PrivilegesElections Committee — reportofprivilegesandelectionsapr 15 19

business_electronicdocuments_reportofprivilegesandelectionsapr15-19

Newfoundland and Labrador — Committees

HOUSEOFASSEMBLY NEWFOUNDLANDANDLABRADOR aoI’_oLj--I).

REPORTOFPRIVILEGESANDELECTIONSCOMMITTEE PointofPrivilegeAgainsttheMemberforTerraNova RespectingTheReleaseofReportsoftheCommissioner forLegislativeStandards APRIL15,2019 REPORTOFPRIVILEGESANDELECTIONSCOMMITtEE PointofPrivilegeAgainsttheMemberforTerraNova RespectingTheReleaseofReportsoftheCommissionerforLegislativeStandards April15,2019 Background OnAugust24,2018theCommissionerforLegislativeStandardsreleasedtworeportsrelatingto investigationsundertheCodeofConductforMembers.TheCommissionerreleasedthereportstothe complainants,therespondentsandtheSpeakeroftheHouseofAssembly.AsrequiredbytheHouseof AssemblyAccountability,IntegrityandAdministrationAct,theSpeaker(inhiscapacityasChairpersonof theManagementCommission)sentcopiestoCommissionMemberswiththefollowingreminder:“As theManagementCommissionhasnoauthoritytoreleasethesereportspublicly,untilthereportsare tabledintheHouseofAssembly,membersareremindedoftheirobligationtokeepthesereports strictlyconfidentialuntilthattime.” EvidenceprovidedtotheCommitteeshowsthattheMemberforTerraNovareceivedtheJoyceReport ofAugust24,2018fromtheCommissionerforLegislativeStandardsat3:31pmonthatdate.He receivedtheKirbyReportofAugust24,2018fromtheCommissionerat3:33pm.Withinonehour,the MHAreceivedinquiriesfromthreemembersofthepressrespectingtheCommissioner’sreports.Some ofthosequestionswerebasedoninformationontheTwitterfeedofanNWreporterwhichcontained directquotesfromtheCommissioner’sreports.

OnMonday,August27,2018,theMemberforTerraNovareleasedthereportspublicly. OnOctober25,2018,theMemberforMountScioroseonapointofprivilege.Thebasisforthispointof privilegewasanearlierrulingbytheSpeakeronanotherprimafadepointofprivilegealsorelatingto thereleaseoftheCommissioner’sreports(bytheMemberforMountScio).ThatMemberarguedthat theMemberforTerraNovareleasedtworeportsproducedbytheCommissionerpriortothosereports beingtabledintheHouse.TheMemberforMountSciofurtheraskedthatthisCommitteereviewthe matter.

Decision Initsexamination,theCommitteeinvitedtheMemberforTerraNovatomakeasubmission,whichit received.TheCommitteealsoaskedtohearfromtheCommissionerforLegislativeStandards,who subsequentlyappearedbeforetheCommitteetodiscusshispracticesaroundconfidentiality.The Committeereviewedsixteenrelatedaudioandvideomediafilesforthetimeframeinquestion,aswell asvariousprintmediareports.Itstudiedanumberofauthoritiesonthematter,includingthe“Report OntheCaseofPrivilegeRelatingtoLeaksoftheAuditorGeneral’sReportontheAuditofSenator’s Expenses”,preparedbytheStandingCommitteeonRules,ProceduresandtheRightsofParliament (SenateofCanada).1 1http://Qublications.gc.ca/site/engJ9.835561/publication.html REPORTOFPRIVILEGESANDELECTIONSCOMMIHEE PointofPrivilegeAgoinsttheMemberforTerraNova RespectingTheReleaseofReportsaftheCommissionerforLegislativeStandards April15,2019 Contemptcanbedefinedas“anyconductwhichoffendstheauthorityordignityoftheHouse,even thoughnobreachofanyspecificprivilegemayhavebeencommitted.”TheCommitteerecommendsto theHousethattherebenofindingofcontemptinthismatter.

TheCommitteefindsthattheMemberonlyreleasedthereportswhentheywereclearlyalreadyinthe publicdomain.Intheabsenceofastatutoryprovisionorconfidentialityagreement,thematterofthe confidentialityofthereportswasnotclear.Inaddition,theMemberreachedoutforguidancetoboth theCommissionerofLegislativeStandardsandtheSpeakeroftheHousebeforereleasingthem,showing thatheintendedtofollowthecorrectprotocols.ItistheviewofthisCommitteethattheMemberwas unawareofthepossibleimpactofreleasingthereportsontheprivilegesoftheHouse.

However,itmustberememberedthatthesereportswerepreparedfortheHouseofAssemblyandthey relatedtothedisciplineofMembers,anauthorityandprivilegeheldbythewholeHouse.

TheCommitteenotesthataJointCommitteeonParliamentaryPrivilege,1999indicatedthat “unauthoriseddisclosureofembargoedcopiesofreportspresentedtotheHousebutnotyet published...maybetreatedascontempt”.2Further,theStandingCommitteeonRules,Proceduresand RightsofParliamentdidfindthatthereleaseofareportoftheAuditorGeneralbeforeitwastabledas requiredwasacontemptofParliament.3 However,findingsofcontemptarerare.4Inlightofthelackofstatutoryrequirementsandlackofclarity andunderstandingaroundparliamentarytraditionsinmattersofthissort,theCommitteedoesnotfind thatamatterofcontempthasbeenmadeoutinthisinstance. silL9 ScottReid,MHA,St.Ceorge’s-Humber Chair CommitteeMembers: LorraineMichael,MHA,St.John’sEast-QuidiVidi,Vice-Chair JohnFinn,MHA,Stephenville-PortauPort KeithHutchings,MHA,Ferryland PamParsons,MHA,HarbourGrace-PortdeGrave April15,2019 2https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/it199899/itselect/itpriv/43/4302.htm Ibid.,note1 ‘..., intheprimafaciecasesofcontemptraisedintheCanadianParliamentbetween1867and2003,onlyone motioncontainingtheword“contempt”wasadoptedbytheHouse.KieronWood,contemptofParliament, chapter3,p.8

Document details

Collection	Newfoundland and Labrador — Committees
Citation	business_electronicdocuments_reportofprivilegesandelectionsapr15-19
Type	committee
Volume / chapter	business_electronicdocuments_reportofprivilegesandelectionsapr15-19.pdf
Language	en
Format	json
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	7634dd95f77831da78ed89b5b418b28c5d1b88ae

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