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March 27, 1981
Mr. Broadbent (Oshawa) having explained to the House that the information had been obtained from the Office of Federal-Provincial Relations, the argument that all Members did not have equal access...
The Speaker denied a point of order regarding the alleged use of public funds for a political document, stating the Chair does not judge the propriety of government actions.
March 5, 1981
The Member "is not satisfied with the answers given to him by the Ministers, but the Chair is not in a position to insist on any other answers or to comment on the quality or substance of such...
The Speaker rules that the Chair cannot compel a Minister to change their answer or comment on its quality during Oral Questions.
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.
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.
July 11, 1980
The parent act was in fact initiated by both a Ways and Means motion and notice of motion for introduction with an accompanying royal recommendation, although the provision of the parent act which...
The Speaker rules that the Chair cannot pronounce on the legality of a Minister's actions, only their procedural correctness under the Standing Orders.
December 10, 1979
The rule requires that the subject matter proposed for debate relate to a genuine emergency. In this case, the issue of emergency is a matter of argument between the government and the opposition....
The Speaker denied an emergency debate request because the issue was a matter of political argument and another debate opportunity was imminent.
October 11, 1979
The Speaker: On June 1, 1994, the honourable member for Winnipeg—Transcona raised a point of order concerning the designation of party status for members of the New Democratic Party. I would like...
The Speaker ruled that the House, not the Chair, must decide on granting official party status, but used his discretion to seat the NDP caucus together on the seating plan.
June 20, 1977
"The Member's statement in support of his argument for the invocation of this order contains certain allegations and propositions. [I]t is not for the Chair to evaluate them but to accept them as...
The Speaker granted an emergency debate, clarifying the Chair's role is to assess procedural criteria, not the substance of the arguments presented.
June 29, 1976
"In the final analysis the question reduces itself to whether, when the House pronounced itself upon second reading of the bill, it pronounced itself on a question of principle, and if so, what...
The Speaker ruled that amendments proposed after second reading cannot contradict the fundamental principle of a bill, which in this case was the abolition of capital punishment.
December 15, 1975
Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage December 15, 1975 Journals pp. 935, 937 Debates pp. 10006, 10022 Background As consideration of the report stage of Bill C-69, an Act to amend the...
A ruling clarifying that private members' amendments cannot increase spending or alter the purpose of a financial measure due to the principle of the financial initiative of the Crown.