Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage

Motion in amendment, beyond scope of bill

Journals pp.1231-2

Debates pp. 7123-6

Background

During consideration at the report stage of Bill C-20, an Act respecting the office of the Auditor General of Canada and matters related or incidental there to, Mr. Orlikow (Winnipeg North) moved three amendments. Motion No. 1 sought to amend Clause 2 by expanding the definitions of "tax expenditure" and "tax expenditures budget", thus making a wider range of information available to the Auditor General. Motions Nos. 2 and 4, bearing on Clauses 7 and 9 respectively, sought to extend the functions of the Auditor General by enabling him, among other things, to examine individual income-tax returns.

Issue

Are these motions acceptable?

Decision

The motions are unacceptable.

Reasons given by the Speaker

These amendments assign other responsibilities to the Auditor General which are entirely foreign to those envisaged by the legislation. These amendments therefore go beyond the scope of the bill and certainly beyond the scope of the clauses to be amended.