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November 17, 1981
A Minister may be expected to answer to the House for the acts of his officials, but the Government is not responsible for the acts or statements of a Royal Commission. Furthermore, even though...
The Speaker ruled that the government is not responsible for the statements of a Royal Commission, even if it finds a government answer was false, provided there was no malicious intent.
November 9, 1981
Petitions are not usually read, unless the House gives its consent. For a petition to be considered, it must relate to a present and personal grievance, and not a "result of the general law,...the...
The Speaker ruled that a petition cannot be read and debated as it addresses a general grievance requiring legislation, not a specific, personal grievance that the House can immediately remedy.
November 9, 1981
The microphones are activated upon instructions from the Chair and only when the Chair gives the floor to a Member by identifying him by the name of his constituency. This is the only way to be...
The Speaker rules that only formal recognition by the Chair, not an activated microphone, grants a Member the right to speak.
November 4, 1981
There can be no doubt, as numerous precedents indicate, that questions to chairmen of committees are in order when such questions relate to procedural matters, for example, the time and place of...
The Speaker denied a point of order, ruling that a minister may answer a question addressed to a committee chair if it touches on general House business.
July 16, 1981
According to one authority, there are three essential and clearly defined stages in obtaining a decision of the House: first, the moving of a motion; then, the proposing of a question by the...
This ruling affirms the practice of allowing a Member to interrupt the voting process on a motion to raise a point of order or ask a question, protecting their right to speak.
June 3, 1981
Despite the issue's importance, and a certain element of urgency, the problem is one of continuing concern, since increases occur periodically in the price of petroleum products and in the taxes...
The Speaker denied a request for an emergency debate on petroleum prices, citing the ongoing nature of the issue and the availability of other debate opportunities.
May 26, 1981
A motion in amendment which seeks to introduce a question foreign to the proposition contained in the main motion cannot be moved. Moreover, the Speaker is prohibited from allowing a motion in...
A ruling stating that amendments must be relevant to the main motion and cannot alter the scope of a Royal Recommendation.
April 10, 1981
"It has been ruled consistently that the Chair does not decide questions of law." Equally, the Chair is not responsible for deciding whether or not a departmental guideline has been breached, nor,...
The Speaker ruled that a Minister opening an office in another Member's riding is not a breach of privilege as the Chair does not rule on the use of funds and all MPs represent the whole country.
April 7, 1981
Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage April 7, 1981 Journals p. 1671 Debates p. 9052 Background During report stage consideration of Bill C-42, An Act to establish the Canada Post...
This is not a ruling but a description of the constitutional principle that reserves the right to initiate financial legislation to the Crown (the government).
April 1, 1981
Not only is the personal situation of each Member not governed by the Standing Orders, but it would be violating the principle of equality of all Members in the House if a difference were to be...
The Speaker rules that the Chair cannot determine the legality of a measure and must treat all Members as equals, regardless of their professional background.