In a significant pre-election blow to Ontario Premier Ernie Eves, the provincial Speaker found evidence Thursday that the Conservative government was in contempt when it released its recent provincial budget at an auto-parts plant.
"There is a danger that the representative role of each and every member of this house is undermined, that respect for the institution is diminished and that parliament is rendered irrelevant," said Speaker Gary Carr.
The ruling halted all other business in the legislature, as members began an open-ended debate on a motion by Liberal critic Sean Conway, the longest serving member of the legislature.
He asked members to vote that all provincial budgets be released in the legislature.
"If you allow this kind of innovation to occur, then I don't know why the people of Ontario would be spending millions of dollars a year to support this beautiful old parliamentary building," Mr. Conway told reporters.
It was believed the debate could go on for several days.
The controversy over the budget began earlier this spring, when Mr. Eves broke with parliamentary tradition and opted to have the March 27 economic blueprint delivered at the Magna Technical Training Centre in Brampton, Ont., rather than in the legislature.
Mr. Eves and senior cabinet ministers have repeatedly defended the decision as a fresh approach and a better way to communicate with the public.
But Mr. Carr, a Tory who has said he won't run in the next provincial election, disputed that argument.
"Why is an extraordinary parliamentary process needed if there's already a process in the house?" he asked Thursday.
The Speaker's ruling is a black eye for Mr. Eves, who took over from former premier Mike Harris just over a year ago and had been expected to go to the voters within weeks for a June vote.
The Tories have been buoyed in recent days by Health Minister Tony Clement's handling of the SARS outbreak. The government has run ads saying the province has turned the corner on the public health crisis.
Mr. Carr had previously blasted the government for the budget release, and has even gone so far as to question whether Mr. Eves is fit to govern.
He noted Thursday that university professors, newspaper editorialists and opposition members had roundly criticized the TV budget as an affront to democracy.
Government house leader Chris Stockwell has argued that there isn't a rule dictating that a budget be delivered in the legislature.
He has also noted that the Liberals under former premier David Peterson chose to deliver a budget outside the legislature in 1988 because of an NDP filibuster.
On Thursday, Mr. Stockwell said Mr. Carr's ruling means members can no longer rely on precedents.
"Simply put, we have to find, with each Speaker, what they consider to be disrespect and what they don't," he said.
Mr. Eves had argued that holding the budget outside the legislature was the only way to keep his promise to deliver the document before the end of the fiscal year.
It was his own decision, however, to put off the scheduled resumption of the legislature until April 30.
On Thursday, the premier was absent from the legislature while he conducted a campaign-style swing through northern Ontario.