Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage

Amending the parent Act, scope of the bill, unanimous consent

Debates p. 14544-5

Background

At report stage of Bill C-106 (Act to amend the Young Offenders Act), the Speaker ruled that three Government motions in amendment were out of order because they went beyond the scope of the bill and sought to amend the parent Act. Mr. Lewis (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Privy Council) asked the Speaker whether the motions could be put to the House if the three parties gave their consent. The Speaker suspended the sitting to consider the matter.

Issue

Can the Chair put motions which seek to amend the parent Act, provided the House gives its unanimous consent?

Decision

Yes. The Chair may put the motions with the unanimous consent of the House.

Reasons given by the Speaker

Since the Opposition parties have indicated they would consent to allowing the Government's motions to be put to the House, it would not make sense to require the Government to go the whole route again and introduce a new bill. Accordingly, the Chair will ask if there is unanimous consent to put the motions. (Unanimous consent was given and the Chair subsequently put the Government's motions.)

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References

Debates, June 17, 1986, pp. 14542-3.