Garry Breitkreuz, M.P. Yorkton-Melville

News Release

Speaker's Ruling Sets House of Commons Back 400 years
"M.P.s have been neutered. The Liberal Cabinet now has total control over all government bills just like the King did in 17th century England."

For Immediate Delivery

October 23, 1997

Ottawa -- Today, Garry Breitkreuz, M.P. for Yorkton-Melville, made public his two and a half year fight for the rights of Members of Parliament. Commenting on House of Commons Speaker Gib Parent’s ruling against a Question of Privilege raised by Liberal MP Roger Gallaway, Breitkreuz said, "I am deeply disappointed and offended by the Speaker’s ruling on Mr. Gallaway’s Question of Privilege. To rule that the Board of Internal Economy - a party-based body - has the power to dictate the rules under which individual M.P.s do their jobs as legislators in the House of Commons is offensive in the extreme," responded Breitkreuz.

"The right of M.P.s to draft all legislation introduced in the House of Commons goes back to 17th century England. In 1628, British Members of Parliament won the right to draft their own legislation and send it to the Crown for assent. It’s sad that our Speaker has no more respect for our Parliamentary traditions than this. His ruling set us back 400 years. Four hundred years ago in England M.P.s had no control over the drafting of legislation. The only difference is that 400 years ago the Crown had total control over every bill that went through the British House of Commons - now it’s the Liberal Cabinet that has total control of every bill that goes through our Parliament."

"This fight isn’t over yet. If we have to change the Parliament of Canada Act to restore our rights and privileges as legislators then so be it. If we have to form a non-partisan committee and finance our fight out of our own office budgets we will do it," challenged Breitkreuz. "All Mr. Gallaway has been asking is for the Speaker to defend our right as legislators to have expert legal advice, independent of the government, and to restore the level of legal services to the level it was in 1993. All I am asking is to have the role of legislative counsel debated in the House and approved by a free vote of all Members before any changes are made."

"Mr. Parent is making a big mistake if he thinks this issue is going to go away by tossing a few thousand dollars into every MP’s office budget. It’s instructive that the government would be prepared to spend so much money to eliminate the final bit of power Members of Parliament have over amendments of government bills. I don’t hold out much hope for a better ruling on the Questions of Privilege I raised on Tuesday and Wednesday," concluded Breitkreuz.

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For more information, please contact:

Garry Breitkreuz, M.P.