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Results: 1 - 15 of 158
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
I so move.
(Motion agreed to)
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
And those who are can be reappointed.
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
I don't see that anywhere in this motion.
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Dr. Shapiro, for appearing here again today.
I just have a few comments, and perhaps you can comment on my comments. They are not so much questions, just some observations.
I think every member on this committee and in the House should be concerned about the way the code of conduct has been administered. The way it is now, any member or even any private citizen can lay a complaint against us, and we can have these allegations plastered in the media. As you know, any elected person is not only judged by the Board of Internal Economy when they've done something wrong, they're not only judged by the criminal courts as to whether they've done something wrong; they're also judged by the court of public opinion.
The way this case was handled, in my estimation, is very much along the lines of someone standing up in a public meeting and asking you as the person presenting when you stopped kicking puppies or beating your wife or whatever. The allegation that wrongdoing has taken place is immediately in the public realm. I don't have to explain all the things that are wrong with that, but the very first thing is that the person who has been charged has never had an opportunity to explain the situation. Whether the specifics of the act say this is exactly how it should be administered, I would think that natural justice and fairness should prevail.
If a private citizen wants to say, for instance, that a member has been using his constituency office for something other than constituency business—let's say he's been holding fundraisers in his constituency office—the first thing he does is to notify the Speaker or the whip of the party, or both, and the Speaker then takes some disciplinary action. But the first thing the Speaker does is to notify the member that a complaint has been raised against him.
Those are my comments.
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Shapiro, every member of this House of Commons has entrusted you with a lot of sensitive information, not only about themselves but about their spouses, debts, assets, liabilities, the kinds of stocks they buy, and all of the rest of that stuff. If we can't be assured that you would undertake an investigation with better taste, for lack of a better terminology, than what you have done, how can we be assured the other information that we have handed over to you is going to be handled with better judgment?
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
Very briefly, I think it has certainly cast a shadow over the office. I'm sure that every person is uneasy about the information he or she has relinquished.
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
Mr. Chairman, I think it would be probably appropriate if we were to excuse the witnesses and then go on to talk about what is going to be entailed in—
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
It's considered an item on the agenda.
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
Mr. Chairman, I wonder if you might find agreement among the committee to have Rob Walsh appear prior to hearing from Mr. Shapiro. Maybe we could meet with Mr. Walsh for half an hour--just reverse the order of what we had laid out for an agenda today.
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
Mr. Chairman, I wonder if the committee would benefit from the appearance of Rob Walsh at some point, just so we could learn what exactly is—
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I think what I'm about to say probably would be best said to the Ethics Commissioner. Let me just say that when it became apparent that we would all have to reveal our obligations and our holdings and so forth to the Ethics Commissioner, there was some concern raised by individuals, as was evidenced by the fact that there were so many who didn't submit right away and held off and held off, and that is the matter of confidence in the Ethics Commissioner to keep everything in confidence. In the act, under subsection 72.8(5) , it says
The Ethics Commissioner, and every person acting on behalf and under the direction of the Ethics Commissioner, shall not disclose any information that comes to their knowledge in the performance of their duties and functions under this section....
I think this is a tremendous undermining of the office of the Ethics Commissioner, and we should have him here as soon as possible to tell his side of this story. I'm extremely concerned that now perhaps the information that I've given to the Ethics Commissioner is not secure and confidential, and I'd like to ask him those questions.
Therefore, I would like to move a two-part motion, actually: (1) that we ask the Ethics Commissioner to come before this committee at the earliest possible convenience; and (2) that we write a letter to the Ethics Commissioner asking him to cease all investigations into this matter until after we've made our report to Parliament.
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
I would be willing to do that, Mr. Chairman. I'm certainly aware of the legal restraints on the committee, but I think that if the motion were unanimous to ask the Ethics Commissioner to cease the investigation until after this matter has been cleared up--
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
Sure, “suspend” would be better, sure.
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
View Dale Johnston Profile
CPC (AB)
I realize we have witnesses before us today, and I don't suggest we usurp their testimony, but in light of the Speaker's decisions on the prima facie case of privilege, I would like to find some time on the agenda today to deal with the scheduling of that prima facie matter.
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