Privilege / Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous; premature disclosure of report

Journals pp. 1010-12

Debates pp. 8129-30

Background

Shortly before the House took its dinner recess, Mr. Howard (Skeena) rose to argue that the privileges of Members had been hampered by the publication in Time magazine of extracts from the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in Canada (the LeDain Commission) before the report had been tabled in the House. He subsequently moved that the Government investigate how such information had become available, and report to the House not later than June 26. After allowing a brief comment from another Member, the Speaker made his ruling.

Issue

Is the motion based on a valid question of privilege?

Decision

No. There is no prima facie case.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The investigation that the motion proposes may not be initiated by way of a question of privilege. A number of recent precedents indicates that motions proposing a study of the circumstances surrounding an alleged leak of information are not questions of privilege but, rather, are substantive motions.

Sources cited

Journals, March 31, 1969, pp. 869-73.

Debates, March 28, 1969, pp. 7246-9; March 29, 1969, pp. 7289-300; June 12, 1970, pp. 8041-2; June 15, 1970, p. 8087.

References

Debates, June 15, 1970, pp. 8126-9.