The Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for Senators

35. (1) At the beginning of each session, a Committee of the Senate shall be designated or established for the purposes of this Code.

35. (2) The Committee shall be composed of five members, three of whom shall constitute a quorum.

35. (3) The Committee shall have no ex officio members.

35. (4) Two of the Committee members shall be elected by secret ballot in the caucus of Government Senators at the opening of the session; two of the Committee members shall be elected by secret ballot in the caucus of Opposition Senators at the opening of the session; the fifth member shall be elected by the majority of the other four members after the election of the last of the other four members.

35. (5) The Leader of the Government in the Senate, seconded by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, shall present a motion on the full membership of the Committee to the Senate, which motion shall be deemed adopted without any debate or vote.

35. (6) The Chair of the Committee shall be elected by four or more members.

35. (7) A member is deemed removed from the Committee as of the time that
(a) the Senate Ethics Officer informs the Committee that a request for an inquiry made by the Senator is warranted; or
(b) the Senator becomes the subject of an inquiry under the Code.

35. (8) When a vacancy occurs in the membership of the Committee, the replacement member shall be elected by the same method as the former member being replaced.

36. (1) Subject to subsection (2), meetings of the Committee shall be held in camera.

36. (2) Where an inquiry report from the Senate Ethics Officer is being considered, the Committee may hold meetings in public at the request of the Senator who is the subject of the inquiry report.

36. (3) Subject to subsection (4), the Committee may limit attendance at its meetings.

36. (4) The Committee shall give to a Senator who is the subject of an inquiry report from the Senate Ethics Officer notice of all meetings at which the report is being considered, and shall admit the Senator to those meetings, but the Committee may exclude that Senator from those meetings or portions of meetings at which the Committee is considering a draft agenda or a draft report.

36. (5) A member of the Committee who is the subject of a matter being considered by the Committee relating to that specific Senator shall withdraw from the Committee during its deliberations.

37. (1) Subject to subsection 41(2) and to the general jurisdiction of the Senate, the Committee is responsible for all matters relating to this Code, including all forms involving Senators that are used in its administration.

37. (1.1) Despite subsection (1), the Senate Ethics Officer may make non-substantive modifications to a form approved by the committee to
   (a) correct grammatical and typographical errors;
   (b) insert or revise cross-references; and
   (c) improve its readability or formatting.

37. (2) The Committee may, after consultation with the Senate Ethics Officer, give general directives to the Senate Ethics Officer concerning the interpretation, application and administration of the Code, but not concerning its interpretation and application as it relates to an individual Senator’s particular circumstances.