Ruling
April 1, 1966
Form
Hon. Lucien Lamoureux
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
Ample precedents support the view that "the Prime Minister can be asked whether a statement of policy made outside the House by a Cabinet Minister does in fact reflect the policy of the Government... [I]t should not be the policy in the House that Ministers be asked to answer questions, written or verbal, in any capacity other than in their official capacities... Where there is any doubt about who is responsible, questions in such instances should be directed to the Prime Minister, who has general responsibility."
Edit Metadata
Holding
"Questions seeking to confirm whether a minister's statement made outside the House represents official government policy should be directed to the Prime Minister."
AI Summary
This ruling establishes that the Prime Minister is the appropriate person to question regarding whether a minister's statement made outside the House reflects official government policy.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Other
- Tone
- Educational
- Procedural Stage
- Oral Questions
- Significance
Low
High