Mr. Speaker, I bring this point of order to the House related to our need to ask ministers relative questions.
In a ruling from March 4, 1986 the Speaker of the House ruled:
Hon. members may not realize it but questions are actually put to the government. The government decides who will answer.
Mr. Speaker, we were merely making suggestions to the government as to who should answer in this House today and why. On two different occasions you ruled once in this party's favour, the second time against this party.
On May 8, 1986 the same Speaker stated:
Of course, the Chair will allow a question to be put to a certain minister; but it cannot insist that that minister rather than another should answer it.
Again, the decision lies with the government in the House, but we are not precluded from making suggestions. We should not be muzzled from making suggestions in this House.
The government may rise in opposition of this point of order and use citation 412 which supports perhaps the Speaker's position in your second decision today. However, it was a ruling from 1968. There have been a number of changes to the way question period is conducted, including many Speaker's rulings and committee reports on this subject since then. It is outdated, much like this government.
Political ministers are an excepted reality and they should be accountable to this House. This is at the basis of our Parliamentary system. The government seeks ways to avoid accountability and this is just another attempt by the government to hide those outdated, obscure issues and points it has on issues relative to today.
I note a little while ago in this House a member rose and asked a question of this government about the Kyoto conference. The minister of agriculture rose to answer that question. In fact, it was very similar to the issue that we had earlier in the House and yet you allowed it.
I refer to Beauchesne's citation 410:
In 1986 the Speaker put forth further views in light of more recent conditions and precedents. It was observed that: (6) The greatest possible freedom should be given to Members consistent with the other rules and practices.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that you revisit the issue in this House today and allow us in future and even in the next question period to question the minister from Alberta on issues relevant to this House and to that issue.