Adjournment Motion Proposed Under Standing Order 26 / Application Not Accepted

Supply day

Debates p. 8723

Background

Mr. Douglas (Nanaimo-Cowichan-The Islands) sought leave to move the adjournment of the House, under the provisions of Standing Order 26, in order to discuss "the urgent situation revealed in the unemployment statistics released today, showing 10.5 per cent unemployment for the Atlantic area, 8 per cent for Quebec, 5 per cent for British Columbia and 5.4 per cent as the overall figure for the entire country, and the failure of the Government to provide policies to cope with this situation". Referring to a previous decision of the Chair, Mr. Douglas urged the Speaker to permit the adjournment debate even though it addressed a general and continuing problem, because the unemployment situation had now reached critical proportions.

Issue

Does the application meet the requirements of Standing Order 26?

Decision

No. The application is not accepted.

Reasons given by the Speaker

There are two points to be made in declining the request for an emergency debate. First, the notice which a Member is required to submit to the Chair and which he reads to the House as his application should not contain arguments as to whether the matter is urgent. Second, previous requests of a similar sort made earlier in the session have been declined and this position should be maintained. Moreover, as today has been set aside as an allotted day, "circumstances would have to be extremely exceptional to justify an adjournment motion on a day which has already been allotted to the Opposition for the purpose of proposing a specific motion of non-confidence".

Sources cited

Debates, January 16, 1969, pp. 4358-9; March 13, 1969, p. 6557; May 8, 1969, p. 8463.