M-490 Votability

That the Standing Orders be amended as follows:

(a) by deleting Standing Order 91.1 and replacing it with the following:

“91.1 (1) Any item placed in the order of precedence is non-votable if it meets any of the following criteria:

(a) it concerns questions that are substantially the same as ones already voted on by the House of Commons in the current session of Parliament;

(b) it is substantially the same as items preceding it in the order of precedence or as ones currently on the Order Paper or Notice Paper as items of government business;

(c) it is a Senate public bill which is similar to a bill voted on by the House in the same Parliament.

Except for those so designated pursuant to Standing Order 87.1(d), any item designated non-votable shall be dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence.

(2) For the purposes of the application of the criteria pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order, bills shall be assessed only against other bills and motions only against other motions.”;

(b) by deleting Standing Order 92 and replacing it with the following:

“92. Items designated non-votable pursuant to Standing Order 91.1, may be considered by the House only after the sponsor of the item has waived the right to substitute another item pursuant to Standing Order 92.1 (1) by so instructing the Clerk of the House in writing.”;

(c) by deleting Standing Order 92.1(1) and replacing it with the following:

“92.1 (1) Pursuant to Standing Order 91.1, the sponsor of an item designated non-votable may, within five sitting days of being so informed, give written notice of his or her intention to substitute another item of Private Members’ Business for the item designated non-votable.”;

(d) by deleting Standing Order 92.1(3) and replacing it with the following:

“92.1 (3) When notice has been given pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order, the sponsor of the item who does not have a notice of motion on the Order Paper or Notice Paper or a bill on the Order Paper set down for consideration at the second reading stage shall, within 20 days of being so informed, pursuant to Standing Order 91.1, have another notice of motion on the Order Paper or Notice Paper or a bill on the Order Paper set down for consideration at the second reading stage and, notwithstanding any other Standing Order, that item shall be placed at the bottom of the order of precedence and shall remain subject to the application of Standing Orders 86 to 99.”;

and that the Clerk of the House be authorized to make any required editorial and consequential alterations to the Standing Orders.