Introduction

The Selected Decisions of Speaker Francis is the fourth in a series of volumes which will bring together, in a comprehensive collection, all of the significant modern rulings of the Speakers of the Canadian House of Commons. Earlier volumes contained the decisions of Speaker Lucien Lamoureux (1966-1974), Speaker James Jerome (1974-1979), and Speaker Jeanne Sauvé (1980-1984). The present volume contains approximately 40 decisions, from January to June 1984 when Lloyd Francis presided over the House.

First elected to Parliament in 1963, Mr. Francis was re-elected in 1968, 1974 and 1980. Deputy Speaker from 1980 to 1984, he succeeded Jeanne Sauvé as Speaker on January 16, 1984 following her appointment as Governor General.

During his relatively short tenure, Speaker Francis addressed the particularly difficult questions of defining the authority of the Chair to suspend division bells and to declare the lapsing of dilatory motions. He also attached great importance in maintaining proper decorum and or der in the House.

Many people have contributed to this work. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Table Research Branch which has worked assiduously to gather, analyze and prepare these decisions for publication. I also wish to express our thanks to the Government Translation Services, the Index and Reference Service and the Publications Service of the Parliamentary Publications Directorate for their assistance in this publication.

Ottawa, 1994

Clerk of the House

Robert Marleau