Madam Speaker, I rise today to respond to the question of privilege raised by the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes on October 25.
First, I would like to clarify that I do not believe this issue is a matter of privilege that should take precedence over all other business in the House.
That being said, I would like to inform the Chair that the question raised in the House on October 25 is currently being studied by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, in accordance with a motion adopted by that committee on October 23.
Furthermore, it is appropriate for the Chair to await a committee report to the House before intervening in such matters, and no committee report has been presented to the House.
Therefore, I believe it is premature for the Chair to rule on this question and that it would be more prudent to wait for a report from the committee on this matter, which will provide more context on its study and recommendations. This would also be consistent with the practices and rules of the House, which clearly stipulate that the Chair must not intervene in matters before a committee until a report has been tabled in the House.
To simplify things for the Chair and members who do not sit on the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, as noted in the meeting minutes, on October 23, 2025, the committee agreed:
That the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner be invited to appear for one hour in relation to the study of the forms and procedural and interpretative guidelines from the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.