Mr. Tucker:

The question of privilege is quite simply stated. It is an established rule

Inquiries of the Ministry binding this parliament that when a minister of the crown intimates that action has been taken embodied in a public document, he must thereupon at once table that document. Yesterday the minister was asked to table the document. He said-and Your Honour upheld that view-that he would table it in due course. He did not table it yesterday. He did table it today. I submit that was an infringement of the rights of this parliament. In seeking to explain the matter the minister indicated that when he made the announcement he had not mentioned an order in council. I wish to submit to Your Honour that this point of privilege is well taken because the minister indicated that an order in council was in existence. I wish to read his words in order to prove to Your Honour that he infringed that rule.

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:

Wait for silence.

Mr. W. A. Tucker (Roslhern):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Trade and Commerce. I hope the trained seals are enjoying themselves, because that is all they are permitted to do.

Mr. Tucker:

A supplementary question-