Each sitting day, a substantial portion of the House’s time is devoted to the consideration of
Government Orders. It includes any item of business proposed by a Minister for consideration on a certain
day.
The rules provide that Government Orders are considered on Monday from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.,
recommencing following Routine Proceedings until 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday and Thursday, after Routine
Proceedings at 10:00 a.m., the House considers Government Orders until 2:00 p.m. and then again following
Question Period from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at which time the House considers Private Members’
Business. On Wednesday, after Routine Proceedings and “Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers”,
Government Orders are taken up until 5:30 p.m. when Private Members’ Business begins. On Friday,
Government Orders are considered from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at which time the House proceeds to
Statements by Members. After Routine Proceedings, the House resumes consideration of Government Orders
until 1:30 p.m., when Private Members’ Business begins. [285]
See Figure 10.1 which outlines the daily order of business.
Historical Perspective
Historically, there have been many changes to the rules of the House in order to increase the time
available to the government and to reduce the proportion of House time devoted to private bills or to
matters brought forward by private Members. In 1867, private bills were debated on Monday and for one hour
each Wednesday ad Friday evening, while notices of motions and public bills were considered on Wednesday
and Thursday. Only Tuesday and Friday were reserved for government business. [286]
From 1867 to 1962, the Standing Orders gave precedence to Private Members’ Business on particular days
each week. However, successive governments found such a distribution inadequate for the conduct of their
own legislative programs and regularly gave precedence to their own business via special or sessional orders.
In 1962, the House amended its Standing Orders so that government business could be considered each sitting
day; only a select number of hours per week were allocated to Private Members’ Business. [287]
This schedule remained more or less intact until 1982 when the House set aside Wednesday for Private
Members’ Business. [288]
In 1983, the House reverted to the practice of considering Government Orders each day. [289]
Today, 23.5 hours a week are set aside for the consideration of government business under normal hours of
sitting. [290]
Orders of the Day
When the Speaker calls “Orders of the Day”, a Table Officer rises and reads out the motion that
the House is to consider at that time. [291]
The Orders of the Day are listed in the Order Paper.
The sequence of Government Orders as listed on the Order Paper does not reflect precedence: it is
an administrative breakdown showing the different categories of government business or projected government
business in chronological sequence. Items eligible for consideration under Government Orders include all
the orders made by the House at previous sittings relating to the items of government business then before
the House (including, for example, bills introduced and ordered for a second reading, motions which have
fulfilled their notice requirements, and any order for resuming debate on an item). These items are listed
on the Order Paper under the following headings: Supply Proceedings; Ways and Means Proceedings;
Government Bills (Commons); Government Bills (Senate); and Government Business. Full descriptions of these
items (Government Business excepted) can be found in Chapter 16, “The Legislative Process”,
and Chapter 18, “Financial Procedures”.
Any item of business proposed by a Minister outside of proceedings on Supply, Ways and Means, and bills is
listed under the heading “Government Business”. They typically include, for example, motions to
establish special committees, to refer business to committees, to propose a resolution declaratory of some
opinion, or to make arrangements for the conduct of the business of the House. In addition to these items,
when debate on motions which have been moved under “Motions” during Routine Proceedings is
interrupted or adjourned, the motions are transferred to “Government Business”. [292]
They typically include motions for concurrence in committee reports.
When Government Orders is called, any item listed may be brought before the House for consideration. Any
item that has been called, and on which debate has begun, must be dealt with until adjourned, interrupted
or disposed of. If adjourned or interrupted, the item remains on the Order Paper. [293]
If the item is disposed of, by either an affirmative or negative decision of the House, it is removed from
the Order Paper.
The business that the House is to consider during Government Orders is determined solely by the government. [294]
On occasions when the Opposition has protested a change in the projected order of business for a specific
sitting day, the Chair has reminded Members of the government’s prerogative. [295]
Information concerning the government’s intention to proceed to a specific Order of the Day is
conveyed to the Table through the office of the Government House Leader which provides a projected order of
business or agenda of orders (bills and motions) the House is to consider that day. The Government House
Leader consults regularly and confidentially with the House Leaders of the other recognized parties in the
House about the order of business for each day of the week. A weekly statement concerning the projected
order of business is traditionally made on Thursday after Question Period. [296]
Any last minute changes or additions to the government’s agenda are relayed directly to the Table by
the Government House Leader or his or her Parliamentary Secretary.
Although the government does not select the subject matter to be debated when the House considers a motion
moved on an allotted day pursuant to the Business of Supply, it designates which day the item is to be
taken up. [297]
The item is considered under Government Orders given that, in moving the motion, a Member of the opposition
does so pursuant to the continuing order for Supply moved by the government at the beginning of each
session. This order allows the Business of Supply to remain on the agenda for every sitting day of the
session thereafter. [298]
On an allotted day, the government cannot put aside the Business of Supply and take up other items of
Government Orders until all Supply items listed on that day’s Order Paper have been dealt
with. [299]