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December 12, 1968
A long-standing practice allows officials to sit in the special gallery and to take notes. However, if a Member desires that some persons should be expelled, he or she must propose a motion in...
The Speaker ruled that a Member's request to expel strangers from the gallery was dropped because a specific, votable motion is required, which was not possible due to the vague description provided.
November 1, 1968
It is a well-established rule that the House is bound to accept the word of a Member. It is not unparliamentary to temperately criticize statements made by a Member as being contrary to fact,...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, affirming that disputes over facts are matters for debate and the House must accept a member's word.
February 26, 1968
"... the amendment, if carried, would make the motion difficult to understand." In addition, "it would also be contrary to the facts, since the bill was carried on first reading by unanimous...
The Speaker ruled an amendment out of order because it was confusing and factually incorrect.
February 22, 1968
The claim that the words "manufactured crisis" or "trickery" are in themselves libellous or slanderous cannot be accepted. "The fact that a statement is untrue does not necessarily form the basis...
The Speaker ruled that the terms 'manufactured crisis' and 'trickery' were not a prima facie breach of privilege as they were used generally and not as a personal attack.
November 28, 1967
"If there really was a question of privilege it should be followed by a motion", but none was moved. In addition, "a question of privilege must be raised at the first opportunity. That does not...
A question of privilege was denied for not being raised at the first opportunity and for lacking a required motion.
November 24, 1967
The difficulty in this case is that an application for an injunction had been made and, consequently, the matter "is now in a way, and up to a certain point, before the courts". Nonetheless, a...
The Speaker permitted an urgent debate on a matter despite a related court injunction, ruling that the sub judice convention did not apply to the broader issue.
November 14, 1967
"... it is not unparliamentary to suggest that a Member has had in his possession or has quoted a document which is not authentic if the Member did not know it was not authentic... There is no...
The Speaker clarifies that accusing a Member of unknowingly using a non-authentic document is permissible, but alleging they did so knowingly is a serious, unparliamentary charge.
November 10, 1967
The question raised by Mr. Gregoire is a point of order rather than a question of privilege. The words used by Mr. Thompson were unparliamentary and should not have been used under the guise of a...
A Speaker's ruling sustains a point of order, finding that a Member used unparliamentary language to make a charge against another Member during a question.
October 25, 1967
The Member's complaint is a grievance and not a question of privilege. The remarks of the Bank chairman "relate more particularly to the Government than to the personal conduct of Members in the...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, ruling that a complaint about a Bank chairman's remarks was a political grievance against the government, not an impediment to Members' duties.
October 18, 1967
In the first case, there is obviously a divergence of opinion "and the matter should be allowed to rest there for the time being". With respect to the second case, the alleged comments made about...
The Speaker denies a question of privilege, ruling that a disagreement and alleged comments were not libellous.