Management of Private Members’ Business
The Speaker is responsible for the orderly
conduct of Private Members’ Business, ensuring that there is a minimum 24
hours’ notice of items to be considered during Private Members’
Hour, identifying identical or similar items of Private Members’ Business,
arranging the exchange of items in the order of precedence and rescheduling
debate if Private Members’ Hour is delayed for more than 90
minutes.
The Clerk of the House is responsible for
most of the administrative and procedural duties associated with Private
Members’ Business. These include making arrangements for the draws to
establish the order of precedence, ensuring that Members and their staff know
when their items of business are to be taken up during Private Members’
Hour and providing the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs with
procedural advice on Private Members’ Business.
Legislative counsel assists Members in the
drafting of their bills for introduction in the House and in the drafting of
amendments to legislation. Priority in the drafting of private Members’
bills is accorded to those Members who have not previously had a bill drafted by
legislative counsel during that
session. [159]
Legislative advice usually involves the appropriateness of the proposed
legislation, taking into account constitutional requirements or impediments,
vested rights issues, drafting conventions, and procedural requirements. While
Members may draft their own bills or retain outside counsel for that purpose,
before these bills are introduced in the House, they are reviewed by legislative
counsel for constitutionality, form and compliance with drafting conventions. In
addition, all private Members’ bills are certified by legislative counsel
before introduction in the House.