Mr. Speaker, is it not ironic that this government, when talking about its so-called new ethics regime, is acting in a most unethical fashion? Describing what it is doing would actually require unparliamentary language.
Liberals keep using the phrase “independent ethics commissioner” and yet the bill explicitly says that when dealing with cabinet ministers, the commissioner will provide private and confidential advice to the Prime Minister. That is the same as the Chrétien plan, and it is rotten to the core.
They are hoping that by saying the word “independent” often enough, the people will come to believe it. Sadly, the media is falling for the trap because it has not read the actual wording in the bill.
I am most displeased. How I wish that this Liberal government would own up to its deception in this matter so that people could judge this plan based on truth rather than on the Liberal spin. To quote the Minister of Finance, “Repeating a falsehood does not make it true”.