Madam Speaker: I have three rulings for the House.

Order, please. During Question Period on May 1, 1996, I took under advisement a point of order raised by the opposition House leader (Mr. Ashton) about language used by the First Minister (Mr. Filmon). The words were, and I quote, “so the allegation is one of the typical smutty ones that is brought out by the member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale).”

Webster's dictionary has the definition of the word “smutty,” the synonyms “obscene” and “indecent.” Beauchesne's Citation 491 advises that language used in the House should be temperate and worthy of the place in which it is spoken and that a word which causes disorder can be ruled to be unparliamentary.

I note that the phrase was directed at an individual MLA rather than a group. Therefore, I must rule that the language used by the First Minister was unparliamentary and request that he withdraw it.

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, in respect of your ruling, I would be happy to withdraw that comment.

Madam Speaker: I thank the honourable First Minister.

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Madam Speaker: The government House leader (Mr. Ernst) on May 14, 1996, raised a point of order about actions of the honourable member for Radisson (Ms. Cerilli) in approaching the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) at his seat in the Chamber and having an exchange of words while shaking her hand and finger at the minister.

I would like to draw to the attention of the House Beauchesne's Citation 485.(2) which states that the proper time to raise a point of order is when an event occurs and not afterwards. There was a considerable period of time between the incident referred to by the government House leader and his raising a point of order about the matter. Therefore, there is no point of order.

I realize that emotions run high, but we members must behave in a manner appropriate to elected members. People in the gallery are watching and I would encourage all honourable members to conduct themselves in a way appropriate as leaders of this province.

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Madam Speaker: I took under advisement a point of order raised on May 14, 1996, by the government House leader (Mr. Ernst) about words he said were used by the honourable member for Radisson (Ms. Cerilli).

Having checked Hansard I find that the government House leader asserted that the member for Radisson from her seat referred to members on the government side of the House as fascists and nazis. In speaking to the point of order the opposition House leader (Mr. Doer) claimed that what the member for Radisson had said was: How would you like it if we called you nazis? Hansard does not attribute any remarks relating to this matter to the honourable member for Radisson. Further, the point of order was raised well after the alleged incident took place. Beauchesne's Citations 319 and 321 clearly indicate that a point of order must be raised as soon as an irregularity is perceived in the proceedings of the House.

Therefore there is no point of order.

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