Privilege / Misleading the House

Alleged contradictory statements by Ministers

Debates pp. 7925-6

Background

On February 12, Mr. Fulton (Skeena) rose on a question of privilege and accused the Prime Minister and various Ministers of the Crown of having made false and misleading statements during the debate over allowing Amax Mines to dump mineral tailings into the ocean. Concluding that he had been misled, Mr. Fulton moved referral of the matter to the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections. As the Ministers concerned were not in the House on that day, the Speaker decided to hear their comments before ruling.

Issue

Are apparently contradictory statements by the Prime Minister and his Ministers a breach of parliamentary privilege?

Decision

No. There is no prima facie question of privilege.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The Member "is not satisfied with the answers given to him by the Ministers, but the Chair is not in a position to insist on any other answers or to comment on the quality or substance of such answers." What the Member's arguments do show is that there is a difference of opinion as to the interpretation of certain facts.

Sources cited

Debates, January 22, 1981, p. 6452-3; January 23, 1981, pp. 6507-8.

Beauchesne, 5th ed., p. 12, c. 19(1).

References

Debates, February 12, 1981, pp. 7167-8; February 25, 1981, p. 7664.