Ministerial Statements / Requirement for Making Statement in House

Requirement for making statement in House

Journals pp. 158-9

Debates, pp. 1285-6

Background

After reading a press release announcing that Mr. Trudeau (Prime Minister) would be speaking on radio and television to state his views on the recent elections in Quebec, Mr. Broadbent (Oshawa—Whitby) alleged that this was a breach of parliamentary privilege because the Prime Minister should make his statement in the House. Although Mr. Broadbent had given the Chair notice of his intention to raise a question of privilege, no motion was put to that effect.

Issue

Does parliamentary privilege impose on Ministers of the Crown an obligation to deliver statements, communicate news and supply information in the House of Commons rather than outside it?

Decision

Parliamentary privilege does not compel a Minister to make statements in the House rather than outside it.

Reasons given by the Speaker

It is clear that parliamentary privilege does not extend, and never has extended, to compelling a Minister or a Prime Minister to make a statement in the House under any circumstances, regardless of the importance of the subject.

Precedent cited

Journals, October 30, 1969, pp. 39-40.

Debates, October 30, 1969, pp. 269-70.

References

Debates, November 23, 1976, pp. 1280-5.