Rules of Debate / Unparliamentary Language

Expression "misleading the House"

Debates p. 3591

Background

Following a reply given by Mrs. Begin (Minister of National Health and Welfare) to a question that he had asked her the previous day during Oral Questions, Mr. Nielsen (Yukon) rose on a question of privilege to denounce the words used by the Minister to the effect "that she is misleading the House". The Member asked that the Minister withdraw her words or that she qualify them by adding "inadvertently" or "unintentionally". The Speaker ruled immediately.

Issue

Must the expression that he/she "misled the House" be considered unparliamentary?

Decision

No. The expression is acceptable in this case. [At the request of the Chair, Mrs. Begin added that Mr. Nielsen had "inadvertently" misled the House.]

Reasons given by the Speaker

In recent practices in the House of Commons, this expression has been allowed provided it was not qualified by the words "intentionally" or "deliberately".

Sources cited

Debates, October 9, 1980, p. 3527.

Beauchesne, 4th ed., p. 132, c. 154(3).

References

Debates, October 10, 1980, pp. 3590-1.