Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak to a point of order that was raised yesterday by the hon. member for Halifax.
Mr. Speaker, in your response you said that you would consider the matter further and come back to the House once a response from someone was provided. I am providing that response.
I want to make a couple of points for your consideration. One is that it should be borne in mind that our cabinet system of government is one in which no decision can be said to have been made until cabinet has agreed to it. In the case of BMD, cabinet did not make the decision until its regular weekly meeting, which took place yesterday. As soon as that decision was made, the Minister of Foreign Affairs quite properly informed the House of Commons at the earliest possible moment.
Since cabinet actually began its meeting after the time in the House agenda for ministers' statements and since the minister desired to enlarge upon the effects of the budget in his department by intervening in the budget debate, the minister chose to use that opportunity to provide the House with the information. I also want to make the point that it was only after the minister had made his statement in the House that the Prime Minister spoke to the media.
As to the assertion in the statement by the hon. member for Halifax yesterday that the decision was made many days ago and that American authorities had in fact been informed, once again it should be borne in mind that only cabinet can make a decision of this nature and that cabinet did not make this decision until yesterday.
It is true that the Prime Minister and the relevant ministers had reached conclusions on the course of action they would recommend to cabinet some days earlier. It is also true that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as an informal courtesy, which, frankly, is quite normal in international diplomacy, gave an indication to the U.S. secretary of state of what course would be recommended to cabinet.
Nevertheless, Mr. Speaker, as you well know, in any system of cabinet government a decision is not made until cabinet has agreed to it. That decision was made in cabinet shortly after it met at 10 o'clock yesterday morning, and until cabinet agreed no decision existed.
I would ask, Mr. Speaker, that you consider these comments in your deliberation and in your consideration of the point of order the hon. member for Halifax raised yesterday.