Privilege / Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous; procedure

Journals p. 291

Debates p. 2685

Background

After several days of considerable discussion among Members on the alleged misconduct of Ministers, related to the Munsinger case, during which numerous questions of privilege and many points of order were raised, the Speaker felt obliged to make a statement to the House to explain proceedings on a question of privilege.

Issue

Must a motion follow a question of privilege? Can more than one such motion be considered at any one time?

Decision

A question of privilege should lead to the proposal of a motion and only one may be before the House at any one time.

Reasons given by the Speaker

According to long-standing practice, "a motion has to follow a question of privilege. The House cannot carry on a debate unless there is [a] question before it and, in the case of a question of privilege, the subject-matter of the discussion has to be a motion of privilege." In addition, "there can only be one question of privilege at any time".

Sources cited

Debates, March 19, 1962, p. 1915; January 21, 1963, p. 2935.

Beauchesne, 4th ed., pp. 94-7, c. 104; p. 102, c. 113.

May, 17th ed., p. 134.