EMERGENCY DEBATES

30.House of Commons Standing Order 52 provides a procedure for holding emergency debates “on specific and important matters requiring urgent consideration.” Although Members frequently seek leave to make such motions, few applications are in fact granted. Suggestions have been made to make the rules for emergency debate more flexible, to allow the House to respond in a timely way to various situations that may arise, especially since the holding of such debates does not impinge on the regular hours of the House. The Committee believes that its proposal for more frequent take-note debates will go some way towards addressing this concern. In addition, we propose to extend the Committee of the Whole format to emergency debates.

The Committee recommends the following amendments to the Standing Orders:

52. (10) Notwithstanding any Standing or Special Order, when a request to make such a motion has been made on any day, except Friday, and the Speaker directs that it be considered the same day, the motion shall be taken up at 6:30 p.m.

52. (13) No Member shall speak for longer than twenty minutes during debate on any such motion, provided that a Member may indicate to the Speaker that he or she will be dividing his or her time with another Member of his or her party.

PROCEDURAL MOTIONS INVOLVING COMMITTEES

31.Procedural motions authorizing committee travel are usually proposed to the House on a request for unanimous consent of the House, and, therefore, can be de-railed by one disgruntled or recalcitrant Member. We believe that this is unacceptable, and are proposing that the threshold for opposing such motions be raised. Only if 10 or more Members rise will the motion be deemed to have been withdrawn; otherwise, the motion will be deemed adopted.

32.We fully expect that these procedural motions will continue to be discussed and negotiated by the House Leaders, and agreement reached before they are put on notice. Such motions would be votable, but not debatable. A 48-hour notice period will be required, to ensure that no one is caught by surprise. Moreover, to remove any strategic ploys, there would be no discretion in moving the motion: it would be required to be moved at the first opportunity following the expiry of the notice period.

The Committee recommends that the Standing Orders be amended by the addition of a new Standing Order 56.2 as follows:

56.2.(1)  In relation to any routine motion concerning the power of committees to adjourn from place to place placed on notice by a Minister of the Crown, the question on the motion shall be put forthwith at the expiry of the notice period, without debate or amendment, during Routine Proceedings.

(2) When the Speaker puts the question on such a motion, he or she shall ask those who object to rise in their places. If ten or more Members then rise, the motion shall be deemed to have been withdrawn; otherwise, the motion shall have been adopted.