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March 22, 1983
Not only do defamatory allegations about Members place the entire institution of Parliament under a cloud, they also prevent Members from performing their duties as long as the matter remains...
A Speaker's ruling confirms that defamatory allegations against a Member can be referred to a committee despite the sub judice convention to protect the Member's ability to function.
February 28, 1983
As difficult as the Chair finds it not to allow a Member to respond to an accusation, a question addressed to a Minister must deal with a matter that falls within his current responsibilities, and...
The Speaker ruled that questions to ministers must concern their current portfolio responsibilities, not those from a previous one.
June 16, 1982
It is unacceptable to the House of Commons that a Member accuse someone of having deliberately misled the House or the Canadian public. The expression does damage to the decorum of the House and...
The Speaker ruled that accusing a member of "deliberately misleading" the House is unparliamentary and requires an unconditional withdrawal.
May 1, 1980
The words used were not directed to Members, but rather to the Government. Such words directed to the Government collectively are not unparliamentary.
The Speaker ruled that an accusation of dishonesty is permissible when directed at the government collectively, not at individual Members.
April 17, 1978
The Minister of Finance denied the possibility of a leak of budget information respecting the sales tax and, of course, the House must accept his word. The Chair has serious doubts as to whether...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege concerning an alleged budget leak, ruling that the matter did not meet the criteria for privilege and the motion was too general.
July 25, 1975
The motions asking for a general investigation under the terms of a specialized motion of privilege Jack sufficient merit to be given precedence over other motions; there is nothing to prevent...
The Speaker found a prima facie case of privilege in a specific motion concerning false accusations against a Member, while denying precedence to a more general motion.
March 10, 1972
Any accusation made against a senior public official is a breach of order. [In this case, the official is the Auditor General who, in failing to submit his annual report to the House as stipulated...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, ruling that accusations against the Auditor General are matters of order or administration to be addressed by a substantive motion.
March 22, 1971
"Even if a Member feels very strongly about a matter... he has no right to violate the rules of the House, which command Members not to accuse another Member of the House of deliberately deceiving...
A ruling affirming that accusing another Member of deliberate deception constitutes unparliamentary language and will require a withdrawal or apology.