Precedence and Sequence of Business / Business of the House

Order of priority of Government business

Debates pp. 14899-900

Background

The House Leader of the Official Opposition, Mr. Nielsen (Yukon) rose on a point of order following the weekly statement by Mr. Pinard (Government House Leader and President of the Privy Council) during which it had been announced that the day allotted for consideration of the business of supply had been moved from the next day to Friday of the following week. Mr. Nielsen maintained that the Government House Leader had no right to withdraw from the Order Paper a notice of consideration of the business of supply for which a day had already been allotted, given that notice of an intention to take advantage of an allotted day had already been given by the representative of the Official Opposition, in accordance with Standing Order 58(4)(a). After hearing Members' comments, the Speaker ruled.

Issue

Can the Government re-schedule a day allotted for consideration of the business of supply?

Decision

Yes. It is up to the Government to decide the order for consideration of Government business.

Reasons given by the Speaker

It is the responsibility of the Government and not of the Chair to decide in what order Government business shall be called and considered. The allotted day scheduled for Friday has not been cancelled, but merely postponed; "the notice on the Order Paper is just simply a notice. It is not an order."

References

Debates, February 11, 1982, pp. 14896-9.