Privilege — Select Committee Reports—Confidentiality

I have received a complaint of a matter of privilege relating to an article published in the Sunday Star-Times of 8 June 2003, headed “Latimer under fire for fees labelled ‘grossly excessive’ ”. The newspaper report purports to summarise the contents of a draft report of the Māori Affairs Committee on its inquiry into the Crown Forestry Rental Trust—an inquiry that has not yet been the subject of a report to the House.

Under Standing Order 237(2), a draft report of a select committee is strictly confidential to the committee until the committee reports to the House. Divulging the proceedings or report of a select committee contrary to the Standing Orders may itself be treated as a contempt under Standing Order 397(m). I find that the article does constitute a question of privilege in that a breach of Standing Order 237(2), and hence a contempt under Standing Order 397(m), may have occurred. The question therefore stands referred to the Privileges Committee.