House of Commons Procedure and Practice
Edited by Robert Marleau and Camille Montpetit
2000 Edition — More information …

7. The Speaker and Other Presiding Officers of the House

[101] 
Parliament of Canada Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-1, s. 43(1). See, for example, Journals, December 7, 1998, p. 1401.
[102]
For further information, see Chapter 12, “The Process of Debate”.
[103] 
Bourinot, 4th ed., p. 334. See also Debates, May 20, 1986, p. 13443; May 5, 1994, p. 3925. For further information, see Chapter 13, “Rules of Order and Decorum”.
[104] 
Standing Order 10. See the section above entitled “Order and Decorum” and see also Chapter 3, “Privileges and Immunities”.
[105] 
Bourinot, 4th ed., p. 178.
[106] 
Bourinot, 4th ed., p. 178.
[107] 
Standing Order 10.
[108] 
Standing Order 1. For further information on the rule and practice pertaining to unprovided cases, see Chapter 5, “Parliamentary Procedure”.
[109] 
Standing Order 13.
[110] 
Journals, December 20, 1867, pp. 115-25.
[111] 
See, for example, point of order raised in Debates, December 9, 1968, pp. 3639-43, and Speaker Lamoureux’s ruling in Journals, December 10, 1968, pp. 511-3; point of order raised in Debates, July 24, 1969, pp. 11551-68, and Speaker Lamoureux’s ruling in Journals, July 24, 1969, pp. 1398-9.
[112] 
Standing Order 76(5) and 76.1(5). The text of these rules includes guidelines for the Speaker on the selection of amendments. See also Chapter 16, “The Legislative Process”.
[113] 
Standing Order 81(14)(b). See Chapter 18, “Financial Procedures”.
[114] 
Standing Order 94(1)(a). For further information, see Chapter 21, “Private Members’ Business”.
[115] 
Standing Order 94(1)(a).
[116] 
Standing Order 94(2)(a).
[117] 
Standing Order 86(5).
[118] 
For further information, see Chapter 23, “Private Bills Practice”.
[119] 
Standing Order 146(1).
[120] 
Standing Order 146(4).
[121] 
Typically, this is done during Routine Proceedings under the rubric “Tabling of documents” (see, for example, Debates, April 15, 1986, p. 12221; Journals, April 5, 1989, p. 26; March 12, 1990, p. 1323). The Speaker has also tabled documents immediately prior to Statements by Members (see, for example, Debates, December 11, 1984, p. 1102; September 26, 1996, p. 4740).
[122] 
See, for example, Journals, September 21, 1998, p. 1056.
[123] 
Standing Order 32(5). For further information on the tabling of documents, see Chapter 10, “The Daily Program”.
[124] 
Standing Order 148(1). See, for example, Journals, January 27, 1994, p. 71.
[125] 
The rule requires the Speaker to table, within 10 days of the opening of a session, a report of the Board’s proceedings for the previous session; the practice of more frequent tablings throughout the session began in the Thirty-Fifth Parliament (see Debates, February 17, 1994, p. 1507).
[126] 
Standing Order 148(2). See, for example, Journals, September 30, 1994, p. 758.
[127] 
Parliament of Canada Act, S.C. 1991, c. 20, s. 52.5(2), (3). See, for example, Journals, December 4, 1998, p. 1399.
[128] 
They are the Auditor General, the Chief Electoral Officer, the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Information Commissioner and the Privacy Commissioner.
[129] 
Auditor General Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. A-17, ss. 7(3), 8(2), 19(2); Canada Elections Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. E-2, s. 195(3); Official Languages Act, R.S.C. 1985, 4th Supp., c. 31, ss. 65(3), 66, 67(1), 69(1); Access to Information Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. A-1, ss. 38, 39(1), 40; Privacy Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-21, ss. 38, 39(1), 40(1); Canadian Human Rights Act, S.C. 1998, c. 9, s. 32.
[130] 
Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. E-3, s. 21; An Act to amend the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 6 (2nd Supp.), s. 5. See, for example, Journals, June 22, 1995, p. 1867. The legislation provides an alternative course for the Speaker, should a report arrive during an intersession. For further information on the role of the House of Commons in the redistribution process, see Chapter 4, “The House of Commons and Its Members”.
[131] 
Dominion Controverted Elections Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-39, ss. 58(1), 60, 61, 71. For examples of the Speaker informing the House, see Debates, March 6, 1950, p. 468; February 23, 1976, p. 11139; October 14, 1981, p. 11731. For further information on contested or controverted elections, see Chapter 4, “The House of Commons and Its Members”.
[132] 
Dominion Controverted Elections Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-39, s. 84(3). This is a rare occurrence; in 1950, for example, the Speaker tabled such an amendment (Journals, June 5, 1950, p. 471).
[133] 
Corrupt Practices Inquiries Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-45, s. 30. No commissions of enquiry have been struck; nor have any reports been made under the terms of the Act.
[134] 
Standing Order 52(4). For further information on emergency debates, see Chapter 15, “Special Debates”.
[135] 
Standing Order 52(9). For example, an application was made on Friday, November 27, 1998. The Speaker granted it and ruled that the debate would take place on Monday, November 30 at 8:00 p.m. (Journals, November 27, 1998, p. 1323).
[136] 
Standing Order 52(12).
[137] 
Standing Order 52(15).
[138] 
Standing Order 28(3).
[139] 
Standing Order 55(1). For further information on recall of the House and publication of a Special Order Paper, see Chapter 8, “The Parliamentary Cycle”, and Chapter 12, “The Process of Debate”.
[140] 
The original notice was given on June 26, 1992, for the House to meet on July 15, 1992; the notice of cancellation was issued on July 11 and tabled when the House met on September 8, at which time the Speaker made a statement to the House (see Journals, September 8, 1992, p. 1924; Debates, September 8, 1992, p. 12709).
[141]
For further information on parliamentary publications, see Chapter 24, “The Parliamentary Record”.
[142] 
See Standing Orders 112 and 113. For further information about legislative committees, see Chapter 20, “Committees”.
[143] 
Standing Order 112.
[144] 
Standing Order 113(2).
[145]
See Chapter 6, “The Physical and Administrative Setting”.
[146] 
Maingot, 2nd ed., pp. 183-5.
[147] 
Parliament of Canada Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-1, s. 52.3.
[148] 
The Clerk of the House serves as Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy, as provided in the Parliament of Canada Act.
[149] 
Standing Order 151.
[150] 
See Chapter 18, “Financial Procedures”.

Please note —

As the rules and practices of the House of Commons are subject to change, users should remember that this edition of Procedure and Practice was published in January 2000. Standing Order changes adopted since then, as well as other changes in practice, are not reflected in the text. The Appendices to the book, however, have been updated and now include information up to the end of the 38th Parliament in November 2005.

To confirm current rules and practice, please consult the latest version of the Standing Orders on the Parliament of Canada Web site.

For further information about the procedures of the House of Commons, please contact the Table Research Branch at (613) 996-3611 or by e-mail at trbdrb@parl.gc.ca.