The Daily Program / Oral Questions

Allocation of time among questioners; backbench Members of the governing party

January 30, 1987

Debates, p. 2922

On January 30, 1987, Mr. Reginald Stackhouse (Scarborough West) rose on a question of privilege to call for better allocation of the time given to private Government Members during Question Period. After listening to Mr. Stackhouse’s comments and those of other Members,^[1] the Speaker handed down his ruling immediately. It is reproduced in full below.

Decision of the Chair

The Speaker: The Chair has listened carefully to the intervention of the honourable Member, and to other comments.

Fairly recently the Chair indicated to the House that the Chair is very much aware of the fact that there are a great many Members in this Chamber, many of whom have legitimate and diligent questions to put to the Government. I think the Chair has made it clear that when that is the case, and when it is obvious to the Chair that that is the case, questions have been allowed to Members of the Government side. I am quick to point out that when those questions are what they ought to be, that is diligent and searching, Members of the opposition have not objected, for which I am grateful.

The honourable Member is understandably concerned that because of attention on the Question Period, and perhaps because sometimes the Question Period does not move as rapidly as I am sure honourable Members would like because of the length of questions and the length of responses, perhaps Government Members are neglected. I will strive to ensure that that is not the case.

However, I want to say to Government Members that the Chair is aware that they, too, are here representing constituencies and that they, too, have a right to speak. Honourable Members will have noted that not only has the Chair recognized Government Members, whose names were not necessarily on a list brought to the Speaker, who rose and showed to the Speaker that they indeed were seeking recognition on an important matter, but the Chair has also recognized supplementary questions from Government Members, as in fact was the case today.

With respect to the other point, Question Period is a unique institution. At its best it is something of which Canadians can be very proud. At its best it is an intelligent accountability session for any Government—at its best. It is not always at its best, as honourable Members know. But that is my problem and I have to do what I have to do to ensure that Question Period is at its best as often as possible.

The comments of honourable Members are important, especially the comments of the honourable Member for Saint-Denis (Mr. Marcel Prud’homme), that this is our institution and it has customs and traditions which are unique to us. While sometimes visiting dignitaries from other lands may wonder at the way we meet, usually after lunch, nonetheless it is our institution for better or worse.

The Chair, while recognizing that all honourable Members have a right to be heard during Question Period, also recognizes that it is very much an accountability session. That is our tradition. I thank the honourable Member for raising this matter because it is an appropriate time for the Chair to say something about it. I will endeavour to be as fair and as even as I can be, recognizing that Question Period is an accountability session and that there are serious and proper questions coming from Government Members. I shall try to see those Government Members when those questions arise.

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1987-01-30