Point of Order
February 22, 1993
Recognition of independent Members for debate
Hon. John Fraser
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
The Acting Speaker (Mr. DeBlois):
I listened very carefully to what the honourable Member for Annapolis Valley—Hants had to say, and I realize he has a particular interest in this Bill which has an impact on the area he represents. When recognizing Members, however, the Chair must consider the number of Members representing each party.
I have been in the chair since the beginning of this debate, and we have now had four Members on the Government side, two Liberal Members and two NDP Members speak to the substance of the Bill. I also recognized the honourable Member twice during the period for questions and comments. In accordance with the traditions of this House, I believe the Chair will again have to give the floor to Members of the recognized parties before switching to an independent Member. That being said, I can assure the honourable Member that I am very much aware of his interest in this debate and that at the first opportunity, I will be delighted to recognize the honourable Member as a speaker on the substance of the Bill....
I do not think there is anything in the Standing Orders about speaking time being allowed on the basis of the amount of time Members spend in the House. I believe I am acting in accordance with parliamentary tradition by giving the floor to Members of the various recognized parties who then speak for a certain time. As for independent Members, I think it is only fair to wait until a certain number of Members have spoken before giving him the floor. That being said, so far I have recognized the honourable Member's special interest in the subject by giving him the floor several times during the period for questions and comments, and I believe I am entirely fair in recognizing once more the honourable Member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca (Mr. David Barrett). And I should be delighted to give the honourable Member for Annapolis Valley-Rants the floor at the earliest opportunity.
F0705-e 34-3 1993-02-22.
[1]
Debates, February 22, 1993, pp. 16282-3.
Edit Metadata
Holding
"The Chair must follow the traditional rotation prioritizing recognized parties for debate time before recognizing independent Members, regardless of the independent Member's specific interest in the Bill."
AI Summary
The Speaker denied an independent Member immediate recognition for debate, upholding the parliamentary tradition of prioritizing the rotation of recognized parties based on their representation.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Denied
- Tone
- Educational
- Procedural Stage
- Government Orders
- Significance
Low
High