Rodger Cuzner: Madam Speaker, understanding and respecting the Standing Orders and traditions of the chamber, I know it is not proper and not accepted to make any reference to the whereabouts or absence of a particular member in the House. I would ask the Speaker to check Hansard on this. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment had referenced that I was commenting on the absence of a member from the House. When I spoke about the member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry and the regional minister from P.E.I., it was about their absence on the file and the fact that people in their ridings were losing jobs, not any reference to their absence or physical whereabouts in the House.
Michelle Rempel: Madam Speaker, to respond to my colleague’s point, perhaps he should be more careful when he questions where the backbenchers are on a Friday.
Elizabeth May: Madam Speaker, of course, it will be for you as Speaker to conclude on the point of order by the member for Cape Breton—Canso and his question in question period. However, any plain understanding of his question at the time was that it was a rhetorical point asking where they are in speaking out for their constituents. It was never at all reasonable for the parliamentary secretary to think he was pointing out whether people were physically present in the House. It was, in fact, an absurd distortion of the member’s question.
The Deputy Speaker: I thank the hon. members for their comments. We will review Hansard and, if need be, we will come back to the House on this matter.