I appreciate that one of the most significant things that Mr. Lee said had to do with a very serious procedural issue here. The serious procedural issue is when there's an ethics issue against any one of us, there is a procedure. That's where we go. We just don't run off to any other committee.
I'd almost like to quote Mr. Lee back to himself from his own book's terms of reference on what has to be the thinnest volume in the Library of Parliament with the longest title, The Power of Parliamentary Houses to Send for Persons, Papers and Records: A Sourcebook on the Law of Precedent of Parliamentary Subpoena Powers for Canadian and other Houses, written by none other than Mr. Lee.
At page 40, he sets out the argument—and I don't know how old this book is, but probably at least five years old—that: “A committee has no authority except that which the House has delegated. Accordingly, a committee is limited and restricted in its inquiries to the scope of the committee's terms of reference from the House.”
There we are. There are, as you can appreciate, many issues that this important committee needs to discuss--all kinds of issues. If there is an issue about the ethics of another member, whether it pertains to lobbying or anything else, members are treated differently from people who are not members of the House. That is that there is a disclosure procedure, there's a commissioner, there's a procedure to take you to the House procedures, and there's an ethics commissioner. That's where this matter should be discussed and that's where the air should be cleared. That's where time should be allocated.
This committee shouldn't be dealing with things that are not within its purview. It does have important things to talk about. Mr. Lee has made it about as clear as can be that not only is this improper procedure, but the issue itself is without substance.
I think, Madam Chair, that the only ruling you can make in the circumstances is that this committee doesn't have the authority to pursue the resolution that it made and that you should rule it out of order.