Amendments to Motions on Progress of Bills / Second Reading

Second reading

Journals pp.232-3

Debates pp. 2420-1

Background

Mr. Broadbent (Oshawa-Whitby) moved an amendment to the motion for second reading of Bill C-44, an Act to amend the Senate and House of Commons Act, the Salaries Act and the Parliamentary Secretaries Act, which was as follows:

"That Bill C-44 be not now read a second time, but that it be resolved that in the opinion of this House the subject of salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers should be referred by the government to an independent commission."

Issue

Can an amendment at second reading depart from the accepted formula to the extent of introducing its own definition of the subject matter of the bill, and of proposing its referral not to a committee of the House, but to an independent commission?

Decision

The amendment is out of order.

Reasons given by the Speaker

An amendment at second reading may not introduce a new proposition or a new concept. “An independent commission" is a new concept. The Member's amendment stated explicitly his idea of the subject matter of the bill rather than the standard formula - "the subject matter of the bill". This interpretation as to what is the subject matter of the bill could lead to disagreement.

The phrase "an independent commission" is undefined, which could also lead to considerable discussion and perhaps disagreement.

Authority cited

May, 18th ed., p. 510, subpara. (10)

References

Journals, December 19, 1974, p. 231.

Debates, December 19, 1974, pp. 2397-9, 2411-20.