Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank Mr. Nerysoo for raising this point of order today, and I would like to thank you for allowing us to speak to it. Mr. Speaker, I have been troubled, since written allegations were tabled in this Assembly earlier this week and reported in the media. Those written allegations clearly pointed to an individual in a small community. I have learned that this individual, since the tabling of the unsigned document and since the press reports, has been subjected to questions from the press and personal anguish -- the individual and his family.

It seems apparent, worse, that some of the allegations tabled in this Assembly were not true. Mr. Speaker, that individual has no right of reply whatsoever and no way of dealing with this. Mr. Speaker, a Member's privilege to be free from prosecution for defamation or slander for what is said in this House is a very sacred and a very special privilege given to MLAs speaking in this House alone. It is aimed at the full and free discussion of issues and it is aimed at the pursuit of truth. But, Mr. Speaker, in my view, if Members are allowed to act irresponsibly and table unsigned documents which may be furnished to Members for malicious or political purposes, then this is, in fact, an abuse of the privileges we enjoy as Members. And, it will diminish the reputation of this Assembly.

So, Mr. Speaker, unless we wish this Assembly to be a place where Members can undertake a character assassination without accountability for the source of the information, then I would respectfully recommend that this House should adopt a practice or procedure to not allow this kind of reckless practice to take place in the future. I think it is unfair to the innocent who have no opportunity to reply, and I think it goes against the purpose of Members' privileges, which I think is aimed at a full and free disclosure of issues in pursuit of the truth. It may, indeed, have the opposite effect if there aren't some reasonable restrictions placed on this practice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.