Statement
October 20, 1970
Private Members' bills
Hon. Lucien Lamoureux
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
Since the Chair did not have the opportunity to examine each bill in detail, it is suggested that the House follow the procedure agreed upon in several recent sessions: by unanimous consent, all the bills will be deemed introduced and given first reading, subject to an examination before second reading to determine if there are any defects in the bills with respect to the practices and usages of the House. For the information of the Members, certain practices seem to have evolved in connection with private Members' public bills. Some Members introduce a considerable number of bills, which take up a disproportionate share of the time allotted for private Members' business. There is also an increasing tendency to include money provisions in private Members' bills. The sponsors of the bills will have to satisfy the Chair that such bills are in order. Some bills include matters of debate, purportedly as explanatory notes. The inclusion of such material under the guise of an explanatory note contravenes the rules of the House.
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Holding
"All private Members' bills will be given first reading by unanimous consent, but they will be subject to a procedural examination by the Chair for any defects, particularly regarding financial provisions and explanatory notes, before they are permitted to proceed to second reading."
AI Summary
The Speaker outlines a process to grant private Members' bills first reading by consent while deferring scrutiny of procedural defects until before second reading.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Other
- Tone
- Educational
- Procedural Stage
- Routine Proceedings
- Significance
Low
High