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December 10, 2024
The Speaker: Colleagues, I am now ready to rule on a point of order raised by the Leader of the Government in the House on December 3, regarding the handling of certain oral questions. During...
The Speaker rules that questions during Question Period must pertain to government administrative responsibility to maintain its purpose of holding the government, not the opposition, accountable.
December 3, 2024
The Speaker: I am now ready to rule on the question of privilege raised on November 7 by the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford concerning the refusal of a witness to answer questions at a...
The Speaker found a prima facie question of privilege against a witness who refused to testify but recommended committee study due to the difficulty of compelling a foreign national outside of Canada.
March 28, 2023
The Speaker: The Chair would like to make a statement regarding the period for questions and comments following speeches in the House. A series of points of order were raised on this topic on...
The Speaker ruled that the questions and comments period following a speech will proceed even if the member who spoke has left the chamber.
December 9, 2021
The Speaker: I am now prepared to rule on the question of privilege raised on November 23, 2021, by the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent concerning the failure to produce documents. I also want to...
The Speaker ruled that questions of privilege concerning contempt from a previous Parliament cannot be revived after dissolution because the underlying House orders have expired.
January 28, 2014
The Speaker: On December 9, 2013, the House Leader of the Official Opposition raised various issues relating to Question Period. Other Members from all parties in the House have from time to time...
The Speaker clarifies that questions in Question Period must quickly link to the government's administrative responsibilities to avoid being ruled out of order.
October 18, 2006
The Speaker: I am now ready to rule on the point of order raised on September 20, 2006, by the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for...
The Speaker ruled a lengthy written question inadmissible due to a lack of coherence and ordered it split into three separate questions.
February 6, 2003
The Speaker: I am now prepared to rule on the point of order raised on January 27 by the hon. Government House Leader concerning written questions and the difficulties experienced by the...
The Speaker ruled that the Chair cannot judge the merits of complex written questions, only their form, and the government must either answer them or state why it cannot.
February 4, 2002
The Deputy Speaker: Before I call for resumption of the debate I am now prepared to rule on the question of privilege raised by the hon. Member for Provencher on Thursday, January 31, concerning...
A ruling affirming that committees are masters of their own proceedings and can decide how to handle an Order of Reference regarding unanswered Order Paper questions.
March 14, 1985
The Standing Orders specify that a motion to adjourn is in order "unless otherwise prohibited in these Standing Orders". The ten-minute period following debate was brought into our rules not to...
The Speaker ruled that a motion to adjourn is out of order during the ten-minute question and comment period as that time is reserved exclusively for that purpose.
June 13, 1980
The rule the Chair follows is that all questions are legitimate unless they require very lengthy statistics. In that case they should be put on the Order Paper. It is not for the Chair "to judge...
The Speaker clarifies that while the content of answers in Question Period is not judged, their length will be managed to allow more Members to participate.