Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Prime Minister's answer. He has made it fairly clear in our minds that the new ethics counsellor does not have power of intervention. His power lies in his ability to report to the public.
Recently it was decided that a single annual report from the Auditor General was not sufficient. This morning the Prime Minister informed the House that the new ethics counsellor would report just once a year to Parliament.
Based on past performance and our history, conflicts of interest and ethics may arise on a regular basis. Certainly an annual report to Parliament will not be sufficient.
Can the Prime Minister explain how the ethics counsellor can effectively communicate to the public without a chance of political interference regarding the conduct of government if he is only required to file a report annually?