Routine Proceedings / Tabling of Documents

Tabling of documents; magnetic tapes

Debates p. 5022

Background

In tabling the bound volumes of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, Mr. Turner (Minister of Justice) also proposed to table the magnetic tapes from which the revisions were printed. The Speaker indicated his reservations about such a practice and sought the authority of the House before proceeding.

Issue

Can a document be tabled if it is not in printed form (in this case, magnetic tapes)?

Decision

Despite the Chair's reservations, "the House is master of its own rules, and can accept the tabling of any document, whether it is a magnetic tape or any other kind of tape". [The House unanimously agreed, but Mr. Turner tabled only the texts, and not the tapes.)

Reasons given by the Speaker

The cause of the Chair's reservations is a previous ruling that "under our Standing Orders there is no authority for seeking from the Government the tabling and the submission of such documents ... [I]f it is done now, [the Government] should not complain in future if a motion is made by other Members seeking. . . authority for an order of the House for the tabling of documents other than what have been interpreted [as what] can be tabled under ... [the] Standing Orders."

Sources cited

Standing Order 41(1).