Privilege / Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous; committees; production of documents

Debates pp. 8719, 8757-8

Background

When the sitting began, Mr. Broadbent (Oshawa-Whitby) raised a question of privilege and complained that the Standing Committee on Finance. Trade and Economic Affairs had not received a cost-benefit analysis which he claimed had been requested from and promised by the President of the 1reasury Board. The committee had received instead "a one-page collection of items which bears no resemblance to a cost-benefit analysis". Mr. Broadbent also explained that he had raised the issue in the committee, but that the chairman ruled against him, suggesting that the matter be considered in the House, since the promise to produce the document had been made in the House by the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Privy Council. Mr. Broadbent proposed to move that his question of privilege be referred to the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections. The Speaker deferred his ruling until later that day.

Issue

Does this complaint about documents requested by a committee constitute a prima facie question of privilege?

Decision

No. There is no question of privilege.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The requested document appears to have been tabled in the House as a return to a notice of motion for the production of papers. The problem seems to involve the description of the document. "It is a question of interpreting whether the document tabled is the paper the production of which the ... Member had sought by his notice of motion." If the Member feels that the document has not been provided, it is open to him to ask for the motion to be transferred for debate and the matter discussed and voted upon.

References

Debates, April 23, 1969, p. 7855.