Peter Milliken

[Privilege, December 8th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was seeking to make the point that a publication of the House, admittedly in conjunction with the National Archives of Canada, contained a substantial error in that it failed to mention in the list of constituencies for Canada's first Prime Minister the fact that he was the member for Kingston.

I raise this point in some seriousness. I know it was treated with a bit of merriment yesterday afternoon. This particular Prime Minister was identified closely with the Kingston community. He represented Kingston in either the legislature or in this House from 1844 until 1891, with the exception of a nine-year break between 1878 and 1887 when he represented other constituencies in this House.

He was substantially raised in Kingston. He practised law in Kingston from the age of 19 in the 1830s until 1873. For over 40 years he practised law in Kingston. As I have indicated, he represented that community for a very long time and made a very substantial contribution there. He was buried in Kingston and there are countless statues and monuments to him in Kingston.

To have Kingston omitted from the list of his constituencies is really a shocking omission. With the greatest respect, of all the Prime Ministers in the book he probably had a closer connection with his community and is known to have had that connection with his community of Kingston than all the other prime ministers had with their communities.

My point is that this book ought to be repaired and replaced. It is frankly misleading, particularly to students who I am sure are going to be the principal users of this book. I see that it has a foreword with Your Honour's name on it, it does not have a signature, and another by the national archivist.

From the point of view of accuracy, I think it would be very wise to have the book reprinted. It is an excellent book and a fine publication. It is wrong in this particular. It is a serious enough error that it ought to be corrected.

[Motions For Papers, December 7th, 1994]

Madam Speaker, I would ask that the notice of motion for the production of papers be allowed to stand.

[Questions On The Order Paper, December 7th, 1994]

Madam Speaker, I would ask that the answer to starred question No. 54 be printed in Hansard as if read due to its length.

[Questions On The Order Paper, December 7th, 1994]

Madam Speaker, would you be so kind as to call starred question No. 54.

[Government Response To Petitions, December 7th, 1994]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table in both official languages the government's response to 37 petitions.

[Points Of Order, December 7th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to rise on the same point of order to reiterate what my friend has said. The words that Your Honour just used-I say this with the greatest respect-are clearly indicative of what Your Honour meant when you ruled this out of order in Question Period on November 23. Question Period is a different time when there is no opportunity for discussion. However, on two occasions since then the Deputy Speaker has chosen to state that this word is out of order because of the ruling on November 23.

While the word may be one that in certain circumstances could cause disorder in the House and may therefore not be permitted, it is one that has been used in this House for a long time. I do not understand why it is automatically out of order now whenever it is used.

I think the point the hon. member was seeking to make is while it may have been out of order in Question Period on November 23 and Your Honour has given a reason why that was so and that is accepted, to say the word is therefore unparliamentary on all other occasions is taking a word which is not a particularly nasty one when compared with the others in Beauchesne's which I could read at length that have been ruled to be unparliamentary-

[Privilege, December 7th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a very important question of privilege that touches on my ability to represent my riding in this House.

Yesterday all hon. members received, I believe from Your Honour, a book entitled The Prime Ministers of Canada . It is a green book presented by the House of Commons and the National Archives of Canada.

I was appalled when I opened the book and read on the page describing my distinguished predecessor, Sir John A. Macdonald, that he represented three constituencies at various times: Marquette, Manitoba; Victoria, British Columbia; Carleton and Lennox, Ontario.

Everybody knows that Sir John A. Macdonald was the member for Kingston. He was first elected as the member for Kingston in 1844 and he served in the legislature of the United Canadas until Confederation. From 1867 until 1891 he was a member for Kingston in this House except-

[Questions On The Order Paper, December 6th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[Government Response To Petitions, December 6th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 23 petitions.

[Questions On The Order Paper, December 5th, 1994]

Madam Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.