Information & Ethics committee  Most of the problems I have handled had to do with ministers and parliamentary secretaries. The MPs have no problem whatsoever if they work on behalf of constituents. However, if they vote on a bill and they receive something from someone, that might be a problem. The members need to say no if there is a conflict of interest.

Information & Ethics committee  No. I'm waiting with interest, and hope that it doesn't happen, I guess, to see what possible regime could be proposed. There are no details here, but I do see that the government has endorsed the report.

Information & Ethics committee  No, I think it would have to be a rule-making body. It would be a totally different system, and somebody else would be administering it. Two-hundred sixty-thousand is a lot of people.

Information & Ethics committee  I have suggested in my five-year review document that the government consider making ministers and parliamentary secretaries not do any fundraising at all, but that's as much as I've said. There are issues, certainly, that arise around fundraising all the time, and sometimes they're quite difficult.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes. I found that a very surprising recommendation. I certainly read the minority report, which suggested that there would be something like 260,000 additional people whom my office would have to administer. That obviously says to me that it wouldn't be the same office. I found that a very surprising recommendation.

Information & Ethics committee  The way the recommendation read was anybody who is unionized and has a union that relates to the federal government, so I guess they would. I have not taken the time to itemize who would be under that and who would not. All I know is it would be a huge group of people, and I would be surprised if—

Information & Ethics committee  Yes, well now, there are two kinds of people, of course. There is the reporting public office holder and the public office holder. There are more stringent rules for the reporting public officer, I would assume. I can't imagine how my office.... It wouldn't operate the way it operates with 260,000—

Information & Ethics committee  My investigation is still suspended. There are actually two provisions in the Conflict of Interest Act that require suspension. One is if there's an ongoing investigation or case being held about an individual who I am also investigating, and the other one is if the same subject matter is being investigated, whether or not it's the same individual.

Information & Ethics committee  Mr. Duffy is being investigated and that $90,000 is involved in the investigation, so it looks to me like it's the same subject matter and nobody has disabused me of that view, so I think I am required to continue the suspension.

Information & Ethics committee  That's my understanding.

Information & Ethics committee  I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble hearing a little bit. You are asking about fundraising. Is it whether I have thought any more about it?

Information & Ethics committee  Right.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you. Madam Chair, thank you for inviting me to appear before the committee today, as it studies the question of renewing my mandate as commissioner. I was originally appointed to the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and took office July 9, 2007, the same day the Conflict of Interest Act came into force.