Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege and I wish to place my case before you this morning.
Beauchesne's sixth edition, citation 24 reads:
The distinctive mark of a privilege is its ancillary character. The privileges of Parliament are rights which are absolutely necessary for the due execution of its power. They are enjoyed by individual Members because the House cannot perform its functions without unimpeded use of the services of its Members.
Committee members provide a service to the members of the House. By not reporting a bill back to the House a committee impedes members from performing their legislative duties.
On December 13, 1994 Bill C-234 was referred to the justice committee by a majority of votes in the House. The Minister of Human Resources Development and the member for Vancouver Quadra, along with 72 of their colleagues, the hon. member for Saint John and the Reform caucus voted to send Bill C-234 to the committee, engaging its services to conduct a thorough review and investigation of this private member's bill and then report back to the House.
We expected the bill to be reported back to the House so that this House could make the final determination on the bill and not just a few committee members beyond the authority of the House.
It is this House that gave life to the bill and only this House has the authority in its final determination. For the committee to kill a bill which was given life by this House and a majority of its members is a violation of our privileges as members of Parliament.
The committee decided that Bill C-234, which became Bill C-226, was not to be reported back to the House. It was this action which has breached my privileges as a member of this House.
The Liberal members of the committee voted on each and every clause of this private member's bill and they voted not to report it back to the House. The Liberal members killed Bill C-226. The members of the justice committee are in contempt of Parliament for their actions.
Beauchesne's sixth edition, citation 639(1) states:
A bill must pass through various stages, on separate days, before it receives the approval of the House of Commons.
Citation 679(2) states:
To commit a bill means to refer it to a committee, where it is to be considered and reported.
I suggest reported back to this House.
Mr. Speaker, if you rule this is a prima facie question of privilege I am prepared to move the appropriate motion.