Rules of Debate

Introduction

A major responsibility of the Speaker is to oversee the conduct of House proceedings and to uphold the rules of debate and general order. The rules respecting debate empower the Speaker to call to order any Member who persists in repeating an argument already made during the course of the debate or in addressing a subject not relevant to the question. Members are not often called to order for persistent repetition; they are occasionally warned to beware of irrelevant remarks, particularly during debate on an amendment or a subamendment when the scope of discussion is usually more limited. Relevance is more loosely enforced during the debate on the Address in Reply and, to a lesser extent, on the Budget debate and on opposition motions moved on supply days.

The Speaker can call to order any Member whose conduct disrupts the order of the House. One particular offence which is rigorously corrected is unparliamentary language. On such occasions, the Speaker will intervene to request that any intemperate remarks be withdrawn. The jurisdiction of the Speaker is not limited to the floor of the House itself, but includes the galleries, where some kinds of misconduct can result in an order from the Speaker to remove the offender.

In December 1982, following the recommendations of the Special Committee on Standing Orders and Procedure, the House made some provisional changes to the length of speeches. Except in cases outlined in the Standing Orders, all speeches are limited to twenty minutes and a ten-minute period is reserved for questions and comments following a Member's speech.