Search thousands of Speaker's rulings with AI-powered precision.
May 10, 1972
"The question of ministerial appearances before committees of the House is as old as Confederation... There is a long-established rule, and it is a tradition of the House, that matters before a...
The Speaker denies a question of privilege, ruling that committee disputes with ministers must be handled by the committee or via a substantive motion, not in the House.
October 28, 1971
When a motion is proposed under Standing Order 43, the urgency of the matter must be indicated and the motion proposed. Members should restrict their comments to the necessity or desirability of...
The Speaker ruled that a motion under Standing Order 43 is improper for debating a member's conduct and therefore refused to seek unanimous consent.
September 28, 1971
On numerous occasions, the Chair has indicated to the House the procedure to be followed in order to have the conduct of a Minister or Member considered by a committee. The Member has not met...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege concerning a member's conduct outside the House, affirming that established precedents and procedures must be followed.
March 25, 1971
"... to a certain extent the form of the statement submitted to the Chair and the presentation of his motion to the House are out of order." By practice, Members should keep to a general statement...
The Speaker denied a request for an emergency debate, ruling that criticism of a Minister's conduct is a substantive matter requiring a separate censure motion.
February 3, 1971
While a supposed contempt of Parliament may be an element of a breach of privilege, it is not by itself a question of privilege. The complaint raised by the Member may be classified as (i) wilful...
The Speaker rules that a complaint of being misled or contempt is not a prima facie question of privilege and must be pursued through other procedural avenues.
January 12, 1971
Committee proceedings are the responsibility of the members of the committee and it is irregular to refer to such proceedings or to the evidence taken in a committee until a report is before the...
The Speaker affirmed that committees are autonomous in their proceedings, including witness selection, and that such internal matters must be resolved by the committee itself, not the House.
October 21, 1970
Rules of Debate / Miscellaneous October 21, 1970 Debates pp. 445-6 Background During debate on the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, Mr. Skoberg (Moose Jaw) quoted in his speech...
Analysis failed as the provided text was only a title, not a complete Speaker's Ruling.
October 7, 1970
The question of privilege seems to "have been raised prematurely in that the Standing Committee on Regional Development has not met for several months and will not meet again in this session. The...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege concerning a member's conduct, ruling it was premature and improperly framed as a general reflection rather than a specific charge.
June 8, 1970
The intent of the proposed question is to confirm a deliberate deception by a Member or Members. In accordance with previous rulings, however, no Member should have to submit to an investigation...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege concerning deliberate deception because a specific charge is required for an investigation, and a mere dispute over facts is insufficient.
April 13, 1970
Parliamentary privilege extends to Members of Parliament, not to officers of Parliament or officials of the House of Commons. In addition, "if it is the conduct of a Minister or Ministers of the...
The Speaker ruled that parliamentary privilege does not cover officers of Parliament and that criticism of a Minister requires a substantive motion.