Procedure and House Affairs committee  I would strongly argue for a complete code of conduct, as I said before, that deals with both sides of the equation—the people trying to fund from foreign sources and those here in Canada receiving it. We do this in other things that Parliament has legislated on—our anti-corrupti

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I understand that, but surely we understand, especially on your side of the table where charter values are something that we're spoken to about every day, the right to remain silent still exists. The idea that a commissioner could compel testimony, does that include in the face o

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It's a matter of public record. I believe investigator Matthews testified to that during the trial.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  To assist the investigation.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The Conservative Party wasn't under suspicion, so I was not there—

Procedure and House Affairs committee  We had witnesses and, as I told you, the Prime Minister's directive was clear and I supported that directive.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  None.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That was later discredited?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  No, not that I'm aware of at all.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I don't remember that piece of transcript, no.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I can't speak to that. I would not have been involved in that strategy by the crown.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I don't think so, because you're into the same problem where you're going to butt up against the right of a party to remain silent as guaranteed by the charter. I don't see how a piece of legislation without notwithstanding clause-type language in it would overcome that charter v

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think the power to compel probably is back to the “horse is already out of the barn” problem. I would suggest that this Parliament spend more time preventing the harm in the first place. You've heard my statement on third parties and the harm that that represents. That's where

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I just think they're going to have their limits. If someone's holding this out as the panacea that's going to fix everything, it's not, and that's one more of the holes that I've made reference to.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think parts of that sound attractive but would be problematic. On balance, I'm not in favour today of those privacy laws being applied to political parties.