Social:Misleading of parliament

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The misleading of parliament is the knowing presentation of false information to parliament, a very serious charge in Westminster system parliamentary assemblies.[1][2] Government ministers who are found to have misled parliament will generally lose their ministerial portfolio. By convention, a minister found to have misled parliament is expected to resign or face being sacked.[citation needed] The Scottish Ministerial Code requires ministers to resign if they mislead the Scottish Parliament.[3][4] For witnesses giving testimony to an Australian parliamentary committee, giving misleading evidence can be considered a contempt of parliament.[5]

Notable instances

Australia

  • Motorola affair: John Olsen, Premier of South Australia, was forced to resign after misleading parliament.

United Kingdom

  • Profumo affair: John Profumo, Secretary of State for War. His affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Soviet spy, followed by lying in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forced the resignation of Profumo and damaged the reputation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government.

References