Mr. Tucker:

Far worse.

Mr. Tucker:

May I direct a question to the Minister of Trade and Commerce. The order in council with regard to the matter I asked him about was apparently tabled at eleven o'clock this morning, but it purports to have been signed on January 31, 1958. I would ask him if, when he made the announcement yesterday, the order in council already was signed and, if so, why he did not table it when he was asked to do so on the floor of the house.

Mr. Tucker:

Wait for silence.

Mr. Tucker:

On a question of privilege, how can we make a motion or take any steps to defend the privileges and rights of parliament if the government will not give us any information on the matter? For all we know the order in council was passed when the minister made his statement that the government had decided to appoint Mr. Bracken. The government acts by order in council. Inasmuch as he stated that the government had decided to appoint Mr. Bracken, the order in council must have then been signed, and if it was signed he should have tabled it. If it was not already signed he was stating something that was incorrect, because the government cannot act as a government except by order in council, and in that case he was flouting the house with regard to the matter. It is either one thing or the other. We should be very concerned about upholding the rights of parliament, and so should my hon. friends opposite. We are entitled to information as to whether the minister did contravene a rule of parliament when he made the announcement yesterday.

Mr. Tucker:

The order in council was signed before he spoke.