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May 19, 1970
The Member is seeking an inquiry by the committee into an alleged threat to the freedom of the press. If such a far-reaching question were to be investigated by the House, it should be done by way...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege regarding a newspaper article, clarifying that it did not meet the high threshold for a breach and that the matter should be raised via a substantive motion.
April 13, 1970
Parliamentary privilege extends to Members of Parliament, not to officers of Parliament or officials of the House of Commons. In addition, "if it is the conduct of a Minister or Ministers of the...
The Speaker ruled that parliamentary privilege does not cover officers of Parliament and that criticism of a Minister requires a substantive motion.
June 9, 1969
In matters of privilege involving newspaper comments two conflicting interests must be taken into account: the privilege of Members to exercise their duties and the freedom of the press to report...
A question of privilege concerning a newspaper article was denied due to not being raised at the earliest opportunity and an improperly worded motion.
November 1, 1968
It is a well-established rule that the House is bound to accept the word of a Member. It is not unparliamentary to temperately criticize statements made by a Member as being contrary to fact,...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, affirming that disputes over facts are matters for debate and the House must accept a member's word.
February 22, 1968
The claim that the words "manufactured crisis" or "trickery" are in themselves libellous or slanderous cannot be accepted. "The fact that a statement is untrue does not necessarily form the basis...
The Speaker ruled that the terms 'manufactured crisis' and 'trickery' were not a prima facie breach of privilege as they were used generally and not as a personal attack.
November 28, 1967
"If there really was a question of privilege it should be followed by a motion", but none was moved. In addition, "a question of privilege must be raised at the first opportunity. That does not...
A question of privilege was denied for not being raised at the first opportunity and for lacking a required motion.
November 10, 1967
The question raised by Mr. Gregoire is a point of order rather than a question of privilege. The words used by Mr. Thompson were unparliamentary and should not have been used under the guise of a...
A Speaker's ruling sustains a point of order, finding that a Member used unparliamentary language to make a charge against another Member during a question.
October 25, 1967
The Member's complaint is a grievance and not a question of privilege. The remarks of the Bank chairman "relate more particularly to the Government than to the personal conduct of Members in the...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, ruling that a complaint about a Bank chairman's remarks was a political grievance against the government, not an impediment to Members' duties.
October 18, 1967
In the first case, there is obviously a divergence of opinion "and the matter should be allowed to rest there for the time being". With respect to the second case, the alleged comments made about...
The Speaker denies a question of privilege, ruling that a disagreement and alleged comments were not libellous.
October 24, 1966
In such an instance as this, it is not necessary for the Speaker to decide if a breach of privilege has been committed, but to decide if the complaint was raised at the earliest opportunity, and...
The Speaker ruled that a prima facie question of privilege regarding reflections on a Member was established and allowed the corresponding motion to proceed.