Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order, please. The matter has already been taken under advisement, and at this time I would like to bring in the ruling from Friday, if the honourable member will give me the opportunity.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: On April 25, the Acting Speaker took under advisement a point of order raised by the honourable member for The Maples (Mr. Kowalski) concerning the eligibility of a member who has been nominated to be a federal candidate to speak in this Chamber and clarification of what that member can do after the federal election has been called.

The member to whom I believe the point of order refers has been nominated by his party to represent it in the federal election. However, this action combined with the calling of the federal election does not automatically make the member a nominated candidate in the federal election or render him ineligible to sit in this House.

A person becomes a candidate at a federal election by filing nomination papers with the returning officer for the electoral district in which he or she is seeking election. However, a returning officer cannot accept nomination papers from any person who is a member of a provincial Legislature.

In summary, it is my understanding that a member is entitled to continue as a member of this House until he or she resigns as an MLA in order to file nominations papers as a federal candidate, and I have not received a resignation.

Mr. Brian Pallister (Portage la Prairie): Mr. Deputy Speaker, if I may have leave, I would like to put a few words of thanks on the record. In a few moments, I will be travelling to the Speaker's office to--

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order, please. Does the honourable member for Portage have leave to make a statement?

Some Honourable Members: No.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: No. Leave has been denied.

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Mr. Pallister: If I may, I would like to say, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that my understanding has been that other members preceding me in this House who have made the decision to leave have been allowed to put a few words of thanks on the record, and I would like to do that.

First of all, I would like to thank the members opposite--

Mr. Deputy Speaker: I have to interrupt the honourable member because he is now up on a point of order, and he is referring to the statement which the House has denied him the opportunity to bring forward. So the honourable member cannot be recognized at this time for his statement. He does not have a point of order.