Amendments to Motions on Progress of Bills / Second Reading

Reference of subject-matter to committee; setting a condition

Journals pp. 147-8

Debate pp. 1621-2

Background

During debate on the motion for second reading of Bill C-116, an Act to amend the Post Office Act, Mr. Macquarrie (Hillsborough) proposed an amendment that further consideration of the bill be deferred until the Standing Committee on Transportation and Communications had considered the subject-matter of the bill. The Deputy Speaker took the proposed amendment under consideration. Later that day, the Speaker invited Members' comments respecting the procedural admissibility of the proposed amendment and ruled.

Issue

Does the proposed amendment fulfil the conditions of a reasoned amendment?

Decision

No. The proposed amendment is out of order.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The proposed amendment does not oppose the principle of the bill but merely postpones consideration of the bill until a certain condition is met. Further, there is a substantial difference between the traditional form of a reasoned amendment and the form of the proposed amendment. The usual form opposes the principle of the bill, while the proposed amendment attaches a condition to the motion for second reading.

Sources cited

Beauchesne, 4th ed., pp. 396-7, form 93.

References

Debates, October 21, 1968, pp. 1608-14, 1619-21.