Search thousands of Speaker's rulings with AI-powered precision.
January 22, 1987
Mr. Speaker: I should bring to the attention of honourable Members that an application was made this morning by the honourable Member for Sudbury for an emergency debate. The Chair indicated this...
A Speaker's Ruling denies a request for an emergency debate concerning a minister's resignation, finding the matter important but not meeting the procedural requirement for urgency.
December 9, 1986
The Speaker: I shall now deal with the matter raised by the honourable Member for Kamloops—Shuswap on November 21. I would first like to express my appreciation of the great care with which the...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege regarding an alleged bill leak, ruling there was insufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case.
December 4, 1986
Mr. Speaker: Honourable Members will remember that on November 19 a question of privilege was raised by the honourable Member for Peterborough. The honourable Member expressed himself very...
The Speaker ruled that a complaint about the selection criteria for votable Private Members' Business was a procedural matter, not a question of privilege, and referred the issue to the procedure committee for review.
February 20, 1984
There is no evidence that the file created by the Prime Minister's Office contains anything other than public and readily available information about the Leader of the Opposition. There is no...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, ruling that a PMO file on the Leader of the Opposition was not an impediment as it contained only public information.
February 28, 1983
For there to be a prima facie case of privilege, sufficient evidence must be presented to warrant the matter proceeding to investigation. Furthermore, it is not for the Chair to determine whether...
The Speaker clarifies that the Chair does not rule on the accuracy of tabled documents and that reflections on Members require a substantive motion.
July 15, 1980
"An Honorable Member should not be required to submit his conduct for investigation by the House or a committee thereof until he has been charged with an offence by another Member." No specific...
The Speaker ruled that a formal charge and evidence are required before the House can investigate a Member's conduct.
November 30, 1979
The Chair has taken the position that ''where no charge has been laid against a Member and there does not appear to be the investigation of an actual offence against him, but rather an...
The Speaker asserts discretionary power to block the execution of a warrant in a Member's office if the Member is not the direct subject of a criminal investigation.
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.
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.
June 4, 1975
The strict definition of parliamentary privilege should not be expanded to include controversies as to facts, opinions or conclusions. These are matters for debate; they are not questions of...
This ruling establishes that disagreements over facts are matters for debate, not privilege, and that a specific charge is required to raise a question of privilege against a Member.