Amendments to the Content of Bills / Committee Stage

Deletion and substitution of a clause

Debates pp. 20366-70

Background

During consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bill C-137, An Act to provide for the resumption and continuation of longshoring and related operations at ports on the west coast of Canada, Mr. Crombie (Rosedale) moved an amendment to delete clause 4 of the bill and replace it with another clause. The Deputy Chairman (Mr. Blaker) expressed doubts as to the acceptability of the proposed amendment, and before rendering a decision, heard Members' comments.

Issue

Is an amendment whose effect would be to delete a clause in a bill and substitute another one, in order?

Decision

No. The amendment is out of order.

Reasons given by the Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole

An amendment is out of order if it is irrelevant to the subject-matter of the clause or beyond its scope. However, there is nothing to prevent a Member from amending the bill by moving amendments that are relevant to the subject-matter of the bill, in the form of new clauses.

Sources cited

Debates, October 31, 1963, p. 4219; December 3, 1963, p. 5385.

Beauchesne, 5th ed., p. 238, c. 773(1).

May, 17th ed., p. 549; 19th ed., p. 521.

References

Debates, November 3, 1982, pp. 20365-70.