Committees / Witnesses

Evidence: question of privilege; contempt of the House; providing false and misleading testimony; prima facie

April 10, 2008

Debates, p. 4721

On February 12, 2008, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts presented its Third Report to the House recommending that the Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP, Barbara George, be found in contempt of the House for providing false and misleading testimony to the Committee and that no further action be taken.^[1] On April 10, 2008, the Chair of the Committee, Shawn Murphy (Charlottetown), rose on a question of privilege based on the Report and requested that the Speaker find that a prima facie contempt of the House had occurred.^[2]

The Speaker ruled immediately. As the Report of the Committee was unanimous, he found that there was a prima facie case of privilege and allowed Mr. Murphy to move the appropriate motion. (Editor’s Note: The exchange is reproduced in extenso.)

Decision of the Chair

The Speaker: The Chair has notice of a question of privilege from the hon. Member for Charlottetown.

Hon. Shawn Murphy (Charlottetown, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, on February 12 of this year, I, on behalf of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts, tabled in the House the Third Report of that Committee. In the Report, the Committee was of the unanimous opinion that then RCMP Deputy Commissioner Barbara George provided false and misleading testimony to the Committee on February 21, 2007, and the Committee further recommended that the House find her in contempt and that no further action be taken.

Marleau and Montpetit, on page 862, state:

—the refusal to answer questions or failure to reply truthfully may give rise to a charge of contempt of the House, whether the witness has been sworn in or not.

I rise today on a question of privilege. Based upon the unanimous Report of the Committee, I would ask that you find that a prima facie case of contempt has been established. Should you so rule, Mr. Speaker, I would then be prepared to make the appropriate motion.

The Speaker: I have heard the hon. Member for Charlottetown and his submissions. I understand that the Report he has tabled on this matter from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts was a unanimous report of the Committee and accordingly I am prepared to find there is a prima facie case of privilege and will allow him to move a motion.

Hon. Shawn Murphy: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Edmonton–St. Albert:

That the House of Commons find Barbara George in contempt of Parliament for providing false and misleading testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts on February 21, 2007; and that the House of Commons take no further action as this finding of contempt is, in and of itself, a very serious sanction.

The Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Some hon. Members: Agreed.

The Speaker: I declare the motion carried.