Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise for the first time in the 44th Parliament. Congratulations on your election as Speaker. It is a pleasure to join all of my colleagues here in the House.
I have a point of order that I would like to raise. It is uncharacteristically short, based on my past interventions. It is with respect to the two questions of privilege raised yesterday regarding matters that were outstanding when Parliament was dissolved. This issue was of particular concern to the government House leader, so yesterday my House leader quoted page 81 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition:
The House of Commons enjoys very wide latitude in maintaining its dignity and authority through the exercise of its contempt power. In other words, the House may consider any misconduct to be contempt and may deal with it accordingly. Instances of contempt in one Parliament may even be punished during another Parliament.
This latter point was decided definitively by Mr. Speaker Jerome on November 9, 1978, at page 965 of the Debates, in relation to allegations concerning misleading information provided to the 29th Parliament being raised over four years into the 30th Parliament. The Chair cited page 161 of Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice, 19th edition: “[A] contempt committed against one parliament may be punished by another.” He then held, “The matter is obviously put to rest.”
This principle was reaffirmed during the 32nd Parliament by Madam Speaker Sauvé on December 16, 1980, at page 5797 of the Debates, when she ruled on a question of privilege from one of my predecessors, Tom Cossitt, concerning his Order Paper question in the 30th Parliament. Though she did not find a prima facie case for other reasons, the Chair said, “At the outset, let me assure hon. members that a contempt against one Parliament may be raised and is punishable in another Parliament.”
Finally, I want to offer a much more recent citation. On June 23, the chief opposition whip raised a point of order asking, among other things, what would happen to the questions of privileges we are now concerned with if the heavily rumoured election were to be called over the summer. Mr. Speaker, you answered him at page 9060 of the Debates:
I just want to make sure that we got everything the way it should be and that the answer is correct.
The points of privilege and the points of order will be carried over, and it will be up to the Speaker at the time to look at it and take all the information as it evolves and make a decision at that time.
I recently came across an Italian proverb, and its English rendition is, “The bird is known by his note and the man by his words.” I dare not try to offer it in Italian, Mr. Speaker.
This House has confidence in you because you, sir, are an honourable man and we know that you are a man of your word. As my predecessor from many years ago, Mr. Cossitt, raised a point with the then Speaker trusting and knowing that it would be handled appropriately, I do the same today with you.