Information & Ethics committee  Last year, if I remember correctly, the annual report listed 8,200 requests from the media, university professors, students, lobbyists and public office holders. These requests related to the operation of the registry and access to tools on our website. To make the site easier to navigate, we are currently working to improve it.

Information & Ethics committee  When I appeared on my nomination back in December 2017, I was asked to be prepared for a legislative review by the spring of 2018, so I've been working really hard for the last two years to come up with some recommendations. And experience helps, because the more I get along, the more I think of other things.

Information & Ethics committee  How many I've opened and how many I've closed are definitely in my annual report. How many I've self-initiated versus how many I've received complaints about are not in it, but I'd be happy to proceed to do that. I'm going to throw this number out, and I might be off by a little bit, but I would almost bet that 90% are self-initiated.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you very much. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and committee members. I am very pleased to be here today to meet many of you for the first time and to provide an overview of the federal lobbying regime, including my office's operations and activities. The Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct recognize that lobbying is a legitimate activity, that lobbying should be transparent and that lobbyists should meet the highest ethical standards.

Information & Ethics committee  Again, I think I will wait for the decision of the Court of Appeal to proceed. What I can say to this committee is that if the decision remains, if the Court of Appeal does not overturn the Federal Court decision, it will mean that, yes, I will look at the matter again. It will also mean that the office will likely require resources, because it will mean that more people will be subject to the legislation.

Information & Ethics committee  I personally am extremely demanding. I know that and I tell my staff that. But I also give them, every day, a big thank you. In the office I have a champion responsible for mental health. A committee sends us emails and sends us tools. We do activities. We have speakers. We very much accommodate people who we may feel are under stress.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you very much.

Information & Ethics committee  That was fast.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you very much.

Information & Ethics committee  Obviously when it's a common issue and it's the flip side of the same issue, it would be interesting to do these interviews at the same time, but right now, we can't even talk to each other. Obviously he makes public that he investigates, so I'm aware of what he's doing—for most, or for some; I don't think he makes everything public—but he doesn't know what I'm seized of.

Information & Ethics committee  Certainly, if that is the will of Parliament, we will abide by that, yes.

Information & Ethics committee  The first thing I will clarify is that I did not find that there was some unregistered lobbying that occurred on these trips. This was extremely complex. It had been going on for a number of years, with 19 organizations, going back for a period of seven years. The investigative team spoke to the heads of each of these organizations.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes.

Information & Ethics committee  That again is the will of Parliament to decide if the Lobbying Act needs to be reviewed. It works quite well, I think, although it has some issues that I would like to see resolved. I am prepared and I continue to get prepared to come before you if the review ever starts. When I came the last time, I had four months under my belt in this position, and now I have about a year and a half.

Information & Ethics committee  Absolutely.