Point of Order
April 25, 1969
Relevance; beyond scope of bill
Hon. Lucien Lamoureux
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
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<p class="decision-chapter">Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage</p>
<p class="d-DecisionDate">
<time>April 25, 1969</time>
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<p class="e-Debates">Journals <a href="https://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.HOC_2801_115_01/884">p. 947</a></p>
<p class="e-Debates">Debates <a href="https://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.debates_HOC2801_07/1089?r=0&s=1">pp. 7969-71</a></p>
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<h2 class="f-ContextResoEdNotePostscriptTitle">Background</h2>
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<p class="g-contextResoEdNotePostscript">During report stage consideration of Bill C-150, an Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Parole Act ..., the Speaker made a statement regarding the procedural acceptability of four proposed motions in amendment. Two of the motions were in the name of Mrs. Maclnnis (Vancouver-Kingsway); the other two were in the names of Mr. Woolliams (Calgary North) and Mr. Rodrigue (Beauce), respectively. The motions appeared to be beyond the scope of the bill as they sought to replace certain sections and subsections of the Criminal Code related to abortion.</p>
<h2 class="f-ContextResoEdNotePostscriptTitle">Issue</h2>
<p class="g-contextResoEdNotePostscript">Can motions in amendment change sections of a parent act through amendments to clauses in an amending bill?</p>
<h2 class="f-ContextResoEdNotePostscriptTitle">Decision</h2>
<p class="g-contextResoEdNotePostscript">No. Such motions are irrelevant to the present bill and beyond its scope. Reasons given by the Speaker: By attempting to repeal a section or subsection of the Criminal Code which is not presently before the House, these motions in amendment constitute a new legislative proposal. An amendment at report stage cannot go beyond the scope of the bill before the House nor can it use the amending bill to amend sections of the parent act not specifically under discussion in the proposed legislation.</p>
<h2 class="f-ContextResoEdNotePostscriptTitle">References</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Debates, April 25, 1969, <a href="https://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.debates_HOC2801_07/1082">pp. 7962-9</a>.</p>
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Edit Metadata
Holding
"Debate and amendments must be relevant to the bill under consideration and cannot introduce matters that are outside the scope of the bill as established by the House at second reading."
AI Summary
A ruling on a point of order concerning whether debate or an amendment was irrelevant by going beyond the established scope of a bill.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Other
- Tone
- Neutral
- Procedural Stage
- Government Orders
- Significance
Low
High