House Speaker David Laxton admitted Monday that he was wrong to say that members of the legislative assembly are permitted to accuse each other of making up facts.
Last week Resources Minister Brad Cathers said that NDP MLA Jim Tredger “has a pattern of making up his statistics.”
When the Opposition challenged this, Laxton ruled that it is not his business to determine the facts, and that the statement was in order.
But this week he corrected the gaffe, clarifying that members can accuse each other of having the facts wrong, but not of deliberately misleading.
“The minister not only cast doubt on the statistics being used by the member for Mayo-Tatchun, which is in fact in order, but also and more importantly cast doubt upon that member’s character, which is not in order.”