Committees / Orders of Reference

Standing committee reporting on an order of the House

May 16, 2019

Debates, pp. 27907–8

On May 9, 2019, Shannon Stubbs (Lakeland) rose on a point of order regarding motion M-167 adopted by the House on May 20, 2018. The motion instructed the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to conduct a study on rural crime and to report its findings to the House no later than six months following its adoption. Ms. Stubbs argued that the committee failed to respect the reporting obligation as no report had yet been presented in the House, five months after the November 30, 2018, deadline. Ms. Stubbs asked that the committee comply with the order of the House. The Speaker took the matter under advisement.^[1]

On May 13, 2019, the chair of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, John McKay (Scarborough—Guildwood) contended that the language used in motion M-167 did not oblige the committee to conduct a study on rural crime. He explained that the committee’s busy agenda and disagreements between members in consideration of a draft report had delayed the committee in reporting back to the House.^[2]

Resolution

On May 16, 2019, the Speaker made a statement immediately following the presentation of the 33rd Report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on rural crime. The Speaker noted that committees, although masters of their proceedings, must respect orders of the House and seek an extension should challenges arise with respect to a reporting obligation. As the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security had presented its report, the Speaker considered the matter closed.

Statement of the Chair

The Speaker: The report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security was presented a few moments ago. Given the point of order raised on May 9, 2019, by the hon. member for Lakeland regarding Motion No. 167, which was a motion of instruction to that committee, I would like to make a statement.

As members will recall, in raising her point of order, the member for Lakeland explained that, on May 30, 2018, the House adopted Motion No. 167, which was an order to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to study the matter of rural crime and to report its findings to the House no later than six months following the adoption of the said motion. The committee did not respect this reporting obligation. More than five months after the deadline, which was November 30, 2018, the member brought to the attention of the Chair the failure of the committee to comply with that order.

In response, the chair of the committee, the member for Scarborough—Guildwood, provided explanations for the committee’s delay.

Despite missing the fixed deadline to report to the House, as Speaker, I am satisfied that the committee did finally report on Motion No. 167.

While the Chair understands well the dynamics of committees and the different, sometimes conflicting, viewpoints that may arise in their deliberations, this does not excuse a committee from its obligation to respect orders of the House that pertain to its work, such as Motion No. 167. The fact that committees are masters of their proceedings does not allow them to ignore this obligation. Should difficulties arise in carrying out an order of the House, as may happen, it remains incumbent on the committee to ask for an extension to a deadline it cannot meet by means of a report to the House so that it may then decide whether or not to grant it.

With the report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security having now been presented to the House, I consider the matter closed.

I thank all hon. members for their attention.