Questions / Oral Questions

May 8, 1986

Debates pp.13081-2

During Question Period on May 7, 1986, Opposition Members attempted to ask the Minister of Regional Industrial Expansion (Mr. Stevens) questions relating to an alleged conflict of interest. The Speaker ruled the questions out of order on the grounds that they did not pertain to Mr. Stevens' responsibilities as a Minister. Subsequently, questions on the same subject were addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Nielsen) and allowed by the Speaker. lmmediately after Question Period, Mr. Gray (Windsor West) raised a point of order regarding the Speaker's decision to disallow questions directed to Mr. Stevens. Mr. Gray stated that the matter was directly related to the Minister's handling of his department, and cited the Prime Minister's letter of September 9, 1985, regarding conflict-of-interest guidelines and ministerial responsibility. After hearing further argument, the Speaker reserved his decision.

Issue

Can questions be asked of a Minister regarding his or her compliance with established conflict-of-interest guidelines?

Decision

The questions put to Mr. Stevens were not clearly expressive of the ministerial matters which they were attempting to raise, and were therefore out of order.

Reasons given by the Speaker

Questions to a Minister must involve ministerial responsibility in some way. It follows that questions of a purely personal nature are out of order. The borderline between what is personal and what is ministerial is not always evident. While the benefit of the doubt can be given to Members of the Opposition, the Speaker must be fair to all Members.

Questions regarding conflicts of interest have sometimes been answered by the Deputy Prime Minister instead of the Minister to whom they were directed. The Chair will allow a question to be put to a certain Minister, but it cannot insist that one Minister rather than another should answer it.