Madam Speaker: I have two rulings for the House.

I am ruling on a point of order raised by the official opposition House leader (Mr. Ashton) on April 16, 1999, respecting words used by the honourable First Minister (Mr. Filmon) with respect to the honourable member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale).

The Premier said, quoting from the Monnin report, "Sale, by his own admission, told Sorokowski, 'it is my understanding that if you don't want to meet with the investigators you don't have to,'" but also said "He was behind the scenes counselling people to break the law and not appear before the inquiry."

As I have previously ruled, it is not in order to use unparliamentary language or make a charge against another member by the device of putting the words into the mouth of someone else. Therefore, I am ruling that the House leader of the official opposition did have a point order, and I am calling on the honourable First Minister to withdraw the words he spoke on April 16 which imputed unworthy motives to the honourable member for Crescentwood.

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, I will withdraw those words from the record.

Madam Speaker: I thank the honourable First Minister.

On April 21, I took under advisement a point of order raised by the honourable member for The Maples (Mr. Kowalski). His point of order concerned words spoken by the honourable member for Thompson (Mr. Ashton) respecting the honourable member for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux).

I would note that Speaker Rocan made a number of rulings respecting alleged impugned motives. In particular, on May 30, 1989, he stated: "this is a forum in which strong and often opposing views are held and it is a forum in which unkind but not necessarily unparliamentary words and phrases unfortunately will be used from time to time."

I have read the Hansard record and am ruling that this was a dispute over the facts. There was not, in my opinion, an imputation of unworthy motives nor a personal charge made.