Search thousands of Speaker's rulings with AI-powered precision.
November 16, 1971
The rule respecting tabling of documents has "to be interpreted rather strictly.... If a document has been actually cited or quoted in debate by a Minister of the Crown, it has to be tabled. If...
The Speaker clarifies that ministers must table documents they directly quote or cite in debate, but not those they merely reference.
October 28, 1971
When a motion is proposed under Standing Order 43, the urgency of the matter must be indicated and the motion proposed. Members should restrict their comments to the necessity or desirability of...
The Speaker ruled that a motion under Standing Order 43 is improper for debating a member's conduct and therefore refused to seek unanimous consent.
September 28, 1971
On numerous occasions, the Chair has indicated to the House the procedure to be followed in order to have the conduct of a Minister or Member considered by a committee. The Member has not met...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege concerning a member's conduct outside the House, affirming that established precedents and procedures must be followed.
June 8, 1971
Rules of Debate / Repetition June 8, 1971 Debates p. 6475 Background On an allotted day, Mr. Lewis (York South) proposed a motion condemning the Government's agricultural policies and recommending...
The term 'Supply day' identifies a day of debate on a topic chosen by an opposition party as part of the government's process for seeking funds.
April 29, 1971
"... parliamentary privilege does not go much beyond the right of free speech in the House of Commons and the right of a Member to discharge his duties in the House as a Member of the House of...
A Speaker's ruling clarifies that access to penitentiaries is a statutory right, not a matter of parliamentary privilege.
April 20, 1971
"... it would be imprudent of the Chair to project the question of police files beyond the circumstances or conditions raised by the... Member and beyond the particular circumstances alluded to by...
The Speaker ruled that while police files on MPs are a serious matter, a breach of privilege requires specific evidence of intimidation or hindrance of duties.
April 6, 1971
The Standing Orders are explicit on this issue: only Ministers of the Crown or Parliamentary Secretaries acting on their behalf are permitted to table documents. A Minister of the Crown is not...
The Speaker clarifies that only Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries, not regular Members, are permitted to table documents in the House.
March 25, 1971
"... to a certain extent the form of the statement submitted to the Chair and the presentation of his motion to the House are out of order." By practice, Members should keep to a general statement...
The Speaker denied a request for an emergency debate, ruling that criticism of a Minister's conduct is a substantive matter requiring a separate censure motion.
February 18, 1971
Since it was not raised during the Budget debate, it would now be appropriate to permit an emergency debate on the issue. However, there is some objection to the content of the proposal because it...
The Speaker permits an emergency debate on a possible sale but requires the motion to be reworded to focus on the sale itself, not on a minister's statement.
February 3, 1971
While a supposed contempt of Parliament may be an element of a breach of privilege, it is not by itself a question of privilege. The complaint raised by the Member may be classified as (i) wilful...
The Speaker rules that a complaint of being misled or contempt is not a prima facie question of privilege and must be pursued through other procedural avenues.