Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage

Adding a preamble; new headings

Debates p. 11463

Background

As the House was about to begin report stage consideration of Bill C‑48, An Act to regulate oil and gas interests in Canada lands..., the Speaker ruled out of order a motion in amendment standing in the name of Mr. Ittinuar (Nunatsiaq) and three other motions standing in the name of Mr. Lalonde (Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources). These motions sought to add a preamble to a bill which did not contain a preamble when it was first introduced in the House, and to add new headings to the bill. Before giving a final ruling, the Speaker said that she was prepared to listen to the advice of Members on this point.

Issue

Is it permitted to introduce a preamble in a bill which does not originally have one, as well as to add headings?

Decision

No. The motions in amendment are inadmissible.

Reasons given by the Speaker

Where a bill, as introduced, does not contain a preamble, it is not competent for a committee to introduce one. The same rules apply at report stage. As for the headings of the various parts of a bill, they are the responsibility of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel and since they do not constitute an integral part of the bill, they are not therefore open to amendment.

Sources cited

Journals, June 11, 1973, pp. 394-5.

Beauchesne, 5th ed., p. 220, c. 710; p. 235, c. 779(3); p. 237, c. 792.

May, 19th ed., p. 531.