Routine Proceedings / Motions

Time allocation; notice

Journals pp. 1739-40

Debates p. 15120

Background

On April 18, Mr. McIlraith (Minister of Public Works) informed the House that the Business Committee of the House had been unable to reach unanimous agreement on allocation of time for the Committee of the Whole and all remaining stages of consideration of Bill C-243, an Act to amend the National Defence Act and other Acts in consequence thereof. Mr. McIlraith therefore gave notice that on the following Thursday, April 20, he would move that a time allocation order be made. When he subsequently did this, Mr. Churchill (Winnipeg South Centre) raised a point of order to the effect that notice of the motion should have been entered on the Order Paper. After hearing views from Members, the Speaker ruled.

Issue

Is oral notice sufficient for a motion to allocate time without such notice having to appear on the Order Paper?

Decision

In this case, yes.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The motion in question is a time allocation motion and the notice of motion was given by a Minister orally at an earlier sitting. The provisional Standing Order "not only dispenses with the requirement for 48 hours' notice with respect to a motion for time allocation but it also renders inoperative the ordinary machinery for putting a notice on the Order Paper". This type of motion, of which a Minister has given notice, must be made orally during Routine Proceedings.

Sources cited

Standing Orders 15A (5), (6), 33 and 41.

Journals, July 12, 1955, p. 944 (Second Report of the Special Committee appointed to consider with Mr. Speaker the Procedure of this House).

References

Journals, April 18, 1967, pp. 1733-4.

Debates, April 20, 1967, pp. 15119-20.