Ruling
February 2, 1984
Discrepancies betweenHansardand the electronic record
Hon. Lloyd Francis
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
As Madam Speaker Sauvé pointed out in a similar situation, editing is not meant to change the substance or meaning of what is said but to improve the comprehension of the text. While the editorial licence granted to Hansard may have been slightly exceeded in this instance, the changes were made in good faith. Hon. Members will agree that the Chair has no editing function. The House has not yet addressed the issue as to whether or not Hansard is the authoritative version of our debates. It may be time to do so though this decision is not one for the Speaker to make..
Sources cited Debates, September 20, 1983, p. 27299.
Beauchesne, 5th ed., pp. 48-9, cc. 155(1) and (2).
References Debates, January 30, 1984, pp. 866-80; February 2, 1984, pp. 1013-4.
Edit Metadata
Holding
"The Speaker has no authority to edit Hansard, and the question of whether Hansard is the authoritative version of debates is a matter for the House to decide, not the Chair."
AI Summary
The Speaker ruled that the Chair has no authority to edit Hansard and that the House must decide if it is the authoritative record of debates.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Other
- Tone
- Educational
- Significance
Low
High