Point of Order
November 17, 1981
Response to a question on the Order Paper
Hon. Jeanne Sauvé
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
A Minister may be expected to answer to the House for the acts of his officials, but the Government is not responsible for the acts or statements of a Royal Commission. Furthermore, even though the Commission says in its report that the Government's answer to the question on the Order Paper was in fact false, the report adds, that the examination of the files "has not disclosed that there was any sinister design that may reasonably be attached to the answer given in the House."
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Holding
"The government is not held responsible for the statements of a Royal Commission, and a factually incorrect answer on the Order Paper is not a breach if an inquiry finds no 'sinister design'."
AI Summary
The Speaker ruled that the government is not responsible for the statements of a Royal Commission, even if it finds a government answer was false, provided there was no malicious intent.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Other
- Tone
- Educational
- Procedural Stage
- Routine Proceedings
- Significance
Low
High