GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. It is no secret that later this afternoon the Government will seek to introduce under urgency a bill called the Appropriation (Parliamentary Expenditure Validation) Bill. It is our understanding that the Parliamentary Service gave considerable advice to the people who were responsible for the preparation of this bill.
The Parliamentary Service is there for the service of all members of Parliament, and, therefore, it would be reasonable to say that the Parliamentary Service has a somewhat more representative role than any other Government agency when it comes to offering advice—in fact, uniquely so. So I take this opportunity to express our deep disappointment that the General Manager of the Parliamentary Service notified us yesterday that he was unable to give us copies of the advice that had been supplied to those producing this bill, because, as he put it, the Parliamentary Service had to protect the interests of the Government, which was preparing this particular bill. At no time has the Parliamentary Service been a vehicle of the Government; nor has it been there to protect the interests of the Government.
Madam Speaker, I ask you to consider very, very carefully the decision that was made by the General Manager of the Parliamentary Service. The reality is that we have now been denied the opportunity to consider that advice, because, at this point, we still have not seen it. Madam Speaker, we would appreciate your coming back to the House, even perhaps during the time that the House is in urgency, and telling us whether it is your view that the General Manager of the Parliamentary Service was in the right to refuse to release information that, in reality, belongs to all members of Parliament.
Madam SPEAKER