Motions without Notice Proposed under Standing Order 43 and Statements by Members under Standing Order 21 (Provisional)

Introduction

Under Standing Order 43, it was possible for a Member to present without notice a motion which was felt to be urgent and important, if the House granted unanimous consent. The rule dated back to 1867, but was not used frequently until after the reforms of 1968. The request to waive the usual notice required for presenting a motion did not eliminate the Speaker's obligation to assess the motion from a procedural point of view.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, it became common for Members to propose motions under this Standing Order without any expectation of consent, in order to gain the floor and make a statement. The provisional rule changes of 1982 eliminated the use of Standing Order 43 and substituted for it a 15-minute period known as Statements by Members.

Standing Order 21 enabled Members from all parties to make statements of not more than one and a half minutes on matters of international, national or local concern. The element of urgency which was a requirement under former Standing Order 43 was removed, as well as the need to propose a motion or obtain the unanimous consent of the House to make a statement. During a statement made to the House on January 17, 1983, Speaker Sauvé explained the guidelines concerning the application of the new Standing Order. These guidelines envisioned that the period reserved for Statements by Members is not intended to be used to make personal attacks, to offer messages of congratulations, to recite poetry, or to make jokes.