The Daily Program / Routine Proceedings
Tabling of documents by a Minister: practices
Debates, p. 11441
Context
On February 19, 2015, John Duncan (Minister of State and Chief Government Whip) rose on a point of order during Routine Proceedings to table copies of an announcement made by the Prime Minister, who was in British Columbia. In turn, Wayne Easter (Malpeque) rose on a point of order. He made the argument that the Minister’s point of order was out of order because it was a ministerial statement and not the tabling of documents. Other Members also spoke to the matter.[1]
Resolution
The Acting Speaker (Bruce Stanton) delivered his ruling immediately. He reminded the House that Ministers could rise on a point of order at any time to table documents, and that they could take a few moments to explain the context of the tabling.
Decision of the Chair
The Acting Speaker: I thank hon. Members and the Chief Government Whip for their interventions on this question.
Members will know that Ministers of the Crown may interrupt on a point of order to table documents at any given time. They have that privilege. I saw this as what the Chief Government Whip was doing. He used a few moments to explain the context of the tabling, and this is quite commonplace when Ministers give the context for posing the documents to the House.
We are really at a point where all Members have been heard on this question. I do not see the practice in this case being out of order.
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[1] Debates, February 19, 2015, pp. 11440–1.