The Daily Program / Daily Proceedings

Oral Questions: administrative responsibility of the Government; question ruled out of order

March 27, 2001

Debates, pp. 2311-2

On March 27, 2001, Svend Robinson (Burnaby–Douglas) rose on a point of order with respect to his oral question to John Manley (Minister of Foreign Affairs) being ruled out of order. Mr. Robinson had asked the Minister whether he felt that it was appropriate for Members to accept travel to Sudan paid for by a corporation. The Speaker had ruled the question out of order since it did not concern matters within the administrative responsibility of the Government.^[1] Mr. Robinson cited House of Commons Procedure and Practice, 2000, to the effect that Members should be given the greatest possible freedom in the putting of questions and asked that the Speaker allow his question when he asked it next.

The Speaker ruled immediately. He stated that, since Mr. Robinson had asked the Minister for an opinion on the actions of other Members, his question had violated two of the principles associated with Oral Questions in that it did not concern matters within the administrative responsibility of the Government and it sought an opinion.

Decision of the Chair

The Speaker: The Chair is quite prepared to rule on this issue immediately. I refer the hon. Member for Burnaby–Douglas to Marleau and Montpetit, as he has done, at page 426:

—In summary, when recognized in Question Period, a Member should—ask a question that is within the administrative responsibility of the government or the individual Minister addressed.

Furthermore, a question should not—seek an opinion, either legal or otherwise—

The hon. Member asked the Minister for his opinion on what some other hon. Member had done. It had nothing to do with Government expenditure. It had nothing to do with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Apparently there was a choice by these Members, on the face of the hon. Member’s question, to take a trip from someone else. That is not the business of the Minister and in my opinion it is clearly not part of the administrative responsibility of the Government. The Member was seeking an opinion. He violated the principles on two counts. The question was out of order. I have no doubt on the issue.