This is not anywhere near to the question I asked, Chair. If we're not going to get an answer, I'll move on to my next one. My question was very simply whether or not she believed it was an independent investigation. It doesn't seem to be the question that she's answering.
I will make reference to the former chair of the public complaints commission, Shirley Heafey, in reference to a complaint regarding the separate issue of an investigation into the Department of Agriculture in Sussex. She complained about the refusal of Mr. Zaccardelli to refer the matter to the Crown, as had been recommended by her commission.
She also said that it was not out of the ordinary. She said, “It's not out of the ordinary”, and she's referring to Mr. Zaccardelli's refusal to refer this to the Crown:
When it was something contentious then I would go public with it. There were often great big gaps in the logic of his responses and there was no support from the [federal Liberal cabinet] minister responsible in those days.
She was referring to you.
You exonerated Mr. Zaccardelli prior to a criminal investigation, you supported him throughout, and today you've not even renounced his conduct throughout this. Is it possible that perhaps you were too unquestioning in your support of him as the commissioner while all of this was going on under your nose?