Privilege / Reflections upon a Member

Reflections upon a Member

Journals pp. 742-3

Debates pp. 7937-41

Background

In response to an article which appeared in the Montreal Gazette claiming that he had leaked budget information to businessmen, Mr. Reid (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of Privy Council) rose on a question of privilege. He informed the House that the charges were false and that he had asked the newspaper for an apology to be printed the next day, July 25. Failing that, he was prepared to move a motion to refer the matter to the Committee on Privileges and Elections should the Speaker find there was a prima facie case of privilege.

When it became known that the newspaper had not offered an adequate retraction, Mr. Reid put forward his motion to have specific allegations and documents investigated by a House committee. At this point Mr. Stevens (York—Simcoe) and Mr. Broadbent (Oshawa—Whitby) proposed separate motions to have the same committee undertake a more general inquiry into the entire episode, including allegations of conflict of interest.

Issue

Are accusations by a newspaper about a Member leaking budget information a prima facie question of privilege?

Decision

The motions of Messrs. Stevens and Broadbent are not accepted, while that of Mr. Reid is.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The motions asking for a general investigation under the terms of a specialized motion of privilege Jack sufficient merit to be given precedence over other motions; there is nothing to prevent Members putting down a substantive motion of this sort at any time.

The motion of Mr. Reid, on the other hand, is more specific and addresses an issue of clear importance, the alleged use of a national newspaper to accuse, falsely, a Member of a misuse of his privileges as a Member of the House. There is a prima facie case of privilege.

References

Journals (Sixth Report of Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections), October 17, 1975, pp. 781-2.

Debates, July 24, 1975, pp. 7886-9; July 25, 1975, pp. 7937-41, 7946‑8.