Canada gov't rapped, avoids nonconfidence motion

OTTAWA, March 9 Canada's minority Conservative government was formally reprimanded on Wednesday for ignoring a demand to produce documents, but escaped an immediate parliamentary motion of nonconfidence that could have triggered an election.

Peter Milliken, speaker of the House of Commons, said the government had failed to provide details of a planned prison construction program despite being ordered to do so by legislators.

The main opposition Liberal Party, which made the initial complaint, responded by proposing the matter be sent to a special committee for further study. The party could in theory have proposed a nonconfidence motion, but Milliken made clear he wanted the matter sent to committee. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Peter Galloway)