Adjournment Motion Proposed under Standing Order 26 / Application Not Accepted

Issue not urgent

Debates pp. 567-8

Background

Miss Jewett (New Westminster—Coquitlam) sought leave to move the adjournment of the House, under the provisions of Standing Order 26, in order to discuss the cancellation of transcontinental passenger rail service to several areas and centres across Canada.

Issue

Does the application satisfy the provisions of Standing Order 26?

Decision

The application is not accepted.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The Chair finds it difficult to see that the issue constitutes a genuine emergency as required under Standing Order 26 for it involves a decision which was made by a regularly constituted board, the Canadian Transport Commission, which held several public meetings. Moreover, the VIA Rail Service was established with the intention of rationalizing into one service the existing facility. In a similar case. Mr. Speaker Lamoureux ruled that the "decisions taken by commissions while carrying out their normal functions should not constitute matters for urgent discussions".

Precedent cited

Debates, June 22, 1970, p. 8422.