Debate of harassment reports won't happen until next week, speaker says

Despite opening the House of Assembly early last week to debate the Chaulk reports into harassment, the speaker of the house says it could be at least next week until that debate can be held.

Perry Trimper told reporters Tuesday that both the province's commissioner for legislative standards Bruce Chaulk and Toronto firm Rubin Thomlinson, whose reports influenced Chaulk's rulings, have been asked to speak in the House.

"Following the resolution of the House last week, staff reached out to Rubin Thomlinson and to the commissioner, because that's the context of the resolution that was passed, to have them both appear on the floor," he said.

Next week he's promising us.- Perry Trimper

Trimper said the commissioner is available, but Cory Boyd, Rubin Thomlinson's lead investigator on the reports, is out of the country on vacation.

"We have been in touch with him, he's responded, so we're hoping to have clarification. Next week he's promising us," he said.

Despite the delay, Trimper said it's important that the House hear from Boyd.

"It's been very clear that Mr. Boyd was the individual who was present throughout the discussion, the interviews and the completion of their text that the commissioner for legislative standards then used," he said.

"So I'd say he's a key guy."

'Highly unusual circumstance'

But it's not every day that a lawyer has the opportunity to speak in the House of Assembly.

"A resolution was passed on the floor requesting for the first time, frankly, in I think it's 50 years it's since the late 60s, the last time we brought somebody from the private sector to the floor of the legislature to be questioned," said Trimper.

"This is a highly unusual circumstance."

He said the rarity wasn't known to MHAs when the resolution was passed, and as such, staff also reached out to the senate and other legislatures in Canada and the U.K. for guidance on procedures.

There's a desire to have this done as quickly as possible.- Perry Trimper

It will be up to the house leaders as to when proceedings will be scheduled, but Trimper said there's no definitive timeline as to when MHAs willdebate the harassment reports.

"There is a desire to have this done as quickly as possible, while we're here, while we're assembled," he said.

And in the meantime, the house will still move forward and follow routine proceedings each day, but Trimper said it could be a while before the debate is resolved.

"It could be a rather protracted exercise, since each member can speak to the motion, and if there are amendments, each member can speak to each amendment that's put forward, so yeah, it could be rather lengthy."

With files from Katie Breen.

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