Adjournment Motion Proposed Under Standing Order 26 / Application Not Accepted

Other opportunities for debate

Debates pp. 3752-3, 3779-80

Background

Mr. Reynolds (Burnaby-Richmond-Delta) sought leave to move the adjournment of the House, under the provisions of Standing Order 26, in order to discuss the penitentiary system in Canada. The Speaker indicated that the request was of the sort envisaged by the Standing Order. Nonetheless, there was some difficulty in accepting the application in view of the fact that a committee had been seized of the matter. Although a motion to concur in the committee report had not yet been proposed, Members might consider having a debate under such a motion rather than an emergency debate. Despite the inclination of the Chair in favour of an emergency debate, the Speaker suggested that this sort of problem should be resolved through consultations among the House Leaders, and reserved his decision until those consultations had taken place.

Issue

Does the application meet the requirements of Standing Order 26?

Decision

No. The application is not accepted. [By agreement, a debate on a substantive resolution to empower the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs to investigate the administration of the penitentiary system was scheduled for later that day.]

Reasons given by the Speaker

The agreement among the House Leaders puts aside the request for a debate under Standing Order 26. "In view of the fact that there is to be a debate on this question this evening", there is no need to "proceed under the proposed motion".

References

Journals, May 15, 1973, p. 318.