Information & Ethics committee  At the moment, we're totally separate.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes. We have nothing to do with the Senate.

Information & Ethics committee  The only thing I can do with respect to an inquiry is if somebody asks me whether a preliminary inquiry has been started, or whether an inquiry has been taken, or whether a request for an inquiry has been given. I am allowed to answer those three questions and that's it.

Information & Ethics committee  That's right.

Information & Ethics committee  Do you mean for the Senate and the House?

Information & Ethics committee  Yes. I think there could be an efficiency there.

Information & Ethics committee  Public office holder has a big, long definition--it's about two-thirds of a page long--but fundamentally, it includes the ministers and ministers of state or parliamentary secretaries. Those people are also under the MP code, so they're double-dosed.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes, but the public office holders are a huge group compared to the MPs.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes, but some are both.

Information & Ethics committee  Definitely. In fact, one is a piece of legislation and one is a code applied to the different groups.

Information & Ethics committee  I go through the Speaker.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes.

Information & Ethics committee  That's right.

Information & Ethics committee  No, we don't go to Treasury Board. What I'm saying is that in practice, we consult with Treasury Board, but our practice is correctly to go to the Speaker. Then I think it goes over to Treasury Board, but nothing happens there, I don't think.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes.