Mr. Speaker, I am surprised to hear such rhetoric from the government House leader. I guess it is somewhat embarrassing to get caught with one's pants down. And the government House leader is obviously embarrassed.
He feels compelled to invoke the Canadian constitution, which tells us of course that this parliament is a British type of parliament and that, consequently, its rules and procedures are patterned on those of the United Kingdom parliament. He feels compelled to do that to refute the argument of the hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.
Mr. Speaker, allow me to say that, in my opinion, the point raised by the member for Richmond—Arthabaska is of the utmost importance.
If the government House leader thought that the section of the Canadian constitution was enough for us to understand his motion, why did he feel necessary to include in Government Business No. 2 an explicit reference to the fact that the Speaker shall be guided by the practice followed in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom? This is a fundamental issue.
This is indeed a British type of parliament. But all of us in this House know that, while this parliament may be a British type of parliament, it has its own distinctive features and rules.
Consequently we cannot decide from the outset that whatever applies in the United Kingdom automatically applies here in Canada, since we have our own rules and precedents. Only in the absence of rules and precedents do we look at how things are done in London, only then do we look at the rules and precedents are in London. Otherwise, we follow our own rules.
Here, in the Parliament of Canada, we have our own rules and I fail to see why we should get excited the way the government House leader has about the fact that we simply want to point out that among these rules there is one requiring that this parliament operate in both official languages, French and English.
Of course, the motion refers to the United Kingdom. Suppose that this motion had referred to practices in effect in France's national assembly. What would have been the reaction of our anglophone colleagues? They would have said “My God, what are the practices of the French national assembly, and how can I become familiar with them, because they are available in French only?”
The point being made by the member for Richmond—Arthabaska is of the utmost importance. For that reason alone, Mr. Speaker, you must give it consideration.
I would add another reason, which I mentioned in my speech on the motion of the government House leader. Naturally, he reminded us that his motion had been duly passed in the House. I need hardly point out that this motion, which amends a practice of this parliament, was imposed by the government majority, that the opposition parties did not support this practice that the government House leader wants to introduce, that he did not even have the courage to amend the standing orders, and that he is indirectly trying to force you, Mr. Speaker, to take a stand in a political debate.
Mr. Speaker, with respect to the intervention by my colleague from Richmond—Arthabaska and with respect to the motion itself, as passed by the government majority, I refer you to pages 260 and 261 of Montpetit and Marleau, and I quote:
The duties of the Speaker of the House of Commons require balancing the rights and interests of the majority and minority in the House to ensure that the public business is efficiently transacted and that the interests of all parts of the House are advocated and protected against the use of arbitrary authority.
It is in this spirit that the Speaker, as the chief servant of the House, applies the rules. The Speaker is the servant, not of any part of the House or any majority in the House, but of the entire institution and the best interests of the House as distilled over many generations in its practices.