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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
To amount to contempt, statements relating to proceedings of the House or the participation of Members should not only be erroneous, but rather they should be deliberately incorrect and improper...
A ruling clarifying that for a statement about House proceedings to be considered contempt, it must be deliberately false and deceitful, not just incorrect.
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.
June 17, 1980
There is nothing to suggest that the letter being circulated among the various branches impeded Members in the normal performance of their duties in the House, or that the information collected...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, finding no evidence that a bank's letter requesting information on MPs impeded their parliamentary duties.
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.
May 16, 1978
Standing Order 69 very clearly states that "No bill may be introduced either in blank or in an imperfect shape".
A statement affirming that Standing Order 69 prohibits the introduction of bills that are in a blank or imperfect form.
December 5, 1977
On close technical grounds the motion can be ruled unacceptable because it is too general to qualify as a question of privilege. Members did not consider carefully enough that the judge's comments...
The Speaker denies a question of privilege concerning a judge's comments, ruling the motion too general and the comments outside the scope of parliamentary privilege.
June 23, 1977
In these situations, the practice of resorting to a question of privilege has become customary. It permits a Member to make what is essentially a personal statement under the umbrella of privilege...
The Speaker rules that personal attacks do not meet the threshold for a question of privilege unless they obstruct a Member's parliamentary duties.
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.
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.