Mr. Speaker, the appointment of cabinet ministers to their posts is the responsibility of the Prime Minister and my question is directed to him. He has created a bit of a conundrum here by saying that the code has been read by his ministers, which shows that it is in printed form, yet the ethics counsellor says that it does not exist.
My question relates to a code that we do know exists. The 1994 code states that "a public office holder shall not directly or indirectly use or allow the use of government property of any kind-for anything other than officially approved activities".
Yesterday the President of the Treasury Board said quite clearly that the whited out portions on the case in question were for personal expenditures.
Is the Prime Minister prepared to admit at least that the secretary of state clearly breached that section of the code?