Rule of Debate / Order and Decorum

Props: members wearing political buttons in the chamber

June 13, 2019

Debates, pp. 29100–01

On June 12, 2019, the Assistant Deputy Speaker (Carol Hughes) interrupted Glen Motz (Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner) during his speech on Bill C-98, an act to amend the Royal Canadian Mountain Police Act and the Canada Border Services Agency Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts, and invited him to remove a political button from his lapel.^[1] The following day, during the debate on Bill C-69, an act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts, Greg Fergus (Hull–Aylmer) rose on a point of order regarding the use of props, specifically buttons with political statements worn by several members in the chamber.^[2]

Resolution

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Anthony Rota) ruled immediately, reminding members that props, including political buttons and lapel pins, that express a specific position a member wishes to emphasize disrupt proceedings and are unacceptable in the chamber. The Assistant Deputy Speaker asked members to bring such matters to the attention of the Chair.

Decision of the Chair

The Assistant Deputy Speaker: I am going to consult with my table officers to make sure that everything is in order.

I will read a passage from House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, on page 617 regarding displays, exhibits and props:

Speakers have consistently ruled that visual displays or demonstrations of any kind used by Members to illustrate their remarks or emphasize their positions are out of order. Similarly, props of any kind have always been found to be unacceptable in the Chamber. Members may hold notes in their hands, but they will be interrupted and reprimanded by the Speaker if they use papers, documents or other objects to illustrate their remarks.

I think that is the key sentence. It continues:

Exhibits have also been ruled inadmissible. During the “Flag Debate” in 1964, the Speaker had to remind Members on numerous occasions that the display of competing flag designs was not permissible. Small Canadian flags and desk flags have been disallowed. While political buttons and lapel pins have not been considered exhibits as long as they do not cause disorder, the Speaker has interrupted a division to request that certain Members remove “props” from their lapels.

My understanding of this is that if the prop sends a message, it does interrupt and disrupt. I will rule that we cannot have the buttons if they have a message that disrupts the chamber.

…

If there is someone else who finds that someone on the other side is wearing something disruptive, please bring it up as a point of order and we will rule on it.

Postscript

Later in the same sitting, Candice Bergen (Portage—Lisgar) rose to state that members on both sides of the aisle wear buttons supporting a variety of different causes. The Deputy Speaker (Bruce Stanton) reiterated the Chair’s earlier ruling, stating that buttons expressing a member’s specific position are considered props. The Deputy Speaker asked all members not to display props when in the chamber.^[3]