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March 4, 1981
The Chair does not have the duty to uphold the principle of cabinet secrecy, nor does it sit in judgment upon the manner in which Ministers fulfil their responsibilities, including the prevention...
The Speaker ruled that a leak of government estimates is a matter of ministerial responsibility, not a breach of parliamentary privilege for the Chair to adjudicate.
February 25, 1981
There is no question of privilege because Members' duties do not expressly require them to attend press lock-ups. Furthermore, if the denial of entry put the Member at a disadvantage, it is a...
The Speaker ruled that being denied entry to a press lock-up is not a breach of privilege as it is not an express duty of a Member.
January 30, 1981
Parliamentary privilege is very limited, and is essentially restricted to freedom of speech, access to the Parliamentary Buildings, immunity against arrest or molestation, and exemption from...
The Speaker ruled that a Minister changing a commitment is a political grievance, not a breach of parliamentary privilege.
October 29, 1980
Certain interventions touching upon Members' privileges of freedom of speech and liable to influence Members in the exercise of their duties, such as editorials and other public comment, do not...
The Speaker ruled that a government advertising campaign did not constitute a breach of privilege as pressure from an outside body is not, in itself, interference with parliamentary proceedings.
October 17, 1980
The Member has the right to express his disagreement following the Minister's decision, and this very important question of principle certainly deserves to be debated. However, there is no...
The Speaker ruled that a Minister's non-disclosure of public opinion polls did not constitute a prima facie breach of privilege.
July 11, 1980
The interventions heard during this debate on the alleged question of privilege clearly established that the question was in no way founded on a breach of our rules but rather one of the common...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, confirming that a Minister's procedure for tabling a Ways and Means motion was in order and an accompanying statement was optional.
May 15, 1978
While the civil suit has caused the Member certain difficulties, it cannot be said to constitute obstruction or harassment in the narrow sense in which one must construe the privilege of freedom...
The Speaker ruled that a civil suit and radio show appearance do not breach parliamentary privilege as they are not extensions of proceedings in Parliament.
June 23, 1977
Under the umbrella of privilege, a Member has raised a matter of grievance and expressed a personal statement. This is a practice which is allowed under certain circumstances even though it does...
The Speaker ruled that a Minister acting through a solicitor to address critical material does not constitute a breach of privilege but is a matter for debate.
April 9, 1976
It must be understood that questions of privilege are not confined to incidents which take place in the House; they can arise from elsewhere as well, including committees. This specific case,...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, clarifying that committee disagreements are points of order and press criticism does not breach privilege.
October 22, 1975
Although "the House guards the confidentiality of draft reports at this stage of a committee's proceedings and the publication of such a report would raise the strongest suggestion that some act...
The Speaker denied a motion for one committee to investigate a joint committee's leaked report, ruling it procedurally irregular and lacking a specific allegation of misconduct.