I am now prepared to rule on the point of order raised on Tuesday, November 19 by the hon. member for Acadie--Bathurst alleging that some remarks made by the hon. member for Saskatoon--Humboldt during Statements by Members were unparliamentary.
Having had the opportunity to review the Debates of November 19, I heard the hon. member for Saskatoon-Humboldt who rose on November 20 to reply to the allegations of the hon. member for Acadie-Bathurst.
My predecessors have on many occasions commented on the always difficult issue of determining what language is unparliamentary. They have often characterized this issue as a question of balance and they have been clear in insisting that every hon. member shares a part of the responsibility for using respectful language and so helping to maintain order in the House.
I refer hon. members to page 526 of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice where it states:
In dealing with unparliamentary language, the Speaker takes into account the tone, manner and intention of the Member speaking; the person to whom the words were directed; the degree of provocation; and most importantly, whether or not the remarks created disorder in the Chamber. Thus, language deemed unparliamentary one day may not necessarily be deemed unparliamentary the following day.... Although an expression may be found to be acceptable, the Speaker has cautioned that any language which leads to disorder in the House should not be used. Expressions which are considered unparliamentary when applied to an individual Member have not always been considered so when applied “in a generic sense” or to a party.
It is only to be expected that we in this chamber will hear strong language and forceful expressions of opinion where there are strongly held views on contentious issues. The House of Commons is a place where competing ideas are tested and conflicting passions are given expression. Here in the chamber, members enjoy the privilege of freedom of speech that permits them to speak freely. This freedom however implies a great responsibility as well. We must bear in mind the potential impact of our comments.
It can have come as no surprise to the hon. member for Saskatoon--Humboldt that objection has been taken by members of this House to being characterized as “modern day Klansmen”. This is the phrase he used in his original statement and a phrase he made a point of repeating in replying to the original objections raised.
There can be little doubt that the hon. member meant to provoke his colleagues, not merely to make a strong statement of his views. Under the circumstances, I find that the language used is unparliamentary and I ask the hon. member to withdraw his comment immediately.