This is a single
speech (house debate) resource
from the openparliament.ca API. If you’re new here, you might want to look at the documentation. If API and JSON are gibberish to you, you’re better off at our main site.
This is a single
speech (house debate) resource
from the openparliament.ca API. If you’re new here, you might want to look at the documentation. If API and JSON are gibberish to you, you’re better off at our main site.
{
"time": "2022-02-08 10:25:00",
"attribution": {
"en": "The Speaker",
"fr": "Le Pr\u00e9sident"
},
"content": {
"en": "<p data-HoCid=\"6920114\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> I am now prepared to rule on the question of privilege raised on February 1, 2022, by the member for <a data-HoCid=\"278428\" href=\"/politicians/gerard-deltell/\" title=\"G\u00e9rard Deltell\">Louis-Saint-Laurent</a> concerning the alleged premature disclosure of Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11525611\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-10/\" title=\"An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19\">C-10, an act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19</a>.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920115\" data-originallang=\"fr\">During his intervention, the member argued that the <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">Prime Minister</a> had spoken about the bill in detail during a press conference held the day before. At that time, the bill was on notice and had not been introduced in the House. The member said that the bill is simply entitled \u201cAn Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19\u201d. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920116\" data-originallang=\"fr\">He added that the Prime Minister had provided details by indicating that the government was going to present a bill to continue to offer the greatest possible number of rapid tests to the provinces and territories. He also said that such a disclosure breached the convention that members must be the first to learn the details of legislative measures and thus constituted contempt.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920117\" data-originallang=\"en\">The <a data-HoCid=\"279316\" href=\"/politicians/kevin-lamoureux/\" title=\"Kevin Lamoureux\">parliamentary secretary to the government House leader</a> responded that the <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">Prime Minister</a> had only spoken about the bill in general terms and had not disclosed any specific details. He also said that sharing a draft of the bill with the opposition parties before its introduction satisfied the requirement that members must be the first to be informed of such measures.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920118\" data-originallang=\"en\">The convention that members have a right to first access to legislation is a well-established practice. Looking at the relevant precedents, including those cited by the member for <a data-HoCid=\"278428\" href=\"/politicians/gerard-deltell/\" title=\"G\u00e9rard Deltell\">Louis-Saint-Laurent</a>, the Chair notes in particular that, when a premature disclosure was ruled to be a prima facie breach of privilege, precise details had been disclosed. These provided evidence that the contents of the bill had indeed been shared before they were disclosed in the House.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920119\" data-originallang=\"en\">In the case before us, the Chair must determine whether the information provided by the <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">Prime Minister</a> at the press conference constitutes a disclosure of the contents of the bill, which would be, at first glance, a breach of the privileges of members or of the dignity of the House.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920120\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Bill <a data-HoCid=\"11525611\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-10/\" title=\"An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19\">C\u201110</a> is relatively short and contains only two clauses. The purpose is simple. The first clause specifies the maximum amount that can be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the purchase of rapid tests. The second concerns the distribution of these rapid tests to the provinces and territories. The second aspect of the bill has been part of public discourse for some time now.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920121\" data-originallang=\"fr\">It is the view of the Chair that the Prime Minister\u2019s statement does not give way for the Chair to conclude that there was a breach of the privileges of the House nor to give the matter precedence over all other business of the House. Thus, I cannot conclude that there is a prima facie question of privilege.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920122\" data-originallang=\"en\">In closing, I would like to point out that the disclosure of bills before they are presented in the House has recently been the subject of several questions of privilege. A new practice also seems to have been established in which the government shares certain bills with the opposition before they are introduced. As such, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs may wish to review these elements and, if necessary, share its findings with the House.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920123\" data-originallang=\"en\">I thank the members for their attention.</p>",
"fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"6920114\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je suis maintenant pr\u00eat \u00e0 me prononcer sur la question de privil\u00e8ge soulev\u00e9e le 1<sup>er</sup> f\u00e9vrier 2022 par le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"278428\" href=\"/politicians/gerard-deltell/\" title=\"G\u00e9rard Deltell\">Louis-Saint-Laurent</a> concernant la pr\u00e9sum\u00e9e divulgation pr\u00e9matur\u00e9e du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11525611\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-10/\" title=\"An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19\">C\u201110, Loi concernant certaines mesures li\u00e9es \u00e0 la COVID\u201119</a>. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920115\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Lors de son intervention, le d\u00e9put\u00e9 a soutenu que le <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">premier ministre</a> a parl\u00e9 en d\u00e9tail du projet de loi pendant une conf\u00e9rence de presse tenue le jour pr\u00e9c\u00e9dent. Le projet de loi \u00e9tait alors en avis et n\u2019avait pas encore \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9pos\u00e9 \u00e0 la Chambre. Le d\u00e9put\u00e9 a soulign\u00e9 que le projet de loi est intitul\u00e9 simplement \u00ab Loi concernant certaines mesures li\u00e9es \u00e0 la COVID\u201119 \u00bb.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920116\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Selon lui, le premier ministre en aurait fourni les d\u00e9tails en indiquant que le gouvernement allait pr\u00e9senter un projet de loi afin de continuer \u00e0 offrir le plus grand nombre possible de tests rapides aux provinces et aux territoires. Toujours selon le d\u00e9put\u00e9, une telle divulgation est contraire \u00e0 la convention voulant que les d\u00e9put\u00e9s soient les premiers \u00e0 prendre connaissance des d\u00e9tails des mesures l\u00e9gislatures et constitue ainsi un outrage. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920117\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Pour sa part, le <a data-HoCid=\"279316\" href=\"/politicians/kevin-lamoureux/\" title=\"Kevin Lamoureux\">secr\u00e9taire parlementaire du leader du gouvernement \u00e0 la Chambre des communes</a> a r\u00e9pondu que le <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">premier ministre</a> n\u2019avait parl\u00e9 qu\u2019en termes g\u00e9n\u00e9raux du projet de loi et n\u2019avait en aucun cas divulgu\u00e9 des d\u00e9tails sp\u00e9cifiques. Selon lui, le partage d\u2019une \u00e9bauche du projet de loi avec les partis de l\u2019opposition avant son d\u00e9p\u00f4t satisfait \u00e0 l\u2019exigence selon laquelle les d\u00e9put\u00e9s doivent \u00eatre les premiers inform\u00e9s de telles mesures.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920118\" data-originallang=\"en\">La convention voulant que les d\u00e9put\u00e9s soient les premiers \u00e0 \u00eatre inform\u00e9s du contenu de mesures l\u00e9gislatives est bien ancr\u00e9e dans nos usages. \u00c0 la lumi\u00e8re des pr\u00e9c\u00e9dents en la mati\u00e8re, dont ceux cit\u00e9s par le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"278428\" href=\"/politicians/gerard-deltell/\" title=\"G\u00e9rard Deltell\">Louis-Saint-Laurent</a>, la pr\u00e9sidence a notamment observ\u00e9 que lorsqu\u2019une divulgation pr\u00e9matur\u00e9e d\u2019un projet de loi a \u00e9t\u00e9 jug\u00e9e fond\u00e9e de prime abord, des d\u00e9tails pr\u00e9cis avaient \u00e9t\u00e9 divulgu\u00e9s. Ceux-ci fournissaient alors une preuve que le contenu du projet de loi avait bel et bien \u00e9t\u00e9 partag\u00e9 avant son d\u00e9p\u00f4t \u00e0 la Chambre. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920119\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans le cas qui nous occupe, la pr\u00e9sidence doit d\u00e9terminer si l\u2019information fournie par le <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">premier ministre</a> en conf\u00e9rence de presse constitue une divulgation du contenu du projet de loi, ce qui porterait ainsi atteinte, \u00e0 premi\u00e8re vue, aux privil\u00e8ges des d\u00e9put\u00e9s ou \u00e0 la dignit\u00e9 de la Chambre.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920120\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"11525611\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-10/\" title=\"An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19\">C\u201110</a> est relativement court et ne contient que deux articles. L\u2019objet est simple. Le premier article vise \u00e0 pr\u00e9ciser le montant maximal qui peut \u00eatre pr\u00e9lev\u00e9 sur le Tr\u00e9sor pour l\u2019achat de tests rapides. Le second concerne la distribution de ces tests rapides aux provinces et aux territoires. Ce deuxi\u00e8me aspect du projet de loi fait partie du discours public depuis un certain temps d\u00e9j\u00e0.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920121\" data-originallang=\"fr\">La pr\u00e9sidence est d\u2019avis que la d\u00e9claration du premier ministre ne permet pas de conclure \u00e0 une atteinte aux privil\u00e8ges de la Chambre, non plus qu\u2019on donne \u00e0 cette question pr\u00e9s\u00e9ance par rapport aux autres travaux de la Chambre. Par cons\u00e9quent, je ne peux pas conclure qu\u2019il y a, \u00e0 premi\u00e8re vue, mati\u00e8re \u00e0 question de privil\u00e8ge.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920122\" data-originallang=\"en\">En terminant, j\u2019aimerais souligner que la divulgation de projets de loi avant leur pr\u00e9sentation \u00e0 la Chambre a r\u00e9cemment fait l\u2019objet de quelques questions de privil\u00e8ge. Une nouvelle pratique semble aussi s\u2019\u00e9tablir quant au partage par le gouvernement de certains projets de loi avant leur d\u00e9p\u00f4t avec les partis d\u2019opposition. Ainsi, le Comit\u00e9 permanent de la proc\u00e9dure et des affaires de la Chambre pourrait vouloir se pencher sur ces \u00e9l\u00e9ments et faire part, au besoin, de ses constatations \u00e0 la Chambre.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6920123\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je remercie les d\u00e9put\u00e9s de leur attention.</p>"
},
"url": "/debates/2022/2/8/the-speaker-3/",
"politician_url": "/politicians/anthony-rota/",
"politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4404/",
"procedural": false,
"source_id": "11502501",
"h1": {
"en": "Routine Proceedings",
"fr": "Affaires courantes"
},
"h2": {
"en": "Privilege",
"fr": "Privil\u00e8ge"
},
"h3": {
"en": "Alleged Premature Disclosure of Bill C\u201110\u2014Speaker's Ruling",
"fr": "La pr\u00e9sum\u00e9e divulgation pr\u00e9matur\u00e9e du projet de loi C\u201110 \u2014 D\u00e9cision de la pr\u00e9sidence"
},
"document_url": "/debates/2022/2/8/",
"related": {
"document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2022%2F2%2F8%2F"
}
}