Mr. Chair, I’d say yes. I think the Speaker has the necessary tools to ensure that debates in the House of Commons take place with the greatest dignity possible. But this responsibility does not rest solely with the Speaker. He must act in partnership with the party leaders, the whips and the House leaders, who are, in my opinion, House officials. It is their duty to support the Chair within their caucus.
To get back to the rat pack mentioned by Madam Champagne earlier. That was a deliberate and political strategy adopted by an opposition party. Under such circumstances, the Speaker is badly equipped if the leader does not support him when he intervenes.
What are perhaps missing in this report are the consequences of the Speaker’s actions. A member who is named can return to his office and work there; he is not obliged to attend the committee meeting his whip wanted to send him to, or he can take an earlier plane and go back to his riding. There are no Parliamentary consequences.
You could perhaps review some elements of this report
with caution, so that there is some consequence to the Speaker using the naming procedure.