Point of Order
May 5, 2016
Second reading: reasoned amendment; admissibility of a subamendment
Hon. Geoff Regan
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
The Deputy Speaker:
During the debate on Bill C-15, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2016 and other measures—the bill that is currently before the House— I took under advisement a subamendment moved by the member for Rimouski Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques. I would like to thank the member for New Westminster—Burnaby for his comments on the matter, and I am now prepared to rule.
Reasoned amendments allow a member to state the reasons for his or her opposition to second reading of a bill. Subamendments to reasoned amendments are permissible but, as the member for New Westminster—Burnaby pointed out in citing O'Brien and Bosc at page 534, "must be strictly relevant to (and not at variance with the sense of) the corresponding amendment and must seek to modify the amendment, and not the original question".
In the Chair's view, the original amendment was the list of reasons explaining why the House should decline to give second reading to the bill, and not simply the phrase indicating that the House decline to do so, as the latter could be achieved by simply voting against the second reading motion.
To be admissible, a subamendment should not simply relate to the lead-in "that this House decline to give second reading", but should instead relate to the reasons stated in the main amendment, either proposing to delete some of the reasons or to suggest additional reasons different from, but relevant to, the main amendment.
Accordingly, I declare the subamendment out of order and debate will continue on the amendment.
I thank hon. members for their attention.
[1]
Debates, May 5, 2016, pp. 2923–6.
Edit Metadata
Holding
"The subamendment to the reasoned amendment on Bill C-15 is declared out of order because it did not modify the substantive reasons listed in the main amendment."
AI Summary
The Deputy Speaker denied a subamendment to a reasoned amendment on Bill C-15, clarifying that subamendments must modify the substantive reasons listed in the main amendment, not just the introductory phrase.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Denied
- Tone
- Educational
- Procedural Stage
- Government Orders
- Significance
Low
High