Speaker Greg Fergus in parliamentary proceedings Monday dismissed a point of order pertaining to spies on Parliament Hill as not more serious than any other matter. The House will not hold a priority debate on the damning report released in June by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), which states at least 11 Parliamentarians are implicated in acting on behalf of foreign agents. NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who according to CSIS was herself a target of foreign interference, called for the point of order, arguing that if cabinet withheld names, all MPs would be regarded with suspicion. .'BOO HOO': Trudeau Liberals refuse to name spies in Parliament; mock Tories for demanding them . “While I understand that findings presented in the NSICOP report are serious, and appear to create suspicions about certain members, that, in itself, is not a basis to establish that this question of privilege merits a priority of consideration over all other House business,” said Fergus.“Furthermore, the Chair notes that the NSICOP report was made public in the interest of, not only public disclosure, but also to assist members of parliament in their understanding of the threat foreign political interference opposes to our democratic institutions.”“For these reasons, I cannot conclude that either the necessary conditions have been met to establish a prima facie question of privilege on the matter, raised by the member.” .When raising a question of privilege in the House, the MP must first convince the Speaker that their concern is prima facie (on the first impression or at first glance) a question of privilege, the Our Commons website states. It is incumbent on the Speaker to decide if the issue raised is pressing enough to take priority over Orders of the Day. If so, the matter is debated and the House decides whether “a breach of privilege or a contempt has been committed.” Otherwise, a priority debate will not take place, and the matter will be discussed at a later date. .Organized spying scandal exposed on Parliament Hill.The report revealed “a few” legislators were found to have spied on colleagues, acted at the “direction of foreign officials,” pocketed “funds” and leaked “information learned in confidence from the government” to foreign agents. “Some Parliamentarians are, in the words of the intelligence services, ‘semi-witting or witting’ participants in the efforts of foreign states to interfere in our politics,” said the NSICOP report.“These examples include communicating frequently with foreign missions before or during a political campaign to obtain support from community groups or businesses which the diplomatic missions promise to quietly mobilize in a candidate’s favour.”"The report did not provide any names and as such all 338 members of this House, including those who have since left this chamber, are under a cloud of suspicion," Kwan said in June. .CHINA INQUIRY: 13 ridings named, MP changes story.Fergus on Monday reasoned Kwan’s point of order was raised two weeks after the NSICOP report and therefore did not qualify to be prima facie."The facts raised by the member in her arguments had become apparent well before her intervention. The chair is of the view that the member for Vancouver-East had prior opportunities to raise her concerns," he said..China Inquiry Commissioner Hogue cannot unmask Parliament Hill spies
