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May 8, 1974
As has been stated on many occasions in the past, "it might be very unwise for the House to decide that proceedings in one committee be investigated by another committee". It is not procedurally...
The Speaker rules that committee proceedings can only be brought to the House via a formal report and takes the question of a committee's power to compel documents under advisement.
April 24, 1974
Four possibilities are available according to the Standing Order on the notice of motions for the production of papers. When called, the motion can be adopted by the House, dropped, voted upon or,...
The Speaker outlines the procedural options available for a motion for the production of papers when a Minister refuses to table the requested documents.
April 10, 1974
There should be no attempt to clarify a ruling which was made on another occasion because that would not be according to well-established practice. The matter will be allowed to stand where it is...
The Speaker denies a request to clarify a previous ruling, citing established practice and closing further debate on the matter.
March 26, 1974
"Parliament cannot legislate by Estimates", but this particular vote in the Estimates does not seek to amend an act or "to establish a legislative principle". It is difficult to see how this is...
A ruling confirms an item in the Estimates is procedurally valid as it does not improperly attempt to legislate by amending an act or establishing a legislative principle.
December 20, 1973
The Standing Orders provide for a substantive proposition to be considered by the House. This cannot be done, however, by way of a recommendation from a committee studying a bill. "... there is no...
This ruling establishes that a committee studying a bill can only report the bill itself, with any changes being formal amendments, not separate recommendations.
December 19, 1973
"... difficulties which come up in committee, to the extent they are procedural difficulties, ought to be settled there rather than in the House". The Member's motion, which does not refer the...
The Speaker ruled that a Member's motion on committee business was a substantive motion requiring 48-hours' notice, not a question of privilege.
December 13, 1973
There is no precedent for dividing a motion preceding a bill. "... there are a large number of... precedents which indicate that a notice of a ways and means motion refers not to one single...
The Speaker ruled that a Ways and Means motion cannot be divided, citing a lack of precedent and long-established practice.
December 10, 1973
If a vote on the non-confidence motion is taken before 9:45 p.m., the House would then have the opportunity to look at the procedural difficulties mentioned in connection with the notices of...
The Speaker ruled that motions for concurrence in committee reports must be deferred to a future supply day and cannot be considered on a day with a non-confidence vote.
December 10, 1973
The House should "reaffirm the proposition that such proposals, when they are clearly intended to amend existing legislation, should come to the House by way of an amending bill rather than as an...
This ruling establishes that using dollar items in the Estimates to amend legislation is procedurally improper and requires a separate amending bill.
December 10, 1973
A notice of opposition "should not include argument and should not attempt indirectly to reduce an item which is not actually before the House", At this point in the proceedings there can be no...
The Speaker clarifies that a notice of opposition cannot contain arguments or indirectly amend an item not yet before the House for debate.