Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm honoured to be invited to be with you today.
Being elected brings enormous responsibility and huge privilege. It affords power and authority on those elected to change things for those who elected them. Using that power and authority for the greater good rather than personal gain is vital to preserve trust and confidence in the democratic process.
Perhaps all parliamentarians should be made to ask, “Why?” when they are offered something, and, “What are you expecting in return?” The code isn't simply a guide to work out who has done wrong; it must be an educative, informative document to enhance greater understanding of the expectations of what right looks like and what should happen. Standards matter, and how we reconcile our public and private lives matters too.
Thank you, Madam Chair.