Unparliamentary language

Congresses and parliaments around the world have a stately image to their citizens and as a result, members of the bodies are required to act in an appropriate manner while performing their official business. Tradition has evolved that there are words or phrases that are deemed inappropriate for use in the legislature whilst it is in session. In a Westminster system, this is called unparliamentary language and there are similar rules in other kinds of legislative system. This includes, but is not limited to the suggestion of dishonesty or the use of profanity. The most prohibited case is any suggestion that another member is dishonourable. So, for example, suggesting that another member is lying is forbidden.^[1]

Exactly what constitutes unparliamentary language is generally left to the discretion of the Speaker of the House. Part of the speaker's job is to enforce the assembly's debating rules, one of which is that members may not use "unparliamentary" language. That is, their words must not offend the dignity of the assembly. In addition, whilst in the house legislators in Westminster systems are protected from prosecution and civil actions by parliamentary immunity and consequently are expected to avoid using words or phrases that might be seen as abusing that immunity.

Like other rules that have changed with the times, speakers' rulings on unparliamentary language reflect the tastes of the period.

Partial list, by country

Australia

In the Australian Senate, the words "liar" and "dumbo" were ordered to be withdrawn and deemed unparliamentary during a session in 1997.^[2]

Canada

These are some of the words and phrases that speakers through the years have ruled "unparliamentary" in the Parliament of Canada, the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and the Legislative Assembly of Québec:

• parliamentary pugilist (1875)
• a bag of wind (1878)
• inspired by forty-rod whiskey (1881)^[3]
• coming into the world by accident (1886)
• blatherskite (1890)
• the political sewer pipe from Carleton County (1917)
• lacking in intelligence (1934)
• a dim-witted saboteur (1956)
• liar (consistently from 1959 to the present)
• hypocrisy, hypocrite (from the early years through the tenure of Speaker Gilbert Parent; apparently not ruled unparliamentary by Speaker Peter Milliken)
• a trained seal (1961)
• evil genius (1962)
• Canadian Mussolini (1964)
• pompous ass (1967)
• fuddle duddle (1971)—probably the most famous example in Canada
• pig (1977)
• jerk (1980)
• sleaze bag (1984)
• racist (1986)
• scuzzball (1988)
• girouette (French for "weathervane", Québec 2007)
• bully (2011)
• a piece of shit (Justin Trudeau to Peter Kent, Question period 2011)

Hong Kong

The President of the Legislative Council ordered out for using the following phrases:

• 臭罌出臭草 (foul grass grows out of a foul ditch), when referring to some of the members (1996).^[4]

The following phrases have been deemed to be unparliamentary by the President of the Legislative Council:

• 仆街 (literally stumble on street, loosely translated as "go die" or "go to hell") widely considered by Hong Kongers as unacceptable language in civil settings (2009).

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

India

In 2012, the Indian Parliament published a book of words and phrases that were considered to be unparliamentary:^[5]

• Bad Man
• Badmashi
• Bag of shit
• Bandicoot
• Communist
• Double-minded
• Goonda
• Rat
• Ringmaster
• Scumbag

Ireland

In Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (Parliament) in Ireland, the Ceann Comhairle (chair) has ruled that it is disorderly for one Teachta Dála (deputy) to describe another as a:

• brat
• buffoon
• chancer
• communist
• corner boy
• coward
• fascist
• fatty
• gurrier
• guttersnipe
• hypocrite
• rat
• scumbag
• scurrilous speaker
• yahoo

Or to insinuate that a TD is lying or drunk; or has violated the secrets of cabinet, or doctored an official report.^[6] Also, the reference to "handbagging", particularly with reference to a female member of the House, has been deemed to be unparliamentary.^[7] The Dáil maintains a document, Salient Rulings of the Chair which covers behaviour in and out of the House by TDs; section 428 of this lists unparliamentary speech.^[8][9]

In December 2009, Paul Gogarty apologised in advance for using "unparliamentary language" prior to shouting "fuck you!" at an opposition chief whip.^[8] This phrase was not one of those listed explicitly as inappropriate, prompting calls for a review.^[10] Seán Barrett, Ceann Comhairle of the 31st Dáil accused TDs of being like "gurriers shouting on a street at each other". He said he would not apologise for this.^[11]

New Zealand

The Parliament of New Zealand maintains a list of words, and particularly phrases, that the Speaker has ruled are unbecoming, insulting, or otherwise unparliamentary. These include:^[12]

• idle vapourings of a mind diseased (1946)
• his brains could revolve inside a peanut shell for a thousand years without touching the sides (1949)
• energy of a tired snail returning home from a funeral (1963)

The Parliament also maintains a list of language that has been uttered in the House, and has been found not to be unparliamentary; this includes:

• commo (meaning communist, 1969)
• scuttles for his political funk hole (1974)

Norway

In 2009, a member of the Progress Party was interrupted during question period by the Speaker for calling a minister a "highway bandit".^{[citation needed]}

United Kingdom

In House of Commons of the United Kingdom, the following words have been deemed unparliamentary over time:

• blackguard
• coward
• git
• guttersnipe
• hooligan
• hypocrite
• idiot
• ignoramus
• liar
• pipsqueak^[13]
• rat
• swine
• stoolpigeon
• tart
• traitor^[14]
• sod
• slimy
• wart

As well as accusations of 'crooked deals' or insinuation of the use of banned substances by a member are also considered unparliamentary language (all attributable to Dennis Skinner).^[15]

Northern Ireland

The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, William Hay MLA, gave a ruling in the Chamber on 24 November 2009 on unparliamentary language.^[16] In essence rather than making judgements on the basis of particular words or phrases that have been ruled to be unparliamentarily in the Assembly or elsewhere the Speaker said that he would judge Members' remarks against standards of courtesy, good temper and moderation which he considered to be the standards of parliamentary debate. He went on to say that in making his judgement he would consider the nature of Members' remarks and the context in which they were made. In 2013, Hay ruled that insinuation of MLAs being members of proscribed organizations was unparliamentary language.^[17]

Wales

In the Welsh Assembly the Presiding Officer has intervened when the term "lying" has been used. In December 2004, the Assembly notably ordered out Leanne Wood for referring to Queen Elizabeth II as "Mrs Windsor".^[18]

United States

In United States Congress, six Representatives were censured for using unparliamentary language in the House of Representatives throughout its history. Other levels of government have similar disciplinary procedures dealing with inappropriate words spoken in the legislature.

Avoiding unparliamentary language

It is a point of pride among some British MPs to be able to insult their opponents in the House without use of unparliamentary language. Several MPs, notably Sir Winston Churchill, have been considered masters of this game.^{[citation needed]}

Some terms which have evaded the Speaker's rules are:

• Terminological inexactitude (lie)
• Being economical with the truth (lying by omission, originally from the Matrix Churchill "Arms-to-Iraq" affair), since used on the floor of the house as an insult or taunt.

Clare Short implicitly accused the Employment minister Alan Clark of being drunk at the dispatch box shortly after her election in 1983, but avoided using the word, saying that Clark was "incapable". Clark's colleagues on the Conservative benches in turn accused Short of using unparliamentary language and the Speaker asked her to withdraw her accusation. Clark later admitted in his diaries that Short had been correct in her assessment.

Notes

External links

• Short definition
• CBC News: Political insults: a short history of personal attacks