Information & Ethics committee  I haven't done one yet.

Information & Ethics committee  My reports to Parliament have been on the code of conduct. On breaches of the act, offences, I have sent 10 reports to the RCMP. Therefore, I can't report to Parliament until either individuals are charged or the RCMP comes back to me because they don't plan on charging them.

Information & Ethics committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chair. This is the first time we have had an opportunity to meet. Committee members, bonjour. I am very pleased to appear before you today to discuss the administration and enforcement of the Lobbying Act over the past several months. As the Commissioner of Lobbying, I am accountable to Parliament.

Information & Ethics committee  If you are creating a heavy workload, something is going on, and it should be registered. If it happens a lot and is not being registered, there is a problem. You are right about the complexity of the process, and that is why we want to simplify things. The question of who started the conversation should not be relevant.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you.

Information & Ethics committee  There are a number of ways to simplify the process, especially for people who need to sign up for the registry. Currently, the criteria vary based on whether a business or an organization is involved. I believe the criteria should always be the same. So, one of my recommendations is to harmonize the criteria.

Information & Ethics committee  Certainly our mandates are quite distinct. Is there a need for more collaboration? Perhaps. We should think about that. I also know that, in the provinces, some of the offices are amalgamated. To find out whether or not this is a positive thing, I suggest that the committee invite some of the commissioners to come and see whether there are benefits for them.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you, Ms. Gaudreau.

Information & Ethics committee  Quick reference points—I don't think so. I appreciate these invitations. I feel as though we work quite in isolation, so having the opportunity to share is absolutely welcome. I need to know that you know what I'm doing, that I am working hard, that my team is working extremely hard, and I do not want to make it look as though we're in an ivory tower or something and not doing anything.

Information & Ethics committee  I'm a great believer in access to information and transparency. I was in the access world before. I continue to promote transparency in everything I do, as much as I can. I reach out to lobbyists a lot. I am watching everything that goes on. I said earlier that likely 90% of the work I do is self-initiated.

Information & Ethics committee  You are the ones being lobbied. It is therefore up to you to decide to whom you give access. I make sure that, when you give that access, it is in the registry. Currently, I do not have the mandate to determine who has access. I could never manage your schedules or decide who has access to what.

Information & Ethics committee  If the person is not paid, they do not need to register. That is true. The registry of lobbyists is there to regulate the lobbying profession. So it is about people who get paid.

Information & Ethics committee  Absolutely. The agents of Parliament meet regularly. We're a good group of colleagues. I work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. I signed an MOU with him very shortly after I arrived so that we could share outreach activities, which we have done quite a number of times.

Information & Ethics committee  I will look into that and get back to you.