Information & Ethics committee  Yes, absolutely. Again, we're running two separate, distinct operations, and we don't share information between the two entities.

Information & Ethics committee  It was the commissioner on application to the judge.

Information & Ethics committee  I'll remind you of the five factors I considered when I decided to reject these claims. First of all, one agent at the very start and subsequently other agents expressed a lack of awareness, to say the least, of the expense itself. Furthermore, there was insufficient documentation to justify the expense.

Information & Ethics committee  I would never want to generate any negative coverage out of actions of Elections Canada for any party, any candidate, or any agent. Any circumstances that question the actions of Elections Canada in that regard compromise its impartiality, its independence, and are always of great concern to the organization.

Information & Ethics committee  I'm misunderstanding your question, sir.

Information & Ethics committee  There are two things. I think those e-mails reveal a concern about the perception of Elections Canada not being as independent and impartial as it should be. As to whether it displays concerns about law enforcement, again, I think we're simply carrying out the responsibilities that are vested with the commissioner under the legislation.

Information & Ethics committee  There were 15 registered parties.

Information & Ethics committee  Are you talking about the regional media buy program?

Information & Ethics committee  They all belonged to the same party.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes.

Information & Ethics committee  There is definitely a very simple answer to that question. As I said in my presentation this morning, the act provides a series of definitions of election campaign expenses, which include electoral expenses and personal expenses of the candidates. There is a set of criteria that must be considered in examining an expense to determine whether it ultimately constitutes an electoral expense and whether it grants entitlement to reimbursement.

Information & Ethics committee  All five of them have been asked.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes.

Information & Ethics committee  Absolutely.

Information & Ethics committee  Given the facts that were before me at the time I made the decision, I did not draw conclusions in that regard.