Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage

Motion in amendment, beyond scope of bill

Journals pp.1230-1

Debates pp. 7121-2

Background

During study at report stage of Bill C-20, an Act respecting the office of the Auditor General of Canada and matters related or incidental thereto, Mr. Baldwin (Peace River) moved an amendment to Clause 8 specifying how the House should examine the Auditor General's reports and describing in detail a committee's membership, structure and powers, which would differ from those of any other committee then sitting.

Issue

Is a motion that appears to go beyond the scope of the bill it intends to amend, by introducing new practices into the House, acceptable at the report stage?

Decision

The motion is unacceptable.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The provisions of the motion endeavor to enlarge the scope of the measure by describing how the House is to examine the reports of the Auditor General. By providing for the composition of a committee, the mandatory appointment of an opposition Member as chairman, the automatic referral of documents to a standing committee independent of an order of the House, these provisions depart to a certain extent from the present practice of the House and their application would entail amendments to the Standing Orders.

References

Debates, June 27, 1977, pp. 7112-4.