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October 12, 1983
Members who participate in a public debate outside the House enjoy no special protection. Privilege can only be claimed in relation to a parliamentary proceeding. Privilege is not designed to...
A Speaker's ruling clarifies that parliamentary privilege does not protect Members from criticism arising from activities outside of official parliamentary proceedings.
April 19, 1983
According to the practice whereby the Minister of Finance presents his budget in the House before declaring it in any other public forum, budget secrecy is a political convention which does not...
This ruling establishes that budget secrecy is a political convention, not a matter of privilege, and any accusation of its breach requires a substantive motion.
June 16, 1982
Any word that is a synonym of a word that is unparliamentary cannot be substituted for the unparliamentary expression, and from now on the word "mendacity" will be considered unparliamentary as...
The Speaker ruled that using synonyms for unparliamentary words, such as 'mendacity' for lying, is also unparliamentary and must be challenged via a point of order.
June 16, 1982
Rules of Debate / Unparliamentary Language June 16, 1982 Debates pp. 18527-8 Background During the introduction of an opposition motion dealing with supply, Mr. Chretien (Minister of Justice)...
This entry pertains to the procedural concept of personal attacks and the associated right of reply, but is not a specific ruling.
May 31, 1982
According to one authority, expressions which are unparliamentary when applied to individual Members are not always so considered when applied to a whole party. Moreover, since the Standing Orders...
This ruling clarifies that unparliamentary language is a matter to be raised on a point of order, not as a question of privilege.
March 4, 1981
The Chair does not have the duty to uphold the principle of cabinet secrecy, nor does it sit in judgment upon the manner in which Ministers fulfil their responsibilities, including the prevention...
The Speaker ruled that a leak of government estimates is a matter of ministerial responsibility, not a breach of parliamentary privilege for the Chair to adjudicate.
January 30, 1981
Parliamentary privilege is very limited, and is essentially restricted to freedom of speech, access to the Parliamentary Buildings, immunity against arrest or molestation, and exemption from...
The Speaker ruled that a Minister changing a commitment is a political grievance, not a breach of parliamentary privilege.
October 29, 1980
Certain interventions touching upon Members' privileges of freedom of speech and liable to influence Members in the exercise of their duties, such as editorials and other public comment, do not...
The Speaker ruled that a government advertising campaign did not constitute a breach of privilege as pressure from an outside body is not, in itself, interference with parliamentary proceedings.
July 15, 1980
The documents submitted by the Member do not clearly indicate inaccuracies. Furthermore, even if they were shown to be incorrect, falsified or altered, which they have not, there is no indication...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, finding no evidence of intent to deceive the House and ruling the matter did not pertain to parliamentary duties.
June 17, 1980
There is nothing to suggest that the letter being circulated among the various branches impeded Members in the normal performance of their duties in the House, or that the information collected...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, finding no evidence that a bank's letter requesting information on MPs impeded their parliamentary duties.