Routine Proceedings / Motions

Committee report; amendment

Journals p. 558

Debates pp. 6641-2

Background

During debate on the motion of Mr. McGrath (St. John’s East) to concur in the second report of the Special Committee on Trends in Food Prices, Mr. Grier (Toronto-Lakeshore) proposed an amendment. The object of the amendment was to refuse concurrence in the report and to send it back to the committee with an instruction to reconsider a recommendation that the Food Prices Review Board be reconstituted with full power to require cancellation or roll-back of unjustified price increases. The Deputy Speaker questioned the acceptability of the amendment and invited comments from Members before ruling.

Issue

Is an amendment to the motion for concurrence in a committee's report acceptable if it goes beyond the committee's order of reference?

Decision

No. The amendment does not appear to be relevant and is out of order.

Reasons given by the Deputy Speaker

The purposes set out in the amendment are not within the original terms of reference setting up the committee. The proposed amendment would instruct the committee to recommend that the Food Prices Review Board be reconstituted to deal directly with prices. The amendment therefore appears to be asking the House to reconsider its recommendation to establish the Food Prices Review Board. Furthermore, this is an interim report and the committee could prepare another report on any subject within the original terms of reference setting up the committee.

Sources cited

Journals, January 23, 1973, p. 59 [Order of reference]; April 17, 1973, pp. 286-7; July 25, 1973, pp. 509-14 (Second Report of Special Committee on Trends in Food Prices).

Debates, January 23, 1973, p. 561; April 17, 1973, pp. 3392-3.

Beauchesne, 4th ed., p. 182, c. 220(1).

References

Debates, September 17, 1973, pp. 6630-41.