Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 48(1) and (2), I am rising on a question of privilege for which I have given written notice to the Speaker at 8 a.m. this morning. It is relating, as I indicated in my letter, to a matter which disturbs me very personally and significantly because it is a matter which I believe is an attempt to intimidate me from discharging my duties as a member of Parliament.
Yesterday, during question period, I raised a question which had to do with the Minister of Natural Resources. It was a question which brought into question her actions and decisions to deliberately or knowingly put herself in a conflict of interest with regard to using a registered lobbyist to do political fundraising for her and, as well, to procure the resources and private information of the Toronto Port Authority for purposes of political fundraising.
In raising those points, which the Minister of Transport acknowledged were correct and that they were totally unacceptable, the Minister of Natural Resources made a rude finger gesture at me, in the middle of the question. It was distracting.
I raise this because this is not just a question; for instance, there was the issue where the member for Nepean—Carleton and a couple of other members were shown on film making certain gestures which were unparliamentary and it was dealt with as a privilege issue. However, because it was in the context of many members, et cetera, nothing between two members or whatever, the matter resulted in just an instruction to members that these kinds of things are inappropriate.
However,--