Privilege / Reflections on a Member

Reflections on a Member

Journals pp. 868-70

Debates pp. 8783-4

Background

On October 17, Mr. Nugent (Edmonton-Strathcona) raised a question of privilege regarding an article in the Ottawa Journal on October 15, which quoted Mr. Hellyer (Minister of National Defence) as rejecting allegations that the Minister had tampered with committee evidence, charges which were, he contended, "designed [by Mr. Nugent]  to damage my reputation ... Mr. Nugent complained that such remarks "impute an improper motive ... [and] impugn my very honour and dignity". The Speaker reserved decision. The following day, Mr. Nugent moved that the question of privilege and the circumstances surrounding the original allegations be referred to the Committee on Privileges and Elections. After hearing Members' comments, the Speaker ruled.

Issue

Does the allegation, that the remarks made by a Minister outside the House impugn another Member's character, form the proper subject of a question of privilege?

Decision

No, not in this case.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The Chair must rule on two points in the case. First, the motion goes beyond the scope of the limited question of privilege raised by Mr. Nugent and revives a point concerning the fact of the question not having been raised at the earliest possible opportunity, on which there already has been a ruling. It is a substantive, not a privileged, motion. Second, despite the fact that the Member might have been seriously aggrieved, the Minister's words do not, in the Chair's view, impute an offence; therefore there is no prima facie evidence to justify sending the matter to the Committee on Privileges and Elections.

Sources cited

May, 17th ed., pp. 135-6, 143.

References

Debates, October 12, 1966, pp. 8569-84; October 17, 1966, pp. 8715-6; October 18, 1966, pp. 8779-84.