Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was aware from reading a press report that Mrs. Marie-Jewell was concerned about remarks I made in this debate. Perhaps I can assist better than anybody in quickly resolving this matter.

Mr. Speaker, I thought I made quite a good speech the other day...

---Laughter

...since it was off the cuff and I wasn't really prepared. But the Member has quoted me correctly; if Members are allowed to act irresponsibly and table unsigned documents, then this is in fact an abuse of privilege. I would like to clarify, Mr. Speaker, to the Member and to Members of this House, I didn't say the Member was irresponsible. What I said was that the Member's actions or any Members' actions in tabling an unsigned document would be irresponsible or were irresponsible.

Mr. Speaker, there were nine other Members who spoke -- eight or nine. I've just been scanning the Hansard and I think they all agreed, basically, with that point of view. Just looking at the Hansard, Mr. Morin said, "I don't think that in tabling letters that are unsigned we are showing respect for the public." He didn't say the Member was disrespectful, but perhaps the action of tabling unsigned letters was not showing respect. I think there's a big difference between the act, the process, the rule, the practice, the procedure, and the Member's individual character, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Kakfwi described this practice of tabling unsigned letters as going "beyond what are normal bounds of decency to which we all try to adhere," page 1374. Again, I think he was talking about what he called here "the business of tabling letters," the practice, not the individual.

Mr. Pudlat, page 1374, said he didn't think it was appropriate.

I think Mr. Todd used the same words, that this kind of behaviour is inappropriate.

Mr. Speaker, if you find my remarks in describing the Member's actions as irresponsible, if you find them to be unparliamentary...I don't know why I was picked on, because you better also censor other Members of this Assembly who made reference to decency, respect, appropriateness.

You invited debate on the point of order, Mr. Speaker, as you've done today. The point of order requested a ruling on the practice of tabling unsigned letters. That's what we were talking about: the practice; we weren't talking about the individual. And I would like to clarify to Mrs. Marie-Jewell, I was not talking about her, I was talking about the practice. Her actions triggered the debate, but the debate was about the practice.

So I would like to say, Mr. Speaker, the Member for Thebacha works very hard, she takes her job very seriously and I respect that, but when I was talking about the actions that she took which triggered the debate and your ruling, I was not calling the Member irresponsible; I was talking about the practice which appeared to be triggered by her actions. And I think there's a big difference here, Mr. Speaker.

So with respect, I think the Member has got it all wrong in taking my comments personally. She shouldn't take it personally. The debate was about the rules and the practice of this House, not about the Member or her character. So I would recommend that you not call my remarks unparliamentary. If you do call my comments unparliamentary in being critical of the actions of tabling an unsigned letter, then I bet eight or nine other people who spoke and said it was inappropriate or didn't show respect for this Assembly or was not an act of decency, then they're all guilty of unparliamentary conduct too. But we weren't talking about Mrs. Marie-Jewell, we were talking about the practice.

So I hope I made myself clear, Mr. Speaker. I didn't intend to attack the Member personally, but I will say again and I think your ruling makes it clear, that those kinds of actions are -- what words shall I use -- not recommended. Thank you.