Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate this.
The member indicated that there were no amendments to remove the tiers. I want to inform him that in fact one of our amendments at report stage dealt with exactly that issue, and it was turned down. That has happened here.
The member did not adequately explain how the independence of the ethics counsellor is achieved through the present system. When we compare it to the independence of the auditor general, there is quite a difference. Certainly in the perception of the people there is a large problem if the ethics counsellor is investigating an issue that deals with the registrar general. In that instance, the ethics counsellor would be doing an investigation and reporting to the very member he is investigating and then through him to the House. There is a perception of not having adequate independence. I want the hon. member's response to that. This is not adequate.