Mr. Speaker, I rise today on a question of privilege resulting from remarks made by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
Yesterday, in the foyer of the House of Commons the minister said, referring to me and a fellow member of Parliament, “Am I calling these guys racists? They are recognizable, notwithstanding that they don't have their cowl and their cape, the Klan looks like it's very much alive”.
On March 22, 1983 on page 24027 of Hansard the Speaker ruled:
A reflection upon the reputation of an Hon. Member is a matter of great concern to all Members of the House. It places the entire institution under a cloud, as it suggests that among the Members of the House there are some who are unworthy to sit here.
I take pride in credibly representing the people of Calgary Centre in this House of Commons and I will not leave this slanderous comment against me unchallenged and unresolved.
On March 16, 1983 Mr. Mackasey raised a question of privilege in order to denounce accusations made in a series of articles appearing in the Montreal Gazette to the effect that he was a paid lobbyist. On March 22, 1983 again on page 24027 of Hansard, the Speaker ruled that he had a prima facie question of privilege. The reasons given by the Speaker are on page 29 of Selected Decisions of Speaker Jeanne Sauvé :
Not only do defamatory allegations about Members place the entire institution of Parliament under a cloud, they also prevent Members from performing their duties as long as the matter remains unresolved, since, as one authority states, such allegations bring Members into “hatred, contempt or ridicule”. Moreover, authorities and precedents agree that even though a Member can “seek a remedy in the courts, he cannot function effectively as a Member while this slur upon his reputation remains”. Since there is no way of knowing how long litigation would take, the Member must be allowed to re-establish his reputation as speedily as possible by referring the matter to the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections.
On page 214 of Joseph Maingot's Parliamentary Privilege in Canada, there is a reference to reflections on members. It says:
The House of Commons is prepared to find contempt in respect of utterances within the category of libel and slander and also in respect of utterances which do not meet that standard. As put by Bourinot, “any scandalous and libellous reflection on the proceedings of the House is a breach of the privileges of Parliament...” and “libels upon members individually”--
I would also refer you, Mr. Speaker, to a Speaker's ruling from October 29, 1980 at page 4213 of Hansard. The Speaker said:
--in the context of contempt, it seems to me that to amount to contempt, representations or statements about our proceedings of the participation of members should not only be erroneous or incorrect, but rather, should be purposely untrue and improper and import a ring of deceit.
Mr. Speaker, the comments made by the minister are nothing more than a political smear that is unbecoming of a minister of the crown or of any parliamentarian, comparing Conservatives to the Klan. He more than crossed the line. He has not insulted our party; he has insulted all African Canadians and all other minorities who have been targets of that racist and murderous organization.
This statement is not only untrue, it is purposely untrue and improper. I charge the minister with deliberately and maliciously making a statement that was politically motivated and was a deliberate attempt to deceitfully tarnish my reputation and the reputation of my party.
If you find this to be a prima facie question of privilege, Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to move the appropriate motion. In that motion, I would have the minister suspended until he apologized for his remarks.