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Point of Order

October 29, 2008: Allegations Against a Member

Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I must say that I don’t think this was a stellar day for people expecting a tone of civility in this Assembly or general respect for all members.

My point of order is raised against the Premier. During an exchange with the Leader of the Official Opposition he repeatedly made calls for information on an Official Opposition caucus expenditure which, in fact, happened in 2007 and in doing so I believe violated 23(h), which is making allegations against another member, that somehow this expenditure was inappropriate or unauthorized and demanding to know the amount of money. That, of course, is supported as well by Beauchesne 494.

As well, I would cite Standing Order 23(i), which is regarding imputing unavowed motives to a member. Certainly, that was contained in the Premier’s remarks, I believe, imputing and inferring something that is just not the case. Finally, the use of insulting language and certainly an insulting tone that goes along with that as we find in 23(j). I’ll also reference Beauchesne 409(7).

Finally I’ll reference Standing Order 23(c): “persists in needless repetition or raises matters that have been decided during the current session.” Now, Mr. Speaker, this particular issue has been raised by the Premier a number of times and, in fact, was the topic of at least one previous point of order and a Speaker’s ruling, yet here we have the Premier raising this issue again. I find this very curious. We have an expenditure that’s made by the opposition caucus. It is an expenditure that receives approval through the Legislative Assembly staff, and they are basing that approval on instructions and rules that are set out in the members’ services book, which, in fact, is put into place by a Tory-dominated Members’ Services Committee. So as well as inferring that some wrongdoing has happened on behalf of the Leader of the Official Opposition and the opposition caucus, it’s also, I would argue, casting aspersions upon the members of the committee that formed the rules.

Now, there’s repeated calling for the information to come forth. Mr. Speaker, as you have well taught me, it is inappropriate to table documents that have already been tabled in the House. The Premier is aware of this and is more than welcome to go and check Sessional Paper 150/2008, which was tabled in this Assembly on May 12, 2008. So the information has been provided. The expenditure was arrived at in an approved and legitimate manner, yet the Premier, as I’m citing 23(c), in fact, persists in raising this as though there is some wrongdoing on behalf of the Leader of the Official Opposition or on behalf of the caucus members or staff. This original expenditure was from the spring of 2007, Mr. Speaker. This issue is now 18 months old. The tabling was made in this House, and there was a Speaker’s ruling that is six months old.

I would ask the Speaker to please request that the Premier consult the documents that are already there and to resist endlessly raising the same issue that, I would argue, is insulting to the staff, to the members of the Members’ Services Committee as well as to the Leader of the Official Opposition and members of that caucus’ staff. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.