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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.
February 27, 1975
There is nothing either in the precedents or the Standing Orders which bears directly on the point of a Member of this House voluntarily appearing before a Senate committee. The Chair can find no...
The Speaker ruled that while Members can appear before Senate committees, they are strictly warned not to reflect on or criticize decisions made by the House of Commons.
December 19, 1974
"[T]he allegations relate to the relationship between the Members of this House and the members of the press gallery here... [and since] to a certain extent the press gallery is an extension of...
The Speaker finds a prima facie case of privilege concerning allegations involving MPs and the press gallery, viewing the gallery as an extension of the House's function.
December 16, 1974
"Any petition which is proposed to be read... should refrain from expressing an opinion with regard to the House or the government or the positions taken by Members of the House, but rather... it...
A Speaker's ruling clarifies that petitions must seek a redress of grievance and cannot be used to express opinions on government positions, a role reserved for debate by Members.
March 18, 1974
No motion was proposed by the Member either in his notice or in his speech. More important, the matter being raised took place 10 days ago, and there can hardly be a question of privilege in such...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege because it was not raised in a timely manner and the impugned statement was not unparliamentary.
March 2, 1973
The actual words used in the newspaper article are "purveyor of hatred against the Government". This puts a somewhat different slant on the news story, and on the offending statement itself. It is...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, ruling that a public servant's derogatory remarks about a Member were improper but not a prima facie breach.
May 16, 1972
There is little reason for the statements or conduct of a Member to be referred to a committee for scrutiny. A charge must be made in specific terms before a prima facie case of privilege is...
The Speaker ruled that a motion regarding another member's statements was a matter for debate, not a question of privilege, because it lacked a specific charge.
October 21, 1970
Rules of Debate / Miscellaneous October 21, 1970 Debates pp. 445-6 Background During debate on the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, Mr. Skoberg (Moose Jaw) quoted in his speech...
Analysis failed as the provided text was only a title, not a complete Speaker's Ruling.
October 20, 1970
Rules of Debate / Miscellaneous October 20, 1970 Debates pp. 402-3 Background During debate on the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, Mr. Winch (Vancouver East) raised a question of...
The provided text 'Reflections on a vote' is a title and not a Speaker's ruling, making a procedural analysis impossible.
October 7, 1970
The question of privilege seems to "have been raised prematurely in that the Standing Committee on Regional Development has not met for several months and will not meet again in this session. The...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege concerning a member's conduct, ruling it was premature and improperly framed as a general reflection rather than a specific charge.