Point of Order
October 13, 1987
Documents: practice with respect to tabling of personal notes
Hon. John Fraser
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Champagne):... The Honourable Minister has now put the point in a very succinct fashion by stating that they are notes which were prepared for him in order to address the House this morning. A Minister does not have to table personal notes. It will be his decision whether or not to give the Honourable Member a copy of his notes [...]
The Chair at this point is referring to [ Beauchesne, Fifth Edition] Citation 327 where it states:
327.(1) A Minister of the Crown is not at liberty to read or quote from a despatch or other state paper not before the House....
From my understanding of what the Minister has stated, what he is quoting from is not a despatch or a state paper. Henceforth, I see no obligation for the Minister to table the document.
On the other hand, I would ask that the Minister consider making it available to the honourable Member, as the Minister has stated he would.
F0713-e 33-2 1987-10-13.
[1]
Debates, October 13, 1987, pp. 9897-9.
Edit Metadata
Holding
"A Minister is not required to table personal notes used for a speech, as they do not constitute a 'state paper' under the rules governing the tabling of documents."
AI Summary
A ruling clarifying that a Minister's personal notes are not considered 'state papers' and therefore do not need to be tabled when quoted in the House.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Denied
- Tone
- Conciliatory
- Procedural Stage
- Government Orders
- Significance
Low
High