Question of Privilege
February 3, 1971
Deceiving the House
Hon. Lucien Lamoureux
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
While a supposed contempt of Parliament may be an element of a breach of privilege, it is not by itself a question of privilege. The complaint raised by the Member may be classified as (i) wilful misconduct or intention to mislead the House, in which case a specific charge would have to be made and the matter then referred to the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections; (ii) a grievance or a censure against a Minister, in which case the complaint should be proposed as a substantive motion after notice; or (iii) a dispute as to facts, which cannot be considered a matter of privilege.
Edit Metadata
Holding
"A complaint that a Member or Minister has misled the House is not, in itself, a prima facie question of privilege; it is considered a dispute as to facts unless framed as a specific charge or a substantive motion."
AI Summary
The Speaker rules that a complaint of being misled or contempt is not a prima facie question of privilege and must be pursued through other procedural avenues.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Denied
- Tone
- Educational
- Significance
Low
High