Madam Speaker: I have a statement.

On November 21, 1996, the honourable member for Osborne (Ms. McGifford) raised a point of order concerning words she attributed to the Premier (Mr. Filmon) regarding the member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale). The Premier has now on the record unequivocally withdrawn the words. The matter is therefore concluded.

Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Excuse me, Madam Speaker. I will allow our House leader to deal with this, but given the fact that you were asked to make a ruling, are we not going to get a ruling, or is it not the precedent for the Speaker to make a ruling? The matter is a year and a half or two years old.

Hon. James McCrae (Government House Leader): Madam Speaker, I think any review of the history of these types of matters in the House where a phrase or a word objected to and argued about is withdrawn, that traditionally has been the end of the matter. I believe that has been handled that way in this case, and I believe that is the appropriate way that it should be handled.

Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): On the point of order, Madam Speaker, and I think the government House leader used the right term in discussing this when he talked about history, because unfortunately this matter languished for more than a year. The apology, the so-called apology that was received from the First Minister (Mr. Filmon) was made when we complained that a ruling had not been made on a matter of privilege that had been raised, not only one year, one calendar year, but two sessions previously. I would note, by the way, on the record that the First Minister did not apologize until we raised it again in the House more than a year and two sessions afterwards.

I think if you were to be making any ruling on this particular matter, including on whether the First Minister had given a sincere and honest withdrawal and apology on this matter, that it should have been done in the form of a ruling, and I would like to note on the record that ruling should have been brought in this House a lot earlier than today, December 8, more than a full year after we raised a matter of privilege in this House.

A matter of privilege should always be dealt with, not only by members at the first opportunity, but I believe in terms of rulings, you should have brought in a ruling a lot earlier, and the Premier should have apologized in the first place more than a year ago.

Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the official opposition does not have a point of order.