Privilege / Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous; committees; tampering with evidence

Journals pp. 845-6

Debates pp. 8553-5

Background

Mr. Nugent (Edmonton-Strathcona) rose on a question of privilege to allege that Mr. Hellyer (Minister of National Defence) had tampered with a brief prepared by Rear Admiral Landymore before it was presented to a committee on June 23. Mr. Nugent did not indicate what motion he intended to make if the question of privilege were admitted. Following the Speaker's decision not to allow the question of privilege, Mr. Nugent rose on a point of order to say that this had been his earliest opportunity to raise the matter in the House.

Issue

Was the question of privilege raised at the earliest opportunity?

Decision

No. The question of privilege cannot be considered at this time.

Reasons given by the Speaker

This question has been raised several times during the present session. In this instance the decision must be made not on the question of whether there is a prima facie case of privilege, but as to whether this matter has been raised at the earliest possible opportunity. The Member has not satisfied this requirement. It does not conform to the rules or the purport of the practices of the House for a Member, satisfied after one or two or six months that he or she has a good case, to come forward and raise a matter as a question of privilege.

Sources cited

Debates, May 10, 1966, pp. 4923-4.

Beauchesne, 4th ed., pp. 95-6, c. 104(5).

May, 17th ed., p. 378.

References

Debates, August 30, 1966, pp. 7796-7; September 7, 1966, pp. 8125-32.