attend, although the subject matter of that particular talk was of significant interest to me. Then I had to ask myself if I was prepared to shell out the $500 to attend.

These are the environments for which, as a parliamentarian, I find it very helpful to be informed about the issues writ large, as opposed to being lobbied about a particular specific issue. That's what I struggle with as a member. What is appropriate? What is not appropriate? Your office is helpful, but I'm not sure that I'm appropriately discharging my function in regard to having a broader view of issues out there and a broader view of the world when it comes to the issue of sponsored travel.

[Mary Dawson]

I'd be interested to go back and see what that case is. We'll take a look.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

I also think of specific instances of gifts. Again, I come from a Chinese community. Chinese New Year is about red packets. I get a lot of red packets.

Most of them are chocolates and so forth, but occasionally there's money in them. To refuse this, from my cultural perspective, is an insult, but then I actually take a look and see how much is actually in them. If I'm getting it from a family member, that's part of a normal cultural practice.

[Mary Dawson]

That's okay.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

That's no problem. That's easy for me. Where it gets a little more interesting is that I wonder if maybe I got that because I'm an MP. In which case, I do try to refuse, but I get into a really difficult situation—

[Mary Dawson]

You don't necessarily have to refuse. You just need to report if it's over $200.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

I see. Okay.

[Mary Dawson]

You don't need to refuse. Most of things.... That's where there's that distinction between reporting and refusing. It is tempting to suggest that you collapse the two, but then it has to be quite a low level, I think, like in the order of $35.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

For example, I don't feel that if mom and dad send me a red packet over the $200 figure, I need to report it. I think not, but maybe I do.

[Mary Dawson]

No. It's not related to your position.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

It's not related to my position.

[Mary Dawson]

No.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

It's just our practice as a family member, right?

[Mary Dawson]

That's right.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

For me, that is not—

[Mary Dawson]

That's expressly excepted.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

That's an express exclusion.

[Mary Dawson]

Yes.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Okay. That's helpful. I'm just trying to clarify the circumstances.

I certainly get instances, for example, of.... Again, I would view it under the protocol in regard to a provision where I'm meeting, let's say, with another order of government, or more importantly, with a different government that makes representations and brings a gift. Again, to refuse would be a breach of diplomatic protocol. I'd take it, but if I think it's a little too pricey, I tend to just regift it. But then do I have a disclosure requirement? I think I do.

[Mary Dawson]

Yes, you do.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Okay. That's helpful.

[Mary Dawson]

Also, if you have nothing to worry about, why not disclose it? What's wrong with disclosing it, basically?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Blake Richards]

Okay. Thank you.

We finally came in just a little smidge under time on one of the rounds of questioning today, which is great. Not by much, though—

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

It's a gift to the chair.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Blake Richards]

Do I have to disclose it? That's the question. Mr. Graham says it's a gift to the chair, so now I wonder if I have to disclose it.