Amendments to the Content of Bills / Committee Stage

Relevance; beyond scope of bill

Journals pp. 700-1

Debates pp. 6905-6

Background

During consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bill C-211, an Act to authorize the Minister of Finance to transfer to the provinces the proportions of the income tax payable by certain public utility companies, Mr. Barnett (Comox-Alberni) proposed that a clause be amended to impose conditions on the allocation of funds under the bill. The Deputy Chairman (Mr. Rinfret) ruled the motion out of order because it went beyond the principle of the bill and introduced a new and irrelevant provision. This decision was appealed to the Speaker who ruled as soon as the report was made.

Issue

Can an amendment extend the provisions of a clause and establish conditions not contained in the bill?

Decision

No. The amendment is out of order.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The proposed amendment would create an entirely new principle that goes beyond the terms both of the clause under consideration and of the bill as expressed in the resolution.

Sources cited                      

May, 17th ed., p. 549.

References

Debates, June 27, 1966, pp. 6902-5.