Information & Ethics committee  Mr. Fortin, we both have white beards.

Information & Ethics committee  Certain people have gravitas, regardless of their official position. Yes, generally speaking, the big boss has more influence than the little boss.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes, as I am.

Information & Ethics committee  I think the general reaction on the rule book is, the thicker it is, the less useful it is, because you want people to make ethical decisions. The more you complicate life, you end up pretending you have perfect or almost perfect foreknowledge of all the permutations that can ari

Information & Ethics committee  Yes, Mr. MacDonald is correct. There is always a process that has to be followed, and you have to have a good reason to avoid a step.

Information & Ethics committee  As I said in my opening remarks, there's been a very solid evolution and development of these sorts of elements that contribute to that. I don't think I can name any, other than those I named before. There have to be explicit expectations. Those expectations have to be announce

Information & Ethics committee  I'm afraid I really can't comment. I wasn't inside in any of these processes. You're giving your well-educated reading of the situation. You're reading the signals, and everybody else can too, but I can't add to that.

Information & Ethics committee  Unfortunately, I have to say again that I'm not in a position to comment. I will say, though, that I would be very surprised to see a deputy minister say to a minister, “you're in a conflict of interest, but I advise you to go ahead anyways.” That wouldn't happen.

Information & Ethics committee  I think it's a good question, and I'd say you answered your own question.

Information & Ethics committee  I'm aware that there are instances of codes at other levels of government in Canada that do set out a prohibition against the appearance of conflict of interest. In other words, they do not only cover the fact that a decision was taken that can be shown to have been in conflict o

Information & Ethics committee  I would guess that the consequences of that would be that the failure to reveal and to manage properly a conflict of interest would.... Yes, that has to be sanctioned or managed in some fashion. It's not only the actual that needs to be addressed by the legislation.

Information & Ethics committee  Mr. Gourde, I have to apologize. I came prepared to give members an overview of managers' working conditions when they are called upon to participate in the decision-making process. I'm not prepared to discuss the details of this case. In order to comment, I would need to know al

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you. I really cannot speak to the political side, because I really don't have experience in that, but on the public service side there are provisions in the employment conditions that say what is to happen when performance is below par. People have annual performance appra

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you very much. Thank you for this opportunity to address you on important matters of proper relationships and conduct of work in Canada's national government. My strong interest in federal government matters dates back nearly half a century. I was a public servant from