Emergency Debates / Motions to Adjourn – Emergency Debates

Leave granted; Speaker determines timing of debate to take into account other House decisions

June 22, 1992

Debates, pp. 12527-8

On June 17, 18, 19 and 22, 1992, Mr. Brian Tobin (Humber-St. Barbe­ Baie verte) rose pursuant to Standing Order 52 to ask for leave to move the adjournment of the House to discuss the crisis in the northern cod fishery and its effect throughout Atlantic Canada. Mr. Tobin's request was strongly supported by other Members. On the first three days^[1] that leave was requested; it was not granted. On June 22, however, the Speaker granted leave for the debate. However, separate and apart from the emergency debate, the House was bound by two earlier decisions which impacted on the timing for such a debate: a motion adopted June 9 to extend the hours of sitting until 10 p.m. and a motion adopted earlier that day respecting time allocation on Bill C-86, An Act to amend the Immigration Act and other acts in consequence thereof. The Speaker's decision with respect to the timing of the emergency debate is reproduced below.

Decision of the Chair

Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte some  days  ago,  also  the  honourable   Member   for   Nanaimo-Cowichan (Mr. David Stupich), and subsequently 40 other Members have indicated their wish that there be an emergency debate with respect to the situation resulting from the difficulties in the northern cod fishery.

I notice that the request is that these Canadians urgently require an indication of the kind of short-term and long-term strategies the Government will employ, et cetera.

I have listened very carefully over several days to the questions and the answers. There is no question that the matter is of importance and concern to all Members of the House.

After careful consideration, under the provisions of Standing Order 52, I am in a position to grant the request for an emergency debate today. However, the House is in a quandary as it adopted last June 9 an order to extend the hours of sitting until 10 p.m. In addition, earlier today the House agreed to a motion for time allocation on Bill C-86, An Act to amend the Immigration Act and other acts in consequence thereof, which would require, if necessary, an interruption 15 minutes before the expiry of time provided for Government Business, namely 9:45 p.m.

While Standing Order 52 governing Emergency Debates states that such a debate be held at 8 p.m. until midnight, I have also gone back and looked at the McGrath report. In light of the spirit of the McGrath report, which sought to allow for Emergency Debates without infringing on the time of the House, I am prepared to set down for debate at 10 p.m. the matter raised by the honourable Member and Members.

This debate will conclude at no later than 12 midnight, as specified by the Standing Orders.

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1992-06-22