SPEAKER'S RULING: Calling a Meeting of a Committee - Notice (Pt. of Privilege by Hon. M. Samson [Hansard p. 3201, 11/05/12]) Chair of an Assembly committee has the authority to call a meeting of the committee.

HON. MICHEL SAMSON: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of privilege. It's 8:29 p.m., and I've just been handed this note advising that there's a meeting of the Law Amendments Committee taking place at 8:30 p.m. this evening.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of this House for 14 years, I've never seen a committee being called with such short notice, which obviously takes away our rights and privileges as members of this House to be prepared, for our staff to be prepared and to actively participate in such a meeting.

MR. ALFIE MACLEOD: The question that I would ask the Minister of Natural Resources is, can he please tell the House and, more importantly, the private wood contractors, what steps he and his government have taken to ensure that private woodlot owners in Nova Scotia are treated fairly and not thrown under the Dexter bus, like so many other small businesses in Nova Scotia?

HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU: I also want to point out that following that meeting, the honourable Leader of the Official Opposition was quoted as saying, "Shelburne has been denied a chance to be heard in their home community, and I think that's wrong."

Madam Speaker, I read the comments in the media that the member for Richmond is against the Law Amendments Committee travelling to Shelburne County, contrary to what his Leader said just three days before.

SPEAKER'S RULING: Letter from Attorney General to Electoral Boundaries Commn. Breached privileges of member. (Pt. of Privilege by Hon. C. d'Entremont [Hansard p. 2580, 09/26/12] Not a prima facie breach of privilege.

The second issue - on Friday there was a point of privilege. On Friday the honourable Progressive Conservative House Leader rose on a point of privilege. He asked me to rule on whether a letter from the Attorney General to the recent Electoral Boundaries Commission breached his privilege as a member of the House of Assembly.

SPEAKER'S RULING: Tabling Multiple Copies of Petitions.

Members will remember that on Friday I raised the question of tabling multiple identical petitions. As I recall, there was a past ruling about this. I consulted with the Chief Clerk and he advised me that there was a previous Speaker's Ruling in 1995 that a member who had multiple copies of what is the exact same petition should table them collectively, rather than individually.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT: Mr. Speaker, on a point of privilege. I wonder if you could look into the matter of a ruling on the propriety of a letter written by the honourable Minister of Justice on June 14, 2012, which I believe violates the privileges of the members of this House. The letter as discussed in Question Period - and I will table another copy - was written to the Electoral Boundaries Commission and gives firm direction. The minister neither sought nor received any direction from this House of Assembly in advance of sending the letter.

SPEAKER'S RULING: Petitions - Format. Petitions have to ask for something, usually some sort of action by the House of Assembly.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. Before we start the daily routine today I would like to read a ruling. Yesterday I advised the House that I wanted to look more closely at some of the petitions that were presented, as I thought they didn't sound like they were in proper form.

AN. HON. MEMBER: He speaks up then he leaves the room, that's nice.

Mr. SPEAKER: Order, please. It is unparliamentary for members to be hollering out whether a member is in the Chamber or outside of the Chamber - the member for Richmond did not say that, the other members in the caucus. I would remind all members that you cannot say whether a member is in the Chamber or outside of the Chamber.

MR. ANDREW YOUNGER: Well, Mr. Speaker, when the Premier has nothing better to do than to resort to things he knows are false, then you know that the Premier is grasping at straws and knows he is on his last legs.