Committee Watch: Pack your bags, Dean Del Mastro, you may be heading to committee!

I give notice of my intention to move the following motion:
 
THAT, pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(3)(h)(vi) the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics undertake a study for the purpose of proposing initiatives which relate to ethical standards relating to public office holders; and

THAT the study focus particularly on the recent revelations concerning the ethical behaviour of one of the most senior public office holders in the Canadian government; namely the allegations that Dean Del Mastro, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister was involved in false and misleading filings with Elections Canada in relation to his candidacy in the 2008 election; and allegations that he or someone acting on his behalf may have been involved in the fabrication of false documents for the purpose of making false and misleading filings with Elections Canada; with a view to considering whether such behaviour, regardless of the truth of the allegations against Dean Del Mastro, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, ought to come within the scope of the regime for regulating ethical standards relating to public office holders; and

THAT for the purpose of better understanding these allegations and their implications for modernizing the ethical standards relating to public office holders, the Committee invite Dean Del Mastro, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister , Richard McCarthy, who acted as his official agent in the 2008 election, and representatives of Holinshed Research Group to appear; and THAT, for the purpose of better understanding these allegations and their implications for modernizing the ethical standards relating to public office holders, and pursuant to the Standing Order 108(1)(a), all Departments of the Government be ordered to provide all forms of communications received, including correspondence,  in connection with the allegations against Dean Del Mastro, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, including emails to and from the Prime Minister, Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and exempt staff in Ministers' offices; and 

THAT for the purpose of better understanding these allegations and their implications for modernizing the ethical standards relating to public office holders,and pursuant to the Standing Order 108(1)(a), Holinshed Research Group be ordered to provide a copy of all contractual agreements, invoices,
correspondence and any related documents between Holinshed Research Group and Dean Del Mastro, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister , together with all contractual agreements, invoices, correspondence and any related documents between Holinshed Research Group and Richard McCarthy, who acted as official agent for Dean Del Mastro, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime
Minister  in the 2008 election; and 

THAT for the purpose of better understanding these allegations and their implications for modernizing the ethical standards relating to public office holders, and pursuant to the Standing Order 108(1)(a), Richard McCarthy, who acted as official agent for Dean Del Mastro, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister  in the 2008 election, be ordered to provide a copy of all invoices, bank statements, records and documents related to the performance of his duties as official agent for Dean Del Mastro, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister  in the 2008 election; and

THAT all documents be provided to the Committee within 20 business days; and

THAT for the purpose of better understanding implications of these allegations for modernizing the ethical standards relating to public office holders, the Committee invite representatives of the Privy Council Office to appear and  testify as to whether the conduct of Dean Del Mastro, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister  is entirely consistent with the requirements of Chapter IV of the Prime Minister's guidelines for Parliamentary Secretaries, adopted in 2011, which include in part the
following: 

"Parliamentary Secretaries must act with honesty and must uphold the

highest ethical standards so that public confidence and trust in the integrity

and impartiality of government are maintained and enhanced. As public

office holders, ... Parliamentary Secretaries are subject to the Part I

requirements of the Ethical and Political Activity Guidelines for Public Office

Holders set out in Annex A. ... Moreover, they have an obligation to perform

their official duties and arrange their private affairs in a manner that will

bear the closest public scrutiny. This obligation is not fully discharged merely

by acting within the law."; and

 
THAT the Committee report to the House no later than October 1, 2012.