Selected Decisions of Speaker James Jerome 1974-1979
Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage
Motion in amendment, irrelevant to the bill and beyond its scope
Journals p. 431
Debates p. 4709
Background
On March 26, at the beginning of debate at the report stage of Bill C-13, an Act to amend the Northern Canada Power Commission Act, the Speaker expressed certain reservations as to the acceptability of Motion No. 4, presented by Mr. Nielsen (Yukon), to make the Commission subject to any ordinance of the Yukon Territory or the Northwest Territories that provides for the regulation of the operation of any system, works, plant or equipment for the production, transmission, delivery or furnishing of electricity. The Speaker proposed to deal with the issue of the acceptability of the motion when the House took it under consideration.
Issue
Is a motion in amendment acceptable if it introduces a new and substantive provision into a bill?
Decision
The amendment is unacceptable.
Reasons given by the Deputy Speaker
Any amendment that introduces a new and substantive provision into a bill is unacceptable since it is either irrelevant to the bill or beyond its scope.
Authorities cited
Beauchesne, 4th ed., p. 285, c. 406.
May, 18th ed., p. 508.