Madam Speaker: I have rulings for the House.

I am ruling on a matter I took under advisement on March 25, 1997, during Question Period. The opposition House leader (Mr. Ashton) raised a point of order about an answer provided by the honourable Minister of Environment (Mr. McCrae). Having taken the opportunity to research Hansard, I am ruling that there was a point of order.

The minister was not clear on March 25 that he was answering questions asked on March 20, nor had he clearly indicated on March 20 that he was taking a question as notice. What he had said on the 20th was that he would provide the member for Swan River (Ms. Wowchuk) with information. What the Minister of Environment did say on March 25 was clearly debating the issue and was provocative. That was in contravention of Citation 417, and I would have to caution the minister when answering questions to conform to the provisions of that citation, that is, the answer should be brief, should deal with the matter raised and should not provoke debate.

I took under advisement a point of order raised on March 25, 1997, by the opposition House leader (Mr. Ashton) about the orderliness of an answer provided by the honourable Minister of Health (Mr. Praznik) to a question. Having reviewed the Hansard record, I find that there was indeed a point of order. The question asked was quite straightforward, asking whether a matter would be sent to the Provincial Auditor for a review. A large portion of the answer from the minister consisted of quotations from a newspaper article which did not directly relate to the question asked.

I encourage all ministers when answering questions to be brief, to deal with the matter raised and to not provoke debate.

During Question Period on March 27 two points were raised relating to an exchange of questions and answers between the honourable member for Brandon East (Mr. Leonard Evans) and the Minister of Labour (Mr. Gilleshammer).

The first point of order was raised by the opposition House leader (Mr. Ashton) about the relevancy of the answer by the minister to the second question posed by the honourable member for Brandon East. After reviewing the Hansard record, I am ruling that the opposition House leader did have a point of order, and I ask the minister when replying to questions to deal with the matter raised and to not provoke debate.

The second point of order as raised by the government House leader (Mr. McCrae) was that the questions posed by the member for Brandon East were outside the administrative responsibility of the minister as they had to do with the A.E. McKenzie Company. The government House leader may indeed have had a point; however, he should have raised it before the minister began to answer the first question of the honourable member for Brandon East. Therefore, I am ruling that the government House leader did not have a point of order.

On April 11 during Question Period I took under advisement a point of order raised by the opposition House leader (Mr. Ashton) regarding an answer to a question by the honourable First Minister (Mr. Filmon). Having reviewed the Hansard record, I am ruling that the opposition House leader did have a point of order, and I ask the First Minister when replying to questions to deal with the matter raised and to not provoke debate.