House of Commons Procedure and Practice
Edited by Robert Marleau and Camille Montpetit
2000 EditionMore information …

21. Private Members’ Business

If the private member is to count for anything, there must be a relationship between what the private member and the institution of Parliament can do and what the electorate thinks or expects can be done.

Third Report of the Special Committee on the Reform of the House
(McGrath Committee), June 1985, p. 2

P

rivate Members” are generally defined as Members of the House of Commons who are not part of the Ministry. [1]  While there is no rule specifically excluding Parliamentary Secretaries from this designation, the practice is for them to abstain from sponsoring items under Private Members’ Business. [2]  In general, Presiding Officers of the House have also abstained from sponsoring or pursuing private Members’ bills or motions. [3] 

Each sitting day, one hour is set aside for Private Members’ Business, that is, for the consideration of bills and motions presented and sponsored by private Members. Private Members may use the time allotted for the consideration of Private Members’ Business to put forth their own legislative and policy proposals, and express their views on a variety of issues. [4]  Private Members’ proposals can take the form of a bill (either public or private), a motion, or a notice of motion for the production of papers.

A private Member’s bill is the text of a legislative initiative sponsored by a private Member. Based on private Members’ own ideas and drafted with the aid of legislative counsel, such bills are brought forward by the sponsoring Member. Like government bills, private Members’ bills become statutes once they receive Royal Assent. [5] Most private Members’ bills are public bills originating in the Commons, but some public bills, and occasionally private bills, sponsored by private Members come to the Commons from the Senate. [6]

A private Member’s motion typically proposes that the House declare its opinion on some topic or that the House order a certain course of action to be taken, either by the House itself, or by one of its committees or officers.

A notice of motion for the production of papers is a request that the government compile or produce certain papers or documents and table them in the House. [7]

Historical Perspective

From 1867 to 1984

Time Reserved for Private Members’ Business

In the early years of Confederation, a large proportion of the time of the House was devoted to private bills or to private Members. In 1867, the Standing Orders gave precedence to Private Members’ Business on particular days in each week. [8]  However, governments found such a distribution inadequate for the conduct of their own legislative programs, and regularly gave precedence to their own business via special and sessional orders.

Over the years, changes were made to the Standing Orders to give more House time to the government for its own business. By 1906, this pattern had established itself to such a degree that, in that year, the weekly order of business was officially amended so that after four weeks from the start of each session, one of the three private Members’ days — Thursday — was given over to government business. [9] 

Between 1906 and 1955, the use of special and sessional orders to give precedence to government business had appropriated virtually all the time remaining from private Members. In 1955, amendments to the Standing Orders once again formalized the practice of giving precedence to government business: the number of private Members’ days was reduced from each Monday, Wednesday and four Thursdays per session to six Mondays and two Thursdays per session. [10]  Depending on the length of each session, this change at least guaranteed that these eight days would not be further nullified by the suspension of private Members’ time through the use of special or sessional orders.

In 1962, the House abandoned the allocation of a certain number of days each session for Private Members’ Business and, instead, set aside one hour per day for that purpose. However, after this hour had been used 40 times per session, its use on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday would lapse and Private Members’ Business would take place only on Thursday and Friday thereafter. [11]  In 1968, Private Members’ Business was removed from the order of business on Wednesday, and the rule establishing a maximum 40 considerations per session was retained for Monday and Tuesday only; thereafter, Private Members’ Business was only held on Thursday and Friday. [12] 

In 1982, the practice of considering Private Members’ Business for one hour on certain days was replaced by a single private Members’ day on Wednesday. This resulted in a reduction of one hour of debating time per week, from four hours to three. [13]  In late 1983, however, the House reverted to the consideration of Private Members’ Business for one hour per day on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, without the previous provision for a maximum number of times for consideration on Monday and Tuesday. [14]  The omission of this part of the former rule meant that the amount of time provided for Private Members’ Business actually increased. (Further changes to the Standing Orders, adopted in April 1991, increased the number of Private Members’ Business days from four to five per week, adding an extra hour to the sitting on Wednesday. [15] )

Precedence of Items

From Confederation until the late 1950s, the two criteria which determined the order in which items of Private Members’ Business were considered were their date of notice and, in the case of bills, their stage in the legislative process. During this period as well, secondary criteria, aimed primarily at distinguishing the different categories of business from one another, also became important.

In 1910, for example, an amendment to the Standing Orders [16]  established a higher precedence for unopposed Private Members’ Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers. Meanwhile, opposed motions of this kind continued to be considered with other notices of motions until 1961, when they were given a specific category (“Notices of Motions (Papers)”) in the order of business and were debated on a designated day. [17] 

Similarly, rule changes in 1927 limited each Member to one notice of motion on the Order Paper at any one time. Such notices would be dropped from the Order Paper if called twice and not proceeded with. [18]  In addition, other rules allowed private Members’ bills or notices of motions to stand over from one day to the next. [19]  These kinds of exceptions to the usual chronological, stage-based ordering, coupled with frequent changes to the day-by-day order of business, eventually led to a fixed sequencing of items for each category of Private Members’ Business. [20] 

Throughout this period, the volume of Private Members’ Business increased, leading to further innovations in procedure. In 1958, Speaker Michener instituted a ballot system for notices of motions. [21]  One notice per Member could be submitted at the start of a session and placed in a container. In the presence of the Speaker, the Clerk, and the representatives of the parties, notices of motions were drawn to establish a sequence for consideration. Notices given after the draw were placed on the Order Paper after those which had been drawn.

At the start of a subsequent session, a similar practice was extended to private Members’ public bills. There were now two draws: one for notices of motions and one for bills. In the latter case, however, each Member could give notice of several bills, there being no limit as with notices of motions. In either case, when an item had been considered but not disposed of, it fell to the bottom of the list. Notices of motions called twice and not proceeded with were dropped from the Order Paper, as before.

Members soon realized that by placing several bills on notice, their chances in the draw improved. Inevitably, this approach resulted in some Members receiving more House time than others. To ensure a more equitable distribution, the party Whips limited Members to one bill in the first 50 bills drawn. In a separate development begun in the 1970s, the business to be considered during Private Members’ Business was organized by the Office of the Government House Leader, a practice criticized by some Members as undue government interference. Eventually, the Clerk of the House became responsible for the organization of this part of House Business. [22] 

The last major change prior to the adoption of the current system for precedence occurred in 1982, when all categories of Private Members’ Business (except private bills) were combined into one group, for which a single draw of Members’ names was held at the start of each session. A limitation, similar to that which had previously applied to bills, was retained for the first 50 items drawn and, at the same time, the limit of one notice of motion per Member was lifted. [23] 

Since 1984

The modern rules relating to the conduct of Private Members’ Business developed largely from recommendations of the Special Committee on the Reform of the House of Commons (the “McGrath Committee”), established in December 1984. In its final report to the House in June 1985, the Committee made the following observations:

The House does not attach any great importance to private members’ business as it is now organized (…) members are seldom greatly concerned to claim the priorities they have drawn in the ballot governing the use of private members’ time, and this is largely because private members’ bills and motions rarely come to a vote. [24] 

The subsequent recommendations in the report resulted in Standing Order amendments adopted provisionally after lengthy debate in the House in February 1986. [25]  These amendments to the Standing Orders formed the basis for the modern rules relating to Private Members’ Business — the establishment of the order of precedence, the process for determining which items should be made votable, and the manner in which items would be debated. Since February 1986, a number of further adjustments have been made to the rules.

In response to problems caused by the absence of Members whose items were scheduled for debate, a special order was adopted in December 1986 allowing the Speaker to exchange non-votable items should one Member notify the Chair that he or she cannot be present in the House when his or her item is due for consideration. [26] 

In June 1987, the provisional Standing Orders were made permanent and other changes were adopted in regard to the order in which items of Private Members’ Business were considered. [27]  The Speaker was given the power to exchange a non-votable item of a Member who cannot be present with a similar item of a Member who can. In addition, the Order Paper was changed to contain all types of items in one list, including private bills and private Members’ public bills originating in the Senate.

In 1989, the House adopted a motion to have the Standing Committee on Elections, Privileges, Procedure and Private Members’ Business consider and report on various practices and procedures relating to the conduct of Private Members’ Business. [28]  On December 6, 1989, the Committee presented its Seventh Report, which included several recommendations regarding such matters as the selection of items for the order of precedence, the selection of votable items, and the time limit for debate on votable items. [29]  Although the report was not concurred in, it did form the basis of Standing Order amendments adopted on May 10, 1990. [30] 

There were several significant changes to the Standing Orders, as recommended by the Standing Committee: Members’ names rather than individual items would be drawn, which meant that Members with one motion or bill would have the same chances as those with several motions or bills; separate lists of bills and motions were established, and the number of votable items was set at three bills and three motions; the time for debate on votable items was reduced from five hours to three; and Private Members’ Business was suspended on Supply days. The amendments were adopted on a provisional basis until the last sitting day in December 1990.

In December 1990, the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, after reviewing the success of the provisional Standing Orders that had been approved in May 1990, recommended in its Twenty-First Report that they be made permanent. [31]  It went on to propose a number of other changes, including the exchange of votable items, Private Members’ Hour on Monday, and the deferral of any recorded division with respect to Private Members’ Business at the request of the Whips. Further changes to the Standing Orders governing Private Members’ Business adopted on April 11, 1991, which were largely based on the Twenty-First Report of the Committee, clarified the procedures to be followed in the draw to select items for debate, reduced the number of hours for debate on an item, increased the number of days per week on which Private Members’ Business would be considered, and refined the process to be followed for an exchange of items to be debated during Private Members’ Hour. [32] 

On April 29, 1992, two reports of the Standing Committee on House Management were adopted, thereby amending the Standing Orders to increase the number of votable items and the total number of items on the order of precedence and to clarify the procedures to be followed for deferring recorded divisions on items of Private Members’ Business. [33]  With the adoption of the Twenty-Fourth Report [34]  regarding recorded divisions on private Members’ bills or motions, it became the practice for the vote of the sponsoring Member to be recorded first, and then the rest of the votes on that side of the chamber to be recorded before proceeding to the other side. With the adoption of the Twenty-Seventh Report, the order of precedence was increased from 20 to 30 items, draws were to be held before the list dropped below 15 items instead of 10, and the maximum number of votable items increased from three bills and three motions to five of each. [35] 

In 1998, the reference to five bills and five motions was removed so that the reference is now only to ten votable items, and a new procedure was established allowing for a specific item supported by 100 Members to be added to the order of precedence. [36] 

Private Members’ Bills

Bills sponsored by private Members fall into two categories, public bills and private bills. Public bills deal with matters of public policy under federal jurisdiction, whereas private bills concern matters of a private or special interest to specific corporations and individuals and are designed to grant the beneficiary power to do something which cannot be done otherwise or to exempt the beneficiary from some existing legal obligation. Procedures relating to public bills are discussed in this chapter while those concerning private bills are dealt with in Chapter 23, “Private Bills Practice”.

A private Member’s bill is typically drafted with the assistance of legislative counsel to ensure that the text conforms with statutory law should it be given Royal Assent. In drafting each legislative proposal, legislative counsel act on Members’ clear, written instructions about the purposes and objectives of the proposed legislation and ensure that draft bills are acceptable in terms of their form and compliance with legislative and parliamentary conventions. A private Member’s bill is certified by legislative counsel to indicate that the bill is in correct form. The certified copy of the bill is then returned to the Member.

Members also have the option of proposing a motion to have a bill prepared by a standing, special or legislative committee. [37]  If such a motion is selected following the draw to establish the order of precedence, it is debated during Private Members’ Hour. If selected as a votable motion and later adopted, it becomes an order for a committee to prepare and bring in a bill. If the committee prepares and reports a bill to the House, a motion to concur in the committee’s report may be moved by a private Member during Private Members’ Hour if the concurrence motion has also been selected following the draw to establish the order of precedence. However, if a Minister were to move concurrence in the report, the motion would be taken up during Government Orders. [38]  The adoption of the motion for concurrence in the committee report constitutes an order to bring in a bill based on the committee’s report. If the bill is sponsored by a private Member and is subsequently selected to be votable, when the motion for second reading is proposed to the House, the Speaker immediately puts all questions to dispose of the second reading stage without debate or amendment. [39]  If it is not designated votable, the bill is debated for one hour and dropped from the Order Paper. If a Minister undertakes to sponsor the bill, it is considered during Government Orders and all questions to dispose of second reading are also put without debate or amendment.

Financial Limitations

There is a constitutional requirement that bills proposing the expenditure of public funds must be accompanied by a royal recommendation, which can be obtained only by the government and introduced by a Minister. Since a Minister cannot propose items of Private Members’ Business, a private Members’ bill should therefore not contain provisions for the spending of funds. However, since 1994, a private Member may introduce a public bill containing provisions requiring the expenditure of public funds provided that a royal recommendation is obtained by a Minister before the bill is read a third time and passed. [40]  Before 1994, the royal recommendation had to accompany the bill at the time of its introduction. The Speaker is responsible for determining whether any bill requires a royal recommendations and the Speaker is empowered to decline to put the necessary questions on bills which require, but have not received, a royal recommendation. [41]

With respect to the raising of revenue, a private Member cannot introduce bills which impose taxes. The power to initiate taxation rests solely with the government and any legislation which seeks an increase in taxation must be preceded by a Ways and Means motion. [42]  Only a Minister can bring in a Ways and Means motion. However, private Members’ bills which reduce taxes, reduce the incidence of a tax, or impose or increase an exemption from taxation are acceptable. [43] 

Notice

Once a bill has been drafted, the Member must give 48 hours’ notice of his or her intention to introduce the bill, indicating the committee to which the bill will be referred following second reading. The title of the bill and the name of its sponsor are then published in the Notice Paper. After the 48-hour notice period has expired, the bill may then be introduced during Routine Proceedings and given first reading whenever the Member is ready to proceed. [44]

Similar Items

If a Member submits notice of a bill which is judged to be substantially the same as another item of Private Members’ Business already submitted, the Speaker has the discretionary power to refuse the most recent notice. If the Speaker refuses the notice, the sponsoring Member is advised and the bill is returned. [45]  This is intended to prevent a number of similar items from being selected following the draw for the order of precedence. In a 1989 ruling, Speaker Fraser clarified that for two or more items to be substantially the same, they must have the same purpose and they have to achieve their same purpose by the same means. [46]  Thus, there could be several bills addressing the same subject, but if their approaches to the issue are different, the Chair could deem them to be sufficiently distinct.

The question has arisen whether a private Member’s bill which is similar to a government bill may be placed on the Order Paper and debated. The authorities and past rulings show that there is nothing to prevent such similar items from being placed on the Order Paper simultaneously. However, because the House cannot take more than one decision on any given matter during a session, a decision on any one of these bills (for example, the adoption or rejection of the second reading motion) will prevent further proceedings on any other similar bills. [47]  Consideration of non-votable bills, if dropped from the Order Paper after debate, does not preclude consideration of other similar, or even identical, bills since the House does not take a decision on non-votable items. [48] 

Seconders

A Member who would like to support a bill already appearing on the Order Paper may notify the Clerk of the House in writing that he or she wishes to second the bill. The names of the Members wishing to support the bill will be added to the list of seconders on the Order Paper[49]  Once the order for second reading has been proposed to the House, no additional names may be appended. [50]  No more than 20 Members may jointly second an item under Private Members’ Business. [51]  The Member who seconds the motions for introduction and first reading of the bill in the House, as well as subsequent stages, need not be one of the seconders listed on the Order Paper.

Introduction and First Reading of Private Members’ Bills

To be eligible for selection following the draw for the order of precedence, private Members’ bills must be introduced and given first reading in the House before the draw is held. On the day the Member chooses to introduce the bill, he or she rises during Routine Proceedings when the Speaker calls “Introduction of Private Members’ Bills”. [52] The Speaker then announces the title of the bill and the motion for leave to introduce the bill is automatically deemed carried, without debate, amendment or question put. [53]  The Member is permitted to give a succinct explanation outlining the purpose of the bill. [54] Since no debate is permitted at this time, the Member often simply reads the explanatory note in the bill. The bill is then deemed read a first time and ordered to be printed, also without debate, amendment or question put. [55] 

The bill is then transferred to the list of “Private Members’ Business — Items Outside the Order of Precedence”. This list of items, which may be consulted at the Table in the Chamber or on the electronic version of the Order Paper, does not actually appear in the printed publication of the Order Paper. Having been placed on this list, the bill is set down for second reading and reference to a committee. When submitting a bill for inclusion on the Notice Paper, the sponsor must indicate the standing, special or legislative committee to which the bill is to be referred following second reading. A two-week period must elapse between the first and second reading of the bill. [56] 

Senate Public Bills Sponsored by Private Members

Some private Members’ public bills originate in the Senate and are sent to the Commons after passage by the Senate. When the Speaker calls “First Reading of Senate Public Bills” during Routine Proceedings, the Member sponsoring a Senate bill in the House is permitted to give a brief explanation of its purpose, without engaging in debate. The motion for first reading is then deemed carried without debate, amendment or question put, and the bill is automatically added to the bottom of the order of precedence for Private Members’ Business without having gone through the draw process. [57] 

Private Members’ Motions

Private Members’ motions are used to introduce a wide range of issues and are framed either as orders or resolutions, depending on their intent. [58]  Motions attempting to make a declaration of opinion or purpose, without ordering or requiring a particular course of action, are considered resolutions. [59]  Hence, such motions which simply suggest that the government initiate a certain measure are generally phrased as follows: “That, in the opinion of this House, the government should consider …”. The government is not bound to adopt a specific policy or course of action as a result of the adoption of such a resolution since the House is only stating an opinion or making a declaration of purpose. [60]  This is in contrast to those motions whose object is to give a direction to committees, Members or officers of the House or to regulate House proceedings and, as such, are considered orders once adopted by the House. [61] 

No motion sponsored by a Member who is not a Minister can contain provisions for either raising revenue or spending funds, unless it is worded in terms which only suggest that course of action to the government. As an alternative to a bill which might require a royal recommendation obtained only by a Minister, a private Member may choose to move a motion proposing the expenditure of public funds, provided that the terms of the motion only suggest this course of action to the government without ordering or requiring it to do so. [62]  Such a motion is normally phrased so as to ask the government to “consider the advisability of …”.

Notice

A private Member must provide at least two weeks’ notice of his or her intention to move a motion. [63]  Notice of a private Member’s motion appears on the Notice Paper for the date on which notice is given and is transferred afterwards to the list of “Private Members’ Business — Items Outside the Order of Precedence” which may be consulted at the Table in the Chamber or on the electronic version of the Order Paper. The sponsoring Member can move the motion only if the item has been selected following the draw establishing the order of precedence, and only after the two-week notice period has elapsed.

Similar Items

If a Member submits notice of a motion which the Speaker judges to be substantially the same as an item already submitted, the Speaker has the power to refuse the most recent notice, to so inform the Member sponsoring it and to return the motion to him or her. [64] 

Seconders

A Member who wishes to support a motion already appearing on the Order Paper may second that motion by indicating in writing to the Clerk of the House his or her desire to do so. [65]  A motion may have up to 20 seconders, although the number of seconders has no bearing on the motion’s chances of being selected as a votable item. [66]  The names of these seconders are listed with the motion on the Order Paper. Once the motion has been proposed to the House, no additional names may be appended. [67]  The Member who seconds the motion in the House need not be one of the seconders listed on the Order Paper.

Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers

Members may choose to give notice of a motion requesting that certain papers or documents be compiled or produced by the government and tabled in the House. [68] Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers resemble written questions in that they are requests for information from the government. All such motions are worded in the form of either an Order of the House (“That an Order of the House do issue …”) or an Address to the Crown, a formal message requesting the production of documents in the Crown’s possession (“That a humble Address be presented to His/Her Excellency praying that he/she will cause to be laid before the House of Commons …”). Thus, a motion, if adopted, becomes either an order that the government table certain documents in the House or an Address to the Governor General requesting that certain papers be sent to the House. An Order of the House is used for papers concerning matters directly related to federal departments or the business of the House. An Address is required for correspondence between federal and provincial governments, federal and foreign governments, the federal government and any company, corporation or individual, Orders in Council, and papers concerning royal commissions, the administration of justice, the judicial conduct of judges or the exercise of Crown prerogatives. It is the responsibility of the Speaker to ensure that the motion proposed is appropriately worded so that it can achieve what it intends to do. [69] 

While a number of motions for the production of papers have been transferred for debate in recent years, debate has rarely been held on an item of this nature since 1986. [70]  When the House does consider such motions, the debate is restricted to whether or not the papers should be produced rather than the subject matter of the papers. [71] 

Notice

Members must give 48 hours’ written notice of a motion for the production of papers, after which it is transferred from the Notice Paper to the Order Paper where it appears under the rubric “Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers” on the following Wednesday, the only day of the week such notices of motions can be called. [72] 

Transferred for Debate

When a Notice of Motion for the Production of Papers is called on a Wednesday following Routine Proceedings, it must be either dealt with immediately, without debate or amendment, or transferred for debate at the request of the sponsoring Member or a Minister. [73]  (For further details, see Chapter 10, “The Daily Program”.) Once transferred for debate, the motion is placed on the Order Paper under the heading entitled “Notices of Motions (Papers)” on the list of items outside the order of precedence. It may be subject to debate at a subsequent time if it is selected by the sponsoring Member following the draw for the order of precedence.

The Order of Precedence

While government bills and motions are called for debate in the order that the government chooses, items of Private Members’ Business are called according to their place on the order of precedence; only those items in the order of precedence may be considered during Private Members’ Hour. [74]  The order of precedence is a list of items sponsored by private Members, established following a random draw of names. A Member’s name is entered in the draw provided that he or she does not already have an item in the order of precedence and provided that he or she has at least one item of Private Members’ Business on the list of items outside the order of precedence. For the purpose of the draw, the following items are considered to be on the list of items outside the order of precedence:

  • a bill, if it has been introduced, read a first time and ordered for a second reading at the time of the draw;
  • a notice of motion, if it has been put on the Notice Paper not later than the day before the draw;
  • a notice of Motion (Papers), if it has been transferred for debate before the draw.

Any item on which a recorded division has been deferred and which would be removed from the order of precedence as a result of the division is not considered to be an item in the order of precedence for the purpose of the draw. [75] 

The Draw

The draw is organized by the Clerk of the House and is chaired, by practice, by the Deputy Speaker or one of the other Presiding Officers of the House. At least 48 hours before a draw is to be held, the Clerk of the House notifies Members of the date, time and place of the draw. [76]  Members or their staff may attend the draw, though their presence is not required. The draw itself is not a formal proceeding of the House; therefore, no formal recording is made in that day’s Journals. The new items in the order of precedence will appear in the Order Paper of the following sitting under the heading “Private Members’ Business — Items in the Order of Precedence”.

First Draw of a Session

At the beginning of a session, Members are notified of the first draw within two sitting days after 30 or more Members have each placed at least one eligible item of Private Members’ Business on the Order Paper[77]  The draw is conducted so that the order of precedence contains an equal number of public bills originating in the Commons and motions (including motions for papers), provided there are sufficient numbers of eligible bills and motions. [78]  The names of Members with eligible bills are drawn first, followed by the names of Members with eligible motions, for a total of 30 names to be drawn. If a Member’s name is drawn for both a bill and a motion, then his or her name is set aside the second time since no Member may have more than one motion or bill at second reading on the order of precedence at one time. [79]  These 30 names are then redrawn to establish the order of items on the order of precedence. [80] 

When a Member whose name has been drawn has more than one eligible item standing in his or her name on the Order Paper, the Member must choose which one of these items is to be placed on the order of precedence. The Member must notify the Clerk of the House of his or her choice by the end of the second sitting day after the draw. Should the Member fail to do so within the allotted time, the first item put on the Order Paper in the Member’s name will be the one placed on the order of precedence. [81]  The number of joint seconders influences neither the chances of a bill or a motion being placed on the order of precedence nor of it being selected later as a “votable item”. [82]  Any private and Senate public bills which have been ordered for a second reading in the House and placed at the bottom of the order of precedence at the time of a draw are not considered to occupy any of the 30 positions on the order of precedence.

Subsequent Draws

The order of precedence may not contain more than 30 motions and public bills originating in the House at the second reading stage, nor fewer than 15 items. [83]  Further draws for up to an additional 15 items are held during the session whenever the number of items on the order of precedence is close to 15. [84]  The number of bills and motions to be chosen following each draw depends on the number of bills and motions still in the order of precedence at the time of the draw. For example, if there are 10 motions but only five bills on the order of precedence at the time of the draw, five additional motions and 10 additional bills will be chosen. If a Member already has an eligible item on the order of precedence at the time of the draw, his or her name will not be included in the draw, unless it is an item on which a recorded division has been deferred and which would be removed from the Order Paper as a result of the vote. [85] 

Withdrawal of Items

If a Member no longer wishes to proceed with a notice of motion which is on the list of items outside the order of precedence or a bill which has not yet been given first reading, and thus does not wish to see the item placed on the order of precedence, he or she may request to have the item withdrawn from the Order Paper by notifying the Clerk of the House in writing. If a Member wishes to withdraw a bill which has been given first reading, he or she must seek the unanimous consent of the House to do so since, having been ordered for a second reading by the House, the bill is then in the possession of the House and only the House can take a further decision on it. [86] 

Since the order of precedence is established by the Standing Orders, a Member wishing to withdraw any item which has been placed on the order of precedence must first seek the unanimous consent of the House. [87] 

Status of Items Not Chosen

Items not chosen following the draw to establish the order of precedence remain on a list, which may be consulted at the Table in the Chamber or on the electronic version of the Order Paper, entitled “Items Outside the Order of Precedence”, and are eligible for subsequent draws in the session. [88]  Unless chosen following a subsequent draw, items outside the order of precedence do not receive consideration during Private Members’ Business. There is no limit to the number of bills and motions a Member may have on the list of items outside the order of precedence.

Certain Items Automatically Placed on the Order of Precedence

Certain items of Private Members’ Business are placed automatically at the bottom of the order of precedence regardless of the results of the draw or the number of items already on the list. [89]  These items include:

  • orders for consideration of subsequent stages of a bill already debated during Private Members’ Business (including bills reported back or deemed to have been reported back from committees [90] );
  • bills on the order of precedence in a previous session which are reinstated; [91] 
  • consideration of Senate amendments to bills;
  • all stages of a private bill;
  • private Members’ public bills originating in the Senate.

An item supported by 100 Members, including at least 10 Members each from a majority of the recognized parties in the House, is also eligible to be added to the order of precedence if the sponsoring Member does not already have an item on the order of precedence. [92]  The order of precedence can contain only one such item at any given time. Thus, it is possible for the total number of items on the order of precedence to exceed 30 since this number applies only to motions and public bills originating in the Commons at second reading.

Selection of Votable Items

Mandate of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

As soon as practicable after the order of precedence has been established at the beginning of each session, but not later than 10 sitting days after that date, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs must meet to select from the items placed on the order of precedence as a result of the draw up to 10 items to be designated as “votable items”. [93]  Being selected as votable should not be construed as a guarantee that the House will adopt the bill or motion.

Certain items which may be selected as votable are nonetheless not to be included as part of the list of 10 votable items, since they were not placed on the order of precedence as a result of the draw:

  • bills jointly supported by 100 Members; [94] 
  • Senate public bills;
  • bills reinstated from a previous session at the second reading stage.

As well, any item on which a recorded division has been deferred, and which would be removed from the order of precedence as a result of that division, is not to be included as part of the list of 10 votable items.

Furthermore, other items are automatically placed on the order of precedence and automatically made votable but are not to be included as part of the list of 10 votable items:

  • all stages of a private bill; [95] 
  • notices of motions (papers); [96] 
  • bills reported from committee (or deemed to have been reported from committee);
  • bills at the third reading stage;
  • consideration of Senate amendments to bills.

Consultation with Members

It has been the practice since 1986 for the Committee to consult with the sponsors of each bill or motion placed on the order of precedence before making its selection of votable items. Each Member sponsoring an item on the order of precedence is invited to appear before the Committee in a public meeting to make a short presentation explaining why his or her item warrants additional debate and being put to a vote in the House. Each presentation may be followed by a brief question-and-answer period. The Committee has traditionally selected votable items by consensus rather than on the basis of votes. [97] 

A Member may ask the Committee not to select his or her item as votable by notifying the clerk of the Committee. The item will still remain on the order of precedence and be debated as a non-votable item.

Criteria for Selection

Since 1986, the Committee has based its selection of votable items on specific criteria, the list of which was occasionally modified throughout the years. [98]  The most recent list, outlined in the Seventieth Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in April 1999, [99]  contains the following criteria:

  • Bills and motions must be drafted in clear, complete, and effective terms;
  • Bills and motions must be constitutional and concern areas of federal jurisdiction;
  • Bills and motions should concern matters of significant public interest;
  • Bills and motions should concern issues that are not part of the government’s current legislative agenda and which have not been voted on or otherwise addressed by the House of Commons in the current session of Parliament;
  • All other things being equal, higher priority will be given to items which transcend purely local interest, are not couched in partisan terms, or cannot be addressed by the House in other ways.

Presentation of Report

After consulting the Members sponsoring the items on the order of precedence, the Committee meets, in camera, to make a final decision. It prepares a report which contains the list of the items selected and the names of the sponsoring Members. Once presented to the House, the report is deemed adopted without debate or amendment. [100] 

Further Selection of Votable Items

Further meetings to select items may be held from time to time during the session, usually when the order of precedence has been replenished through subsequent draws. The number of votable items which the Committee can select after a draw will depend on the number of items still on the list from previous selections, although no more than 10 items selected as votable can be on the order of precedence at any given time. [101] 

Private Members’ Hour

Private Members’ Business is considered for one hour every sitting day. [102]  At the beginning of a session, Private Members’ Business is suspended until an order of precedence and a list of votable items have been established. [103]  Once this has occurred, the consideration of Private Members’ Business begins the following day.

The Speaker must give Members at least 24 hours’ notice before an item on the order of precedence can be considered. This notice is published in the Notice Paper[104]  During Private Members’ Hour, items on the order of precedence are considered in the order in which they are listed and normally only one item is considered each day. [105] 

Exchange of Items

If the sponsor of an item is unable to move his or her motion on the day set by the order of precedence and has given the Speaker at least 48 hours’ written notice, the Speaker may arrange to exchange the position of the sponsor’s item with that of another Member in the order of precedence, with the permission of the Members involved. [106]  The Speaker consults with Members and finds a date that is agreeable to two Members. Members sponsoring items on which debate has previously begun may not request an exchange but may agree to a request for exchange from another sponsoring Member. If no exchange is possible, Private Members’ Hour is suspended for that day, the House continues with the business before it, [107]  and the Member’s item is consequently dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence. [108]  On Monday, the House takes up Government Orders during that hour. [109] 

Cancellations and Suspensions

Although Private Members’ Hour is regularly scheduled for each day that the House sits, there are some situations when it may be cancelled or suspended. The cancellation or suspension of the Hour has been a matter of concern to the House ever since the adoption of the modern rules relating to Private Members’ Business in 1986. [110] 

The consideration of Private Members’ Business may be cancelled or suspended for a number of reasons:

  • Should the sponsor of an item set for consideration not be present to move the item or should the sponsor decline to move the item, Private Members’ Business is cancelled for that day; the Hour cannot be used for other business without the unanimous consent of the House.
  • Should Members not have 24 hours’ notice of the item to be considered during Private Members’ Hour, the Speaker will advise the House that Private Members’ Business will be suspended for that day; the House will continue with, or revert to, the business before it prior to the time designated for Private Members’ Business. [111]  If the Member scheduled to move an item gives the required 48 hours’ written notice that he or she is unable to do so on the day scheduled, and no exchange of items is possible, the House also reverts to the business before it prior to Private Members’ Business. [112]  In both cases, when Private Members’ Business is suspended on Monday, the House takes up Government Orders during the time designated for Private Members’ Business. [113] 
  • If proceedings under “Introduction of Government Bills” during Routine Proceedings have not been completed on a Tuesday or Thursday prior to Statements by Members, Routine Proceedings will continue immediately after Question Period until the completion of all items under “Introduction of Government Bills”, thereby suspending as much of Private Members’ Hour as necessary. [114] 
  • Private Members’ Business is cancelled on any day designated for resuming debate on the Budget or the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne. [115] 
  • On the last Supply day in June, the consideration of Private Members’ Business is cancelled in order to allow more time to consider and dispose of the Main Estimates. [116] 
  • Private Members’ Business will be cancelled when a Minister moves a motion in relation to a matter the government considers to be of an urgent nature, and debate subsequently takes place during the time scheduled for Private Members’ Business. [117]  If such a motion is moved during Private Members’ Hour, only the remaining time allotted for consideration of the item being debated is suspended. If the maximum one hour of debate allowed on the motion extends into Private Members’ Hour, then the beginning of Private Members’ Hour is delayed. [118] 
  • As no emergency debate may be interrupted by Private Members’ Business, Private Members’ Hour would be cancelled if an emergency debate were to begin prior to the time scheduled for the consideration of Private Members’ Business. [119] 
  • Private Members’ Business is suspended until an order of precedence and a list of votable items are established at the beginning of a session. [120] 
  • Private Members’ Business is suspended when, during the course of a session, the House must proceed to the election of a new Speaker. [121] 
  • Private Members’ Business, or the remainder thereof, is suspended when the House adjourns due to a lack of quorum. [122] 

Delays and Interruptions

If Private Members’ Hour is delayed or interrupted for any reason, the debate is then extended or rescheduled so that no time is lost. [123]  For example, if the start of Private Members’ Hour is delayed because of deferred divisions or interrupted so that Members may attend the Royal Assent ceremony in the Senate Chamber, Private Members’ Hour is extended by the corresponding amount of time. Similarly, when the time provided for Government Orders has been extended by 90 minutes or less because of a ministerial statement, the start of Private Members’ Hour will be delayed by a corresponding amount of time. [124]  If debate on Private Members’ Business does not begin or resume by 30 minutes after the time Private Members’ Business would have ordinarily ended, the remaining time or the entire hour is added to another sitting. [125] 

Rescheduling of Debate

The rescheduling of any unused time of a Private Members’ Hour due to a delay or interruption is done at the discretion of the Speaker within 10 sitting days and after consultation with the Member involved. [126]  No more than one adjournment period as provided in the parliamentary calendar may intervene in the rescheduling of the debate. The rescheduled business is considered during an additional Private Members’ Hour, which is added to the daily schedule of the House.

The regular 24 hours’ notice of the item to be considered is given to the House. The notice is printed on the Notice Paper on the day the additional debate is to take place. [127]  The Order Paper entry referring to the rescheduled debate, or to a debate awaiting rescheduling, appears at the top of the list of “Items in the Order of Precedence”. [128]  The Standing Orders do not provide for an exchange between a Member whose item of business has been rescheduled and another Member who has an item on the order of precedence.

On days when Private Members’ Business has been rescheduled, the adjournment proceedings are delayed by the amount of time required to complete the rescheduled debate.

Time Limits on Debate

Non-Votable Items

An item of Private Members’ Business not selected to come to a vote is debated for up to one hour and, once the debate has concluded or the time for debate has expired, the item is then removed from the Order Paper[129]  Debate does not last the full hour allotted for Private Members’ Business if no other Member rises to speak on the item, if a quorum is lost, or if a motion to adjourn is carried.

The removal of an item of Private Members’ Business from the Order Paper does not constitute a decision since a question is not put to the House. [130]  Thus, a Member whose non-votable item has been removed may resubmit it by giving notice of the item in the usual manner. It remains on the Order Paper on the list of items outside the order of precedence until it is chosen again for inclusion on the order of precedence. [131] 

Votable Items

An item of Private Members’ Business selected as a votable item is eligible for up to three hours of consideration before the question is put to dispose of it. [132]  Votable items work their way up the order of precedence in the same way that all other items do, but at the end of Private Members’ Hour on the day the item is debated, if debate is not concluded, they are placed at the bottom of the order of precedence instead of being removed from the Order Paper[133]  The item continues to work its way up to the top of the list again, is debated and then placed at the bottom once more. Unless the item has been disposed of earlier, this continues until exactly two hours and 45 minutes of debate have been completed, at which time the Speaker interrupts the proceedings and puts every question necessary to dispose of the item.

If the votable item is a motion framed as a resolution, the House makes a decision either for or against that item of business and, accordingly, it is disposed of. No further action is required since it is solely an expression of opinion or a declaration of purpose. If the votable item is a motion framed as an order to the House itself, its committees, its Members or officers, again the House makes a decision either for or against and, if agreed to, further action will be required to execute the order.

If the votable item is a bill and second reading is agreed to by the House, the bill is then referred to a committee for study. [134] The committee is obliged, within 60 sitting days from the date of reference, to either report back a bill with or without amendment, or to present to the House a report recommending not to proceed further with a bill or requesting a one-time extension of 30 sitting days to consider a bill. Reasons must be given for either recommendation. Should a committee fail to report back to the House as required, the bill is automatically deemed reported without amendment. [135] 

Report Stage and Third Reading

When a committee reports a private Member’s bill back to the House or is deemed to have reported a bill back, the order for consideration of the report stage is placed at the bottom of the order of precedence. [136]  Two Private Members’ Hours on separate sitting days are allotted for report stage and third reading consideration. [137]  On the first day, if there are no motions in amendment at the report stage on the Notice Paper, the motion for concurrence at the report stage is put immediately and, if adopted, the motion for third reading is moved and debate commences at third reading. [138]  If there are motions in amendment at the report stage and debate on these motions concludes during the first hour, the question is put on all motions to dispose of the report stage and, if the bill is concurred in at report stage, the House immediately proceeds to the consideration of the third reading stage. [139]  At the end of the first Private Members’ Hour, unless the bill has been otherwise disposed of, it drops to the bottom of the order of precedence and works its way up to the top for consideration by the House during the second Private Members’ Hour. Fifteen minutes before the end of the time provided for this second consideration, all questions necessary to dispose of the bill at the remaining stage or stages are put and the bill, if passed, is sent to the Senate for consideration. [140] 

The time provided for the consideration of a private Member’s bill at report stage and third reading may be extended by up to five hours on the second day of debate. If a bill is not disposed of within the first 30 minutes of debate on the first day of consideration, during any time then remaining on that day, any Member may propose a motion to extend the debate on the second day for a period not to exceed five consecutive hours. [141]  This non-debatable, non-amendable motion is deemed withdrawn if fewer than 20 Members rise to support it. [142]  The motion may subsequently be proposed again during the time remaining provided an intervening proceeding has occurred. [143]  If the motion is adopted and the time for consideration is extended on the second day, the Standing Orders relating to the normal hour of adjournment are suspended. [144]  Not later than 15 minutes before the conclusion of the time provided on the second day, the Speaker puts every question necessary to dispose of any remaining stages of the bill. [145]  On Monday, the extension of up to five additional hours of debate begins at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment. [146] 

Senate Amendments to a Private Member’s Bill

The order for the consideration of Senate amendments to a private Member’s bill is placed at the bottom of the order of precedence when the message is received from the Senate. [147]  The Standing Orders do not specify any time limit for the consideration of a motion respecting Senate amendments. When the item reaches the top of the order of precedence, it is considered during Private Members’ Hour and, if not disposed of at the end of the hour, it is placed again at the bottom of the order of precedence. This process is repeated until the debate ends and the question can be put on the motion. [148] 

Notices of Motions (Papers)

Motions for papers may be debated for a total of one hour and 40 minutes before the question is put. [149]  Unless otherwise disposed of, the item is placed at the bottom of the order of precedence after the first hour of debate. After the item has worked its way up the order of precedence, it is debated for a further 30 minutes. At that time, the Speaker interrupts the proceedings and allows a Minister to speak for a maximum of five minutes, even if he or she has already spoken in debate. [150]  The mover of the motion is then permitted to speak for an additional five minutes to close the debate before the Speaker puts the question to the House. If the motion carries, it becomes an order to the government to table the documents requested in the motion.

Individual Speeches

During debate on a votable item of Private Members’ Business, the sponsor may speak for 20 minutes, while other Members may speak for 10 minutes each. [151]  Debate on a non-votable item begins with the mover of the item speaking for up to 15 minutes. Other Members may speak for up to 10 minutes, with the time allotted for 10-minute speeches limited to a maximum of 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, or sooner if no other Member rises to speak, the Member moving the motion has the right of reply to conclude the debate by speaking again for a maximum of five minutes. [152] 

Although there is no practice of a fixed pattern for the recognition of Members wishing to speak during Private Members’ Business, the Chair seeks to ensure that there is a smooth flow of debate, providing opportunities for all points of view to be expressed. [153]  Members speaking during Private Members’ Business require the unanimous consent of the House to share their time with another Member. [154]  There is no question and comment period after each speech. [155] 

Divisions

If consideration of a votable item of Private Members’ Business ends before the maximum time allowed for debate, the question is then put and, if a recorded division is demanded, either the Chief Government Whip or the Chief Opposition Whip may ask the Speaker to defer the division. [156]  In the event that the time for consideration of a private Member’s item has expired and debate is interrupted by the Chair in order to put the question, a recorded division can be deferred only upon the agreement of all Whips and the Member sponsoring the item upon which a vote is to be taken. [157] 

When a recorded division is taken on an item of Private Members’ Business, the vote of the Member sponsoring the bill or motion is recorded first, if he or she is present, followed by the votes of the other Members on the same side of the House, starting with the back row, who are in favour of the bill or motion and then the Members on the other side of the House, starting with the back row, who are in favour of the item. Votes against are recorded in the same order. [158] 

Management of Private Members’ Business

The Speaker is responsible for the orderly conduct of Private Members’ Business, ensuring that there is a minimum 24 hours’ notice of items to be considered during Private Members’ Hour, identifying identical or similar items of Private Members’ Business, arranging the exchange of items in the order of precedence and rescheduling debate if Private Members’ Hour is delayed for more than 90 minutes.

The Clerk of the House is responsible for most of the administrative and procedural duties associated with Private Members’ Business. These include making arrangements for the draws to establish the order of precedence, ensuring that Members and their staff know when their items of business are to be taken up during Private Members’ Hour and providing the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs with procedural advice on Private Members’ Business.

Legislative counsel assists Members in the drafting of their bills for introduction in the House and in the drafting of amendments to legislation. Priority in the drafting of private Members’ bills is accorded to those Members who have not previously had a bill drafted by legislative counsel during that session. [159]  Legislative advice usually involves the appropriateness of the proposed legislation, taking into account constitutional requirements or impediments, vested rights issues, drafting conventions, and procedural requirements. While Members may draft their own bills or retain outside counsel for that purpose, before these bills are introduced in the House, they are reviewed by legislative counsel for constitutionality, form and compliance with drafting conventions. In addition, all private Members’ bills are certified by legislative counsel before introduction in the House.

[1] 
For information on the Ministry, see Chapter 1, “Parliamentary Institutions”. On October 23, 1996, after Don Boudria (Glengarry–Prescott–Russell) was appointed to the Ministry, Speaker Parent directed the Clerk to remove from the Order Paper a motion standing in Mr. Boudria’s name on the order of precedence for Private Members’ Business (Debates, p. 5630).
[2] 
Upon being appointed as a Parliamentary Secretary, Members have withdrawn or requested a change in the sponsorship of an item of Private Members’ Business brought before the House prior to their appointment (see, for example, Debates, April 19, 1988, p. 14634; September 19, 1988, p. 19402; Journals, October 28, 1998, p. 1205).
[3] 
For examples of private Members’ bills sponsored by Presiding Officers, see Journals, October 29, 1970, p. 65 (Gérald Laniel was Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole); October 31, 1977, pp. 52-3 (Charles Turner was Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole); October 24, 1979, pp. 109, 111, 119 (William C. Scott was Assistant Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole); November 28, 1996, p. 935 (Peter Milliken was Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole). The sponsorship of another bill standing in the name of Mr. Milliken was transferred to another Member (Debates, February 19, 1997, p. 8318).
[4] 
Some important issues first raised by private Members have later reappeared in government legislation. See, for example, Bill C-279, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act (tabling of documents) introduced by Jean-Robert Gauthier (Ottawa–Vanier), Debates, June 6, 1988, pp. 16179-81.
[5]
With the exception of bills dealing with changes to the names of electoral districts, relatively few private Members’ bills receive Royal Assent. Between 1945 and 1993, 127 private Members’ public bills received Royal Assent; only 31 of those bills did not deal with changes to the names of constituencies.
[6]
Public bills sponsored by Members and introduced first in the House of Commons are numbered consecutively from C-201 to C-1000 in the order of introduction, whereas bills originating in the Senate are numbered from S-1, there being no distinction made as to whether it is a government or private Member’s bill.
[7]
For more information, see Chapter 10, “The Daily Program”.
[8] 
Only Tuesday and Friday were reserved for government business. See Rules, Orders and Forms of Proceeding of the House of Commons, 1868, Rule No. 19.
[9] 
Debates, July 9, 1906, cols. 7475-7.
[10] 
Journals, July 12, 1955, pp. 889, 893, 945.
[11] 
Journals, April 10, 1962, pp. 338-9; April 12, 1962, p. 350.
[12] 
Journals, December 6, 1968, pp. 429, 436-7; December 20, 1968, pp. 554, 563-5.
[13] 
The Third Report of the Special Committee on Standing Orders and Procedure, which recommended these changes, was presented to the House on November 5, 1982 (Journals, p. 5328), and the motion putting into effect the changes was adopted on November 29, 1982 (Journals, p. 5400).
[14] 
The First Report of the Special Committee on Standing Orders, which recommended these changes, was presented to the House on December 15, 1983 (Journals, p. 47), and the motion putting into effect the changes was adopted on December 19, 1983 (Journals, pp. 55-6).
[15] 
Journals, April 11, 1991, pp. 2905-6, 2908.
[16] 
Journals, April 29, 1910, pp. 535-7.
[17] 
Journals, September 26, 1961, pp. 950, 953; September 27, 1961, p. 957.
[18] 
Journals, March 22, 1927, pp. 340-1.
[19] 
See, for example, Standing Orders of the House of Commons, 1927, Standing Order 27.
[20] 
See, for example, the day-by-day order of business for 1955 and 1962.
[21] 
Such a procedure was initially proposed in 1925 (Journals, May 29, 1925, p. 359).
[22] 
Debates, November 28, 1979, p. 1794.
[23] 
The Third Report of the Special Committee on Standing Orders and Procedure, which recommended these changes, was presented to the House on November 5, 1982 (Journals, p. 5328), and the motion putting into effect the changes was adopted on November 29, 1982 (Journals, p. 5400).
[24] 
See the Special Committee on the Reform of the House of Commons, Third Report, p. 40. The Report was presented to the House on June 18, 1985 (Journals, p. 839).
[25] 
Journals, February 6, 1986, pp. 1648-52; February 13, 1986, p. 1710.
[26] 
Journals, December 18, 1986, p. 351.
[27] 
Journals, June 3, 1987, pp. 1020-2.
[28] 
Journals, October 26, 1989, p. 752.
[29] 
Journals, pp. 927-34.
[30] 
Journals, pp. 1685-7.
[31] 
Journals, December 6, 1990, pp. 2385-8.
[32] 
Journals, April 11, 1991, pp. 2919-22.
[33] 
Journals, April 29, 1992, pp. 1337-8.
[34] 
Standing Committee on House Management, Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence, February 11 and 13, 1992, Issue No. 24, p. 17.
[35] 
Standing Committee on House Management, Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence, March 12, 1992, Issue No. 26, p. 3.
[36] 
Journals, November 30, 1998, pp. 1327-9.
[37] 
Standing Order 68(4)(b). Prior to this Standing Order being adopted on February 7, 1994 (Journals, pp. 112-20), and coming into effect on February 14, 1994, the idea of private Members proposing motions to have a committee prepare a bill did exist (see Speaker Lamoureux’s ruling, Debates, November 10, 1969, pp. 665-6). For examples of private Members’ motions for a committee to bring in a bill, see Notice Paper, September 24, 1997, p. XI (M-15); September 29, 1997, p. IV (M-168); November 5, 1997, p. III (M-260). A few of these motions have been placed on the order of precedence (Order Paper, October 2, 1997, p. 19 (M-24); May 1, 1998, p. 21 (M-251)). Some of these motions have also been selected as votable (Order Paper, October 23, 1997, p. 16 (M-123); May 3, 1999, p. 30 (M-265)). No committee has ever prepared a bill pursuant to a private Member’s motion adopted under the terms of Standing Order 68(4)(b). However, the adoption of a private Member’s motion (penalties for impaired driving) during Private Members’ Business (Journals, February 7, 1997, pp. 1092-3) eventually led to the adoption of a motion moved by a Minister instructing a committee to prepare a bill in accordance with Standing Order 68(4)(a) (Journals, October 30, 1997, p. 175). When the committee finally presented its report to the House, a draft bill was included (Journals, May 25, 1999, p. 1905).
[38] 
Standing Order 68(4)(a).
[39] 
Standing Order 68(6) and 68(7)(b).
[40] 
Standing Order 79(2). See the Twenty-Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs concurred in by the House on June 10, 1994 (Journals, p. 563). For an example of a private Member’s bill to which a royal recommendation was attached prior to third reading, see Journals, December 6, 1994, p. 997. Bill C-216, An Act to amend the Unemployment Insurance Act (jury service), had been reported back to the House from committee on June 16, 1994, and debate at the third reading stage began on December 6, 1994. The bill was given Royal Assent on March 26, 1995. There have been numerous Speakers’ rulings regarding bills and their potential need for an accompanying royal recommendation if the bill involved a charge on the public treasury (see, for example, Journals, November 9, 1978, pp. 130-3; February 20, 1979, pp. 393-5; June 6, 1980, pp. 244-5). See also Debates, November 1, 1991, pp. 4410-4, where the Chair heard arguments regarding the procedural acceptability of a private Member’s bill requiring the expenditure of public funds. One Member argued that on the basis of a ruling made in 1912 (Journals, January 16, 1912, pp. 118-9),clauses can be inserted into bills that will prevent funds from being expended unless Parliament appropriates money for the purpose set out in the bill. Because the bill had not been selected to come to a vote, proceedings on the bill expired at the end of Private Members’ Hour, and the Speaker never returned to the House with a definitive ruling.
[41]
For additional information on the royal recommendation, see Chapter 16, “The Legislative Process”, and Chapter 18, “Financial Procedures”.
[42] 
Beauchesne, 6th ed., p. 265. See also Speaker Parent’s ruling, Debates, December 2, 1998, pp. 10788-91.
[43] 
May, 21st ed., p. 716; Beauchesne, 6th ed., p. 267.
[44]
For information on notices, see Chapter 12, “The Process of Debate”.
[45] 
Standing Order 86(5).
[46] 
Debates, November 2, 1989, pp. 5474-5.
[47] 
Bourinot, 4th ed., pp. 547-8. See also Speaker Michener’s rulings, Journals, October 29, 1957, p. 64; March 13, 1959, p. 238.
[48] 
For example, Bill C-321, which was identical to Bill C-274, was introduced on June 20, 1996, after Bill C-274 was debated at second reading and dropped from the Order Paper on June 4, 1996 (Journals, June 4, 1996, pp. 486-7; June 20, 1996, p. 592).
[49] 
The list of 20 seconders should not be confused with the 100 signatures of Members who support an item in order that it be placed on the order of precedence (Standing Order 87(6)).
[50] 
Standing Order 86(4).
[51] 
Standing Order 86(3).
[52]
In order to facilitate the proceedings, Members usually advise the Speaker or the Table Officers in advance that they wish to introduce a bill or bills on a particular day.
[53] 
Standing Order 68(2).
[54]
While a succinct explanation has traditionally been interpreted to mean 30-60 seconds, it has become more common for Members to speak for longer than 60 seconds since the beginning of the Thirty-Fifth Parliament (1994-97).
[55] 
Standing Order 69(1).
[56] 
Standing Order 88.
[57] 
Since the beginning of 1990, only two Senate public bills sponsored by private Members have received Royal Assent (Journals, December 17, 1990, p. 2475; June 22, 1995, p. 1871).
[58] 
Private Members’ motions can also propose constitutional amendments. See, for example, Motion M-8 which proposed an amendment to the Constitution Act to include property rights (Journals, May 2, 1988, pp. 2602-3).
[59] 
For examples of motions as resolutions, see Journals, June 15, 1994, pp. 592-3 (M-89 on non-confidence motions); October 25, 1995, p. 2049 (M-273 on Grandparents’ Day); November 5, 1996, p. 831 (M-30 on a Care-Giver Tax Credit); December 4, 1996, p. 964 (M-241 on hazardous materials); May 25, 1998, pp. 887-9 (M-261 on a National Head-Start Program). See also Speaker Parent’s rulings on Motion M-266 requesting a conference with the Senate, Debates, June 18, 1996, pp. 3981-2; and on Motion M-1 containing allegations of contempt against another Member, Debates, June 18, 1996, pp. 4028-31; June 20, 1996, pp. 4183-4.
[60] 
Although the government may not be bound by only an expression of opinion, the adoption of such motions carries the weight of a decision of the House. In the latter half of the 1980s, three statues were erected on Parliament Hill as a result of the adoption of private Members’ motions which were framed as resolutions (see Journals, February 28, 1985, p. 340 (Rt. Hon. John G. Diefenbaker); February 10, 1987, p. 469 (Rt. Hon. Lester B. Pearson); March 22, 1988, p. 2320 (Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)).
[61] 
For examples of motions framed as orders, see Journals, April 9, 1997, p. 1366 (M-267 amending the Standing Orders of the House); and Notice Paper, September 24, 1997, pp. XII, XXVI (motions M-24 and M-123 for a committee to prepare and bring in a bill).
[62] 
See, for example, Motion M-555 which proposed the restoration of funding for the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety and which was adopted on April 23, 1990 (Journals, p. 1572).
[63] 
Standing Order 86(2).
[64] 
Standing Order 86(5). In 1961, discussion arose in the House on whether a private Member’s motion which was similar to two private Members’ bills could be debated. Although the Speaker expressed strong reservations that it not become a precedent, debate was allowed to proceed (Journals, January 23, 1961, pp. 176-7). In another instance, the Speaker ruled that the House can debate a motion which is similar in substance to a bill already decided upon in the same session since it is unlikely that a bill and motion could substantially raise the same question when the motion is merely affirming the desirability of legislation while the bill is likely to contain qualifying provisions and conditions (Debates, May 29, 1984, pp. 4175-6). In 1985, prior to the consideration of a motion similar to a bill which had been adopted at second reading and referred to a standing committee, the Chair cautioned Members to refrain from speaking about the provisions of the bill or the committee’s deliberations during debate on the motion (Debates, April 18, 1985, p. 3884). In 1992, a Member rose on a point of order to argue the redundancy of debate on a private Member’s motion which was similar to the subject matter of a government bill that had been referred to a special committee for pre-study. The Chair ruled that the two items were not identical and that since the motion was a non-votable item, debate could proceed. In closing, the Chair remarked that “a Member’s legitimate right to present a motion could be weakened by or violated by an overly strict interpretation of the rule which forbids discussing a bill that is already being considered in committee” (Debates, April 1, 1992, pp. 9204-6, 9208-9).
[65] 
Standing Order 86(3).
[66] 
The list of 20 seconders should not be confused with the 100 signatures of Members who support an item in order that it be placed on the order of precedence (Standing Order 87(6)).
[67] 
Standing Order 86(4).
[68]
For a detailed description of the rules and process concerning Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers, see Chapter 10, “The Daily Program”.
[69] 
Journals, February 15, 1960, pp. 137-40.
[70] 
In 1986, two motions for the production of papers were debated and concurred in (see Journals, June 6, 1986, p. 2281; June 16, 1986, p. 2326; Debates, June 16, 1986, pp. 14479-80). Since then, two motions for the production of papers have been debated and concurred in (see Journals, October 2, 1998, p. 1115; November 2, 1998, p. 1221) and one was debated and negatived (see Journals, April 20, 1999, p. 1739).
[71] 
See Debates, March 31, 1966, pp. 3676-7.
[72] 
Standing Order 30(6). See also Debates, April 24, 1998, p. 6087; September 28, 1998, pp. 8474-5; February 15, 1999, p. 11893; April 13, 1999, p. 13721.
[73] 
Standing Order 97(1). See, for example, Debates, February 4, 1981, pp. 6888-9; December 14, 1994, p. 9072; December 15, 1994, p. 9103; May 6, 1998, p. 6608; September 30, 1998, p. 8586; November 25, 1998, pp. 10436.
[74] 
Standing Order 87(5). The House may choose, by unanimous consent, to allow debate and possibly even a vote on an item which has not been chosen to be on the order of precedence (see, for example, Debates,June 18, 1987, pp. 7345-7).
[75] 
See the Thirteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, concurred in by the House on November 4, 1998(Journals, p. 1238).
[76] 
Standing Order 87(1) and (2).
[77] 
Standing Order 87(1)(a). In December 1989, the Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Elections, Privileges, Procedure and Private Members’ Business recommended that the order of precedence be determined by drawing lots at random from among the names of those Members with eligible bills or motions instead of drawing from among the eligible bills and motions themselves. In addition, the Committee recommended that the names of Members with eligible bills be drawn separately from the names of Members with eligible motions (including notices of motions (papers)) and that their names be included in the draw no more than once for each type of item of business, regardless of the number of bills or motions which a Member was sponsoring. Thus, there would be no advantage for Members who had introduced large numbers of bills or motions (Journals, December 6, 1989, pp. 927-34). See also the Twenty-First Report of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections (Journals, December 6, 1990, pp. 2385-8) and the motion making extensive changes to the Standing Orders which was adopted by the House on April 11, 1991 (Journals, pp. 2919-20).
[78] 
Standing Order 87(1)(b). Ideally, the first order of precedence would contain 15 bills and 15 motions. However, if, for example, only four Members had bills eligible for the draw, the names of these Members would be deemed drawn and the bills automatically placed on the Order Paper. The other 26 positions on the order of precedence would be filled with motions.
[79] 
However, it may happen that a Member has more than one item on the order of precedence at a given time. Bill C-270, standing in the name of Peter Milliken (Kingston and the Islands), was on the order of precedence when Bill S-8, a private bill also standing in his name, was added to the order of precedence pursuant to Standing Order 89 (see Order Paper, June 19, 1996, pp. 17, 22). On another occasion, Bill C-235, standing in the name of Dan McTeague (Pickering–Ajax–Uxbridge), was reported back from committee and placed back on the order of precedence on the same day that Bill C-440, also standing in his name on the order of precedence, was referred to committee (see Journals, April 16, 1999, pp. 1728-30).
[80] 
Standing Order 87(1)(c).
[81] 
Standing Order 87(1)(d).
[82] 
Standing Order 92(1).
[83] 
Standing Order 87(3).
[84] 
Standing Order 87(2).
[85] 
Standing Order 87(2). See also the Thirteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, concurred in by the House on November 4, 1998 (Journals, p. 1238).
[86] 
See, for example, Journals, September 15, 1988, p. 3538; Debates, March 12, 1997, p. 8957; June 2, 1998, p. 7470; February 2, 1999, p. 11305; March 11, 1999, p. 12715.
[87] 
See, for example, Journals, September 1, 1988, p. 3509; September 18, 1995, p. 1891. On one occasion, with the unanimous consent of the House, a Member withdrew a motion standing in her name on the order of precedence and replaced it with another motion listed in her name on that day’s Notice Paper (Journals, May 5, 1994, p. 430). On another occasion, by unanimous consent, a Member’s motion was withdrawn from the order of precedence and substituted with a motion standing in another Member’s name (Journals, October 2, 1995, p. 1972).
[88] 
Standing Order 87(4).
[89] 
Standing Order 89.
[90] 
Standing Orders 97.1 and 98(1).
[91] 
Standing Order 86.1. For an example of a bill reinstated as having been reported back with an amendment, see Journals, March 22, 1996, p. 146.
[92] 
Standing Order 87(6). The first such bill added to the order of precedence was Bill C-306, An Act to amend the Bank Act (bank charges), on February 1, 1999 (see Order Paper, February 2, 1999, pp. 26-7).
[93] 
Standing Order 92(1). In practice, a sub-committee of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs is created for the purpose of selecting votable items. Reports of the sub-committee must be concurred in by the full Committee before presentation to the House. The sub-committee meets after every draw to consider votable items.
[94] 
See, for example, Bill C-306, An Act to amend the Bank Act (bank charges), Journals, February 8, 1999, p. 1478.
[95] 
Standing Order 92(3).
[96] 
Standing Order 97(2).
[97] 
See the Seventieth Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to the House on April 20, 1999 (Journals, p. 1737). One Member introduced the same bill three times before it was selected as votable (see Journals, June 4, 1996, pp. 486-7 (Bill C-274); December 3, 1996, p. 955 (Bill C-321); April 22, 1998, p. 692 (Bill C-251)).
[98] 
See Journals, May 23, 1986, pp. 2200-1; October 21, 1987, pp. 1717-8. There have been objections raised regarding the Committee’s selection of votable items (see Debates, November 19, 1986, pp. 1325-34, and Speaker Fraser’s ruling, Debates, December 4, 1986, pp. 1759-60; see also Debates, April 18, 1997, pp. 9919-20; November 4, 1998, pp. 9836-7).
[99] 
Journals, April 20, 1999, p. 1737.
[100] 
Standing Order 92(2). The first selection of votable items was contained in the First Report of the Standing Committee on Private Members’ Business, presented to the House on April 23, 1986 (Journals, pp. 2064-5). For other examples, see Journals, June 19, 1986, pp. 2366-7; October 22, 1997, pp. 133-4; November 4, 1998, p. 1236; November 17, 1998, pp. 1263-4. In 1994, John Nunziata (York South–Weston) raised a question of privilege in regard to a report on votable items by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. The Member argued that the process followed by the Committee for selecting private Members’ bills infringed on his “right as a Member of Parliament to advance Private Members’ Business.” He further stated that it was the Speaker’s responsibility to ensure that the process for selecting bills to be voted upon by the House was fair to all Members. The Speaker ruled that there was no question of privilege and advised the Member that the Committee’s report in no way prevented him from submitting his bill again for the draw (Debates, March 10, 1994, pp. 2129-31).
[101] 
Standing Order 92(1). See also Speaker Parent’s ruling, Debates, December 5, 1997, pp. 2787-8.
[102] 
The current schedule for Private Members’ Hour is as follows: Monday, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. This schedule came into effect on February 14, 1994, following the adoption of amendments to the Standing Orders on February 7, 1994 (Journals, February 7, 1994, pp. 112-20).
[103] 
Standing Order 91.
[104] 
Standing Order 94(1)(a).
[105] 
The Member is advised in advance of the day when his or her item is scheduled for debate. On occasion, two or more items have been considered during Private Members’ Hour by unanimous consent (see, for example, Journals, July 21, 1988, pp. 3250-1; June 27, 1989, pp. 468-70; June 7, 1990, pp. 1852-5; June 18, 1992, pp. 1800-1; November 28, 1996, p. 935; April 28, 1999, pp. 1780-1). The House has also extended Private Members’ Business by 30 minutes in order to have two items considered (Journals, March 18, 1997, p. 1310; March 19, 1997, pp. 1319-20).
[106] 
Standing Order 94(2)(a). In the First Session (1997-99) of the Thirty-Sixth Parliament, there had been an increasing loss of time for Private Members’ Business due to Members not being available for exchanges. This matter was discussed by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (see Evidence, April 15, 1999; April 20, 1999).
[107] 
Standing Order 94(2)(b). See, for example, Debates, March 23, 1994, p. 2694.
[108] 
In 1986, the Chair explained, on several occasions, the procedure to be followed when Members were unable to be present to move their item on the day scheduled (see Debates, April 24, 1986, pp. 12624-6; April 25, 1986, pp. 12671-3; May 9, 1986, pp. 13146-7; May 28, 1986, p. 13727; November 17, 1986, pp. 1215-6).
[109] 
Standing Order 99(2). See, for example, Debates, November 18, 1994, p. 8004; March 7, 1997, p. 8790; May 8, 1998, p. 6736.
[110] 
In its Third Report to the House in June 1986, the Standing Committee on Private Members’ Business expressed concerns about the suspension of Private Members’ Hour: “Since debate began under the new rules…, there have been, theoretically, thirty-two hours for Private Members’ Business; but only fifteen have been used. Ten were suspended because of allotted days and seven were lost because Members in whose name the motions stood were unable to attend the House” (Journals, June 19, 1986, p. 2365).
[111] 
Standing Order 94(1)(b). When this occurs, a private Member’s motion is dropped from the Order Paper (Standing Order 42(1)), whereas a private Member’s bill is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence (Standing Order 42(2)). See, for example, Journals, March 13, 1992, p. 1140; February 1, 1993, p. 2416.
[112] 
Standing Order 94(2)(b).
[113] 
Standing Order 99(2).
[114] 
Standing Order 30(4)(a).
[115] 
Standing Orders 50(4) and 99(1). Private Members’ Business is cancelled on any day designated for the presentation of the Budget if the presentation is scheduled to take place prior to the time designated for Private Members’ Business. Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), if the House is considering Private Members’ Business at the time specified for the presentation of the Budget, the Speaker will interrupt the proceedings and the proceedings will be deemed adjourned.
[116] 
Standing Order 99(1). See also Chapter 18, “Financial Procedures”.
[117] 
Standing Orders 53 and 99(1). No debate of this nature has ever led to the cancellation of Private Members’ Business. For further information, see Chapter 15, “Special Debates”.
[118] 
Standing Order 30(7).
[119] 
Standing Order 52(14). Thus, when an emergency debate takes place on a Friday, Private Members’ Hour is cancelled (see, for example, Debates, June 13, 1986, p. 14388).
[120] 
Standing Orders 91 and 99.
[121] 
Standing Order 2(3).
[122] 
Standing Order 29(3). See, for example, Journals, October 19, 1995, p. 2032.
[123] 
Standing Order 30(7).
[124] 
Standing Order 33(2). See, for example, Debates, November 1, 1991, p. 4412.
[125] 
Standing Order 30(7). See, for example, Debates, June 14, 1995, p. 13853; December 1, 1998, p. 10773.
[126] 
Standing Order 30(7). See, for example, Order Paper, June 15, 1995, p. 21; Debates, June 19, 1995, p. 14104; Order Paper, December 2, 1998, p. 25; Debates, December 7, 1998, p. 10945.
[127] 
See, for example, Notice Paper, June 20, 1995, pp. IV-V; December 8, 1998, p. IV.
[128] 
See, for example, Order Paper, June 15, 1995, p. 21; December 8, 1998, p. 21.
[129] 
Standing Order 96(1). On occasion, with the unanimous consent of the House, the order for second reading of a non-votable public bill has been discharged and its subject matter referred to a committee for consideration (see, for example, Journals, June 7, 1994, pp. 541-2; June 17, 1994, pp. 611-2). A non-votable item of Private Members’ Business has also been designated votable with the unanimous consent of the House (see, for example, Journals, May 11, 1994, p. 453; June 1, 1994, p. 519; October 4, 1996, p. 716) and a decision taken at the end of the time provided for debate.
[130] 
Standing Order 96(2).
[131] 
See, for example, Journals, June 18, 1991, pp. 215-6; September 23, 1991, p. 379. The bill will be given a different number when reintroduced.
[132] 
Standing Order 93.
[133] 
Standing Order 90.
[134]
For further information, see Chapter 16, “The Legislative Process”.
[135] 
Standing Order 97.1. Until 1997, there was no time limit on committee consideration of a private Member’s bill. For example, in 1992, a private Member’s bill (Bill C-203) was allowed to die on the Order Paper when the legislative committee to which it was referred adopted a motion to adjourn sine die its consideration of the bill (Legislative Committee H on Bill C-203, Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence, February 18, 1992, Issue No. 10, p. 3; Debates, February 26, 1992, pp. 7620-4). On another occasion, Speaker Parent ruled that the decision of a committee not to report a bill back to the House did not constitute a matter of privilege (Debates, September 23, 1996, pp. 4560-2) and later ruled in order a motion moved by a private Member under Routine Proceedings to have the same bill reported back to the House within a specified time (Debates, November 21, 1996, pp. 6519-20). In April 1997, and again in November 1998, the Standing Orders were amended to specifically require committees considering a private Member’s public bill to report back to the House within a time limit (Journals, April 9, 1997, pp. 1366-8; November 30, 1998, pp. 1327-9). Some bills have since been reported back with the title and clauses deleted (Debates, April 16, 1999, p. 13965; April 19, 1999, p. 14026).
[136] 
Standing Order 98(1). The bill is set down on the Order Paper for consideration at report stage even if the committee reports back the bill with the title and clauses deleted (Debates, April 16, 1999, p. 13965; Order Paper, April 19, 1999, p. 34; Debates, April 19, 1999, p. 14026; Order Paper, April 20, 1999, p. 32).
[137] 
Standing Order 98(2).
[138] 
See, for example, Journals, May 11, 1992, p. 1428.
[139] 
See, for example, Journals, June 13, 1994, p. 568.
[140] 
On occasion, the House has given unanimous consent, during consideration of a private Member’s bill at report stage, to refer the bill back to a committee for further consideration (see, for example, Journals, March 11, 1993, p. 2623; Debates, March 8, 1999, p. 12523). Bills have also been withdrawn, by unanimous consent, when the order for consideration at report stage was called (see, for example, Debates, August 11, 1988, p. 18223) and when the order for the consideration of Senate amendments was called (see, for example, Debates, September 14, 1987, pp. 8922-3).
[141] 
Standing Order 98(3).
[142] 
Standing Order 98(3)(a).
[143] 
Standing Order 98(3)(b).
[144] 
Standing Order 98(5).
[145] 
Standing Order 98(4).
[146] 
Standing Order 98(3).
[147] 
For examples of Senate amendments to private Members’ bills considered by the House, see Debates, September 14, 1987, pp. 8922-3 (bill withdrawn); Journals, March 26, 1991, pp. 2827-8 (amendments concurred in); Debates, May 27, 1996, p. 2973 (amendments concurred in); Debates, December 12, 1996, pp. 7481, 7495 (amendments concurred in); Journals, April 22, 1997, pp. 1512-3, and April 25, 1997, pp. 1554-5 (died on the Order Paper at dissolution); Debates, June 11, 1998, pp. 8077-8 (amendments concurred in).
[148] 
See Journals, April 22, 1997, pp. 1512-3, and April 25, 1997, pp. 1554-5.
[149] 
Standing Order 97(2).
[150] 
Only by unanimous consent may a Parliamentary Secretary speak for a Minister in the closing segment (see, for example, Debates, November 8, 1979, p. 1112; April 1, 1982, pp. 16064-5).
[151] 
Standing Order 95(1).
[152] 
Standing Order 95(2). See Debates, October 23, 1997, p. 1071; November 26, 1997, p. 2276; February 13, 1998, p. 3887; March 11, 1998, p. 4737; June 2, 1998, p. 7516.
[153] 
See, for example, Debates, March 16, 1992, p. 8243; March 18, 1992, p. 8466; November 30, 1992, pp. 14236, 14238; October 18, 1995, p. 15552.
[154] 
See Debates, September 19, 1996, p. 4480; March 25, 1998, p. 5356.
[155] 
See, for example, Debates, September 28, 1994, p. 6289.
[156] 
Standing Order 45(5)(a) (ii).
[157] 
Standing Order 45(7). See also the Fifty-Third Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs ( Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence, December 8, 1994, Issue No. 36, pp. 3-4)presented to the House on December 9, 1994 (Journals, p. 1014), and concurred in on February 6, 1995 (Journals, p. 1081).
[158] 
See the Thirteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House on November 26, 1997 (Journals, p. 270), and concurred in on November 4, 1998 (Journals, p. 1238). Prior to the adoption of this report, votes were taken in the same manner but starting with the front row (see the Twenty-Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on House Management (Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence, February 11 and 13, 1992, Issue No. 24, p. 17), presented to the House on February 14, 1992 (Journals, p. 1025), and concurred in on April 29, 1992 (Journals, p. 1337). Prior to that, votes were taken by party unless a Member sought and received unanimous consent to have the vote taken row by row. For further information, see Chapter 12, “The Process of Debate”.
[159] 
See the Thirteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House on November 26, 1997 (Journals, p. 270), and concurred in on November 4, 1998 (Journals, p. 1238).

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.