Subcommittee on Disclosure Forms under the Conflict of Interest Code Committee on May 17th, 2007

[Rob Walsh]

No, Mr. Chairman, the issue is not whether the committee's been misled by the member or whatever. Presumably, the member's coming to the committee with a grievance, if you like, or a disagreement with the Ethics Commissioner on the matter to which the opinion relates. Presumably, the member, in that context, might be coming to this committee, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, which is charged with giving general direction to the Ethics Commissioner, in the hope that he or she might persuade the standing committee to give a direction to the Ethics Commissioner on the particular matter so that the view the Ethics Commissioner is taking in his opinion would not be the view that would apply.

I'm just speculating that might be the process, and it's important that the committee see what the opinion is.

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Again, is this triggered by a complaint?

[Rob Walsh]

In the scenario I'm describing it would be. We had a situation where members were not happy with a report. Now, opinions might also, similarly, be ones they disagree with, as a policy matter, and they may think that the committee should consider that and address it, and the committee may well wish to do so and give a direction to the Ethics Commissioner on the matter the opinion covers. It may not, but it may, and that's what that's designed to address.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Thank you.

Are there further questions or comments? Is everybody happy?

I just want to make sure everybody's good, because I sure wouldn't want to dismiss our witnesses. With such valuable folks at the end here, I don't want to—

Mr. Walsh, do you have something further?

[Rob Walsh]

Well, Mr. Chairman, you're very flattering, but the reason I asked to speak again was, in terms of being of further assistance to the subcommittee, I'm not sure what the plan is from this point forward, but there was some talk at the last meeting that at some point there might be some drafted amendments prepared to present to the subcommittee for its consideration.

Would you be doing this exercise when you return after the break, with the benefit of the report from the researchers, or were you hoping for that before then?

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

No, I don't think we could possibly get the draft report up before we return to our constituencies. Today's Thursday.

[Rob Walsh]

No, no, I meant a week Thursday, when you come back on May 28 or May 29.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Oh. The answer to that is yes.

[Rob Walsh]

So we'll offer to Library of Parliament staff drafts of proposed amendments that would reflect these comments.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Yes, that would be very helpful.

[Rob Walsh]

Whether or not the committee adopts them is another matter. You'll be meeting again on May 29, I guess it is, to look at this matter. Is that what you expect?

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

That's exactly correct.

We do have other meetings scheduled. I'm not sure of the exact date. The Thursday is what we're hoping to do.

We would want that before that meeting. May 31 is the meeting, so we'd want the report from Mr. Walsh by May 27 or May 28.

Is that possible?

[Rob Walsh]

Mr. Chairman, I'll provide to the Library of Parliament researchers what we would propose as amendments, and perhaps they can then incorporate them into their report.

Is that the way you would prefer to go?

[Margaret Young]

We have already moved on to drafting, including some of the suggested amendments, but we can take everything under advisement. So, yes, give them to us.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Exactly. I think that's reasonable.

We would like your report of any amendments you wish to make.

The committee has done quite a bit of work already, in going through this, and we would certainly be interested and would take anything you have under advisement, and we'll get that into the draft report on those areas.

Are there any other questions for the witnesses?

I do want to thank both of you, again, for coming. It's certainly been good of you to come by. Even though it seems like a short time, it's been a very valuable time, so I appreciate that, as do the members.

Colleagues, we'll just suspend the meeting for one minute while we go in camera, so we can discuss the rest of this document. Thank you.

The meeting is suspended.

[Proceedings continue in camera]