March 30, 1984
The problem has been with the House since the bell-ringing incident of March 1982. The rules and practices of the House do not provide the Speaker with specific guidelines for the handling of...
The Speaker addresses the procedural gap regarding division bell duration, stemming from a 1982 incident, and recommends the House adopt a Standing Order to resolve it.
March 29, 1984
The practice of the House has been to recognize each Thursday a question relating to the business of the House. This is not a point of order. Therefore the Chair has "no alternative but to accept...
The Speaker confirmed that the weekly House business question is a standard practice, not a point of order, and the resulting motion must be accepted.
January 19, 1984
As outlined by Beauchesne, the question "When will the bill be read a second time?" is asked by the Speaker immediately after the House has agreed to the first reading of a bill. The question is...
The Speaker explains that the question about a bill's second reading is a procedural formality to place it on the Order Paper.
January 18, 1984
In normal circumstances if a Bill based on a Ways and Means motion with spending clauses requires a Royal Recommendation, the bill should be placed on the Notice Paper with the Recommendation and...
This ruling explains that a Royal Recommendation must appear on the Notice Paper for 48 hours to meet the notice requirements for bills containing spending clauses.
October 28, 1983
According to Beauchesne, a Minister cannot read or quote from a dispatch or other state paper that is not before the House unless he is prepared to lay it upon the Table. However, if the public...
The Speaker clarifies the rule that Ministers must table any state papers they quote from unless they declare it is not in the public interest.
October 27, 1983
According to one authority, it is usual to give priority to members of the Government who wish to speak. Moreover, the parliamentary spirit allows that courtesies are afforded to certain Members...
The Speaker affirms their absolute discretion to select which Member speaks, balancing customary priority for Ministers with the equal rights of all Members.
September 20, 1983
When there is a need for more precise identification or to eliminate repetitions, the editors are allowed to alter a sentence of the Debates in such a way so that whoever reads the Debates may...
The Speaker clarifies that Hansard editors may make minor alterations to transcripts for clarity but cannot change the meaning of what was said.
June 28, 1983
The Member's statement, of course, does not constitute debate, for the very fact that during that period there was no motion before the House. The practice in the House is that the names of the...
The Speaker clarifies that the rule against using the names of the Royal Family or Governor General in debate should also be applied with discretion during Members' statements.
May 24, 1983
The motion lapses because it is now 6:00 p.m. and the House must adjourn at that time.
The Speaker announces that a motion has lapsed due to the House reaching its scheduled daily adjournment time.
February 16, 1983
The Standing Orders stipulate that a Minister may table in the House any report or other paper dealing with a matter falling within his administrative responsibilities. According to Beauchesne,...
The Speaker clarifies that Ministers are permitted by the Standing Orders and Beauchesne to voluntarily table documents related to their administrative duties.