Mr. Speaker, there are two issues before the House. First, is this a legitimate question of privilege? Second, was there a breach of the secrecy of the budget?
I will deal with these two issues in reverse order. We should all be reminded that the member who has just raised this question of privilege knows about cabinet secrecy. I would have hoped that in his remarks he could have borne that in mind a little more than he did. I am sorry that he failed in that regard.
I wish to bring to members' attention the question of the secrecy of the budget. There was no breach in the secrecy of the budget. On reading the article yesterday in the newspaper, I telephoned the hon. member for Guelph-Wellington and spoke to her about her comments in the Hill Times .
I asked her to put her response in writing and to send it to me so that I could share it very briefly with the House today. In the memorandum she sent to me, which I am perfectly willing to table with the Clerk later with the consent of the House if such were forthcoming, is the following:
To: Don Boudria, Chief Government Whip From Brenda Chamberlain, M.P. Re: Our Conversation
In reference to your question, I was referring specifically to the caucus briefing which was held approximately one hour prior to the tabling by the President of the Treasury Board of measures to deal with downsizing in the federal public service.
That downsizing document was tabled on February 21. It has nothing to do with the budget document. There may well have been issues tabled by the President of the Treasury Board that were later reflected in budget decisions.
That may be so but it was not information that was given to Liberal members of Parliament and denied to anyone else. As a matter of fact, the tabling occurred at ten o'clock that morning. That is easily verifiable and I am sure all hon. members, including the member in question, were here that morning.
The hon. member remembers well that the document was tabled. I read from the letter in question:
This announcement took place one week before the budget and dealt with downsizing in the federal public service, which was part of the federal budget. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
I will certainly table the letter if it is the wish of the House.
The second issue is the following. Is it in fact a question of privilege? I wish to bring to members' attention Beauchesne's sixth edition, page 13, citation 31(5) which says:
Budget secrecy is a political convention, and if breached,
It was not as we have just identified:
-the Minister may be attacked through a substantive motion, but not through a question of privilege.
That was ruled that way on April 19, 1983.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention the following decision made on November 18, 1981 by the then Speaker, the late Madam Sauvé: "Certainly the matter of budget secrecy is not dealt with through questions of privilege and there are very important precedents which I will recall to hon. members". She then cited a whole number of cases where it has been ruled not to be an issue of privilege.
In summary, there has not been a case of breach of budget secrecy and there is not a question of privilege now before the House.