“Take Note” Debates
Over the past several years, a number of
“take note” motions have been debated in the House. A Minister moves
a motion, which includes the words “that the House ‘take note’
of”, to solicit the views of Members on some aspect of government policy.
As the Prime Minister noted in the House on January 25, 1994, “take
note” debates allow Members to participate in the development of
government policy, making their views known before the government makes a
decision. [142]
A
“take note” motion will not usually come to a vote.
Since the beginning of the Thirty-Fifth
Parliament in 1994, there have been numerous “take note” debates,
the majority of them dealing with Canada’s peacekeeping commitments in
various trouble spots around the
world [143]
and the
government’s budgetary
policy. [144]
The
topics of other “take note” debates have included cruise missile
testing, NORAD, violence against women, the reform of Canada’s social
security programs, and the war in
Kosovo. [145]
Initiating Debate
A “take note” debate is
initiated by a Minister giving the usual 48 hours’ notice required before
a substantive motion may be moved in the House. After the motion has been
transferred to the Order Paper under Government Business, it is taken up
for debate at a time of the government’s choosing during Government
Orders. On several occasions, however, the 48 hours’ notice requirement
was by-passed when the House unanimously adopted a special order which included
the wording of a “take note” motion and the rules governing the
debate. [146]
In many
cases, the sitting was extended so that the debate could be held after the
ordinary hour of daily
adjournment. [147]
Rules of Debate
Unless otherwise specified in a special
order, [148]
the
normal rules of debate pertaining to length of speeches, duration of the debate,
and amendments [149]
apply. On several occasions, however, the House unanimously agreed to sit beyond
the ordinary hour of daily adjournment to continue the
debate. [150]
In all
of these cases, the special orders stipulated that dilatory motions and quorum
calls were not allowed.
Termination of Debate
It has been the practice that debate on a
“take note” motion lasts one sitting day, either during regular
sitting hours or during extended hours. There have been occasions when a
“take note” debate resumed on a following sitting
day. [151] With one
exception, no decision has been taken on a “take note”
motion. [152]
The
motion remains on the Order Paper under Government
Business. [153]