Honourable senators, my question is for the chair of the Standing Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest for Senators.

Senator Sinclair, the Senate Ethics Committee’s first report calls upon Senator Beyak to promptly comply with the terms of her suspension. I may have a second, follow-up question also, but my concern here —

I am trying to get there regarding the activities of the committee, as reflected in the motion put forward by Senator Black yesterday that the committee reconsider this.

My concern is that the timelines and requirements for this whole process — and this is what I’m asking the committee to reconsider — be fair, realistic and clear. For example, the recommendation says that within 30 days after we vote in this chamber, the Senate Ethics Committee must develop and deliver a training program with outside expertise. There is no existing template or criteria for success.

I don’t know whether this could be completed by Senator Beyak or the Senate Ethics Officer in such a narrow time window, without clarity —

We are led to believe that a more fundamental problem may be that this is even outside the terms of reference for the Senate Ethics Officer, so would it be possible for the Senate Ethics Committee to reconvene, set more exact guidelines and a different timeline for the recommendations of this committee to be achieved?

I have a supplementary question. Do you believe, Senator Sinclair, that everything that has been asked of the Senate Ethics Officer is within his mandate?