Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on a point of privilege. This is a sad day, Mr. Speaker, but the Member for Hay River has left me no choice by tabling a document today. My point of privilege, Mr. Speaker, is that Tabled Document 49-13(5) constitutes an implicit allegation that I wrote an unsigned note that the Member for Hay River attempted to table two weeks ago.
Mr. Speaker, in my tenure as a Minister, there have been occasions where it appeared that a political leader or another Member had concerns or comments about me. As a Member of this House and as a leader, I have handled these situations in an open and up front manner, approaching the individuals to ensure I have all the facts before acting and to possibly remedy the situation. In all cases, Mr. Speaker, this approach has cleared the air. I have never been approached by the Member for Hay River to ask if I wrote the note.
Mr. Speaker, I said in the House today that I did not write, and I repeat, I did not write this note. Premier Morin also made it clear to this House that no Cabinet Member wrote the note either. I was elected to this government based on my honesty and integrity. Given the manner in which I have conducted myself in this House, I cannot believe that my word would not be taken, or worse still, not even sought before tabling such a document in the House.
Mr. Speaker, there is a long standing convention that reflections on Members and the House may constitute a breach of privilege. I am speechless as to why the Member for Hay River would go outside the walls of the Legislative Assembly to obtain the services of a documents examiner, to offer conclusions based on two brief sentences, without confronting me first.
Mr. Speaker, it has been ruled that simple justice requires that no honourable Member should have to submit to an investigation of his conduct by the House or a committee until he has been charged with an offense. In this case, Mr. Speaker, I believe that this breach could be interpreted to extend to individual Members' investigations. All investigations of events that occur within the House should be a matter for the House or a committee. As a Member of this House, I am always mindful of the fact that what I say and do has wide implications for the people I serve and for my colleagues in the House. Mr. Speaker, I cannot help but be personally offended by the actions of the Member for Hay River in tabling this document.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, the basis of my point of privilege rests in the following definition, and I quote, "to constitute a breach of privilege a statement reflecting on the conduct of a Member in his capacity as a Member need not be untrue, but it must tend to lower the House in the eyes of the public." That is to say, Mr. Speaker, the actions of the honourable Member for Hay River has hurt all Members of this House today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.