Information & Ethics committee  Your responsibility is currently to answer me and confirm the information in the registry. To meet that obligation, you have to take note of the people you have met with and the topics discussed. In answer to one of my questions on this, if someone tells me they have no idea, do not remember that meeting and don't know who was there, I must rely on the word of the lobbyist who wrote down the actual information.

Information & Ethics committee  I have been a public servant my entire life, and I am a very neutral individual. I have no political affiliation and I have never had any. What is more, I have a great deal of integrity and I really take to heart enforcing the act as it is written. My work is very important to me, and I work hard.

Information & Ethics committee  Okay.

Information & Ethics committee  Right now it's a referral to the RCMP, and there is really nothing else. Otherwise, if it's a breach of the code, it's a report to Parliament. I have no spectrum of sanctions, which is why that will be one of my recommendations. I apologize for answering in English. I am sorry about that.

Information & Ethics committee  That is correct.

Information & Ethics committee  No. I meet lobbyists a lot, and they are government relations experts. They work on their reputation, and nobody wants to be on the front page news as possibly having committed a criminal offence, so no, I don't believe that.

Information & Ethics committee  Lobbyists have the obligation to go into the registry and record that they've met with you, and about what topic. They'll put in the date, your name and the topic of conversation. I do a sample check, so you may get an email from me asking you to verify information. My recommendation, every time I meet any designated public office holder, is to please keep your calendar, your agenda, very clear about whom you met and about what, so that when we do reach out to you, you are able to confirm the information.

Information & Ethics committee  It is, although in the act, you have an obligation to reply to me when I ask you to verify.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes, absolutely.

Information & Ethics committee  You do not have that obligation under the law currently, although I encourage you to do so, but only because it has happened very often that I have allegations and will reach out to every one of you because you become witnesses in my preliminary assessments and in my investigations.

Information & Ethics committee  Of course it worries me when people have a poor understanding of the obligations prescribed in the act. Fortunately, the number of individuals registered proves to me that most people from organizations and corporations understand the act. I often hear organizations say that they are sure they are not meeting the criterion concerning the important part of work, but they are still registering in the interest of transparency.

Information & Ethics committee  Contract awarding is not at all within my purview. A consultant who communicates with the government regarding contract awarding must be registered as a lobbyist. However, organizations and corporations who communicate with regard to contract awarding do not lobby. That's not lobbying because I assume there are rules in place for contracting, which strikes something of a balance and also requires some transparency.

Information & Ethics committee  There is contracting, but there are also contribution agreements, which constitute lobbying. I am not sure we are talking about the same thing. If we are talking about simple contracting, I would recommend that you discuss this with the procurement ombudsman, as he is the one who ensures the integrity of rules in that area.

Information & Ethics committee  The House of Commons is not a department, but it is ranked first out of all the institutions. I think that Innovation, Sciences and Economic Development Canada is second. Then come the Department of Finance and Health Canada.

Information & Ethics committee  With respect to any organization that has anyone doing government relations, we would have to look at the number of communications they have had, the number of oral and arranged meetings that have occurred, and how many presentations they have done to calculate whether or not they meet the threshold.