Routine Proceedings / First Reading of Senate Public Bills

First reading of Senate public bills

Journals pp. 79-80

Debates pp. 727-8

Background

On November 6, Mr. Baldwin (Peace River) rose on a point of order to challenge the right of the House to receive Bill S-3, an Act to provide for the dissolution of the Dominion Coal Board . . . He argued that because the bill included an appropriation, it infringed the constitutional privilege of the House to originate money bills. On the following day the Speaker heard Members' arguments, primarily as to whether or not the bill was in fact a money bill.

Issue

If a Senate bill appropriates funds does it infringe the privilege of the House to initiate all money bills?

Decision

Yes. The bill, therefore, cannot be put.

Reasons given by the Speaker

A provision in the bill "cannot be construed in any manner except as an amendment to Appropriation Acts, past and future, and bestows the Governor in Council power to dispose of moneys in a manner not authorized by the relevant provisions of certain Appropriation Acts. By allowing those financial provisions to remain in a public bill sent down from the Senate, the privileges of this House... have been infringed." Consequently, the bill should be put aside and the notice for first reading of this bill will be removed from the Order Paper.

Sources cited

British North America Act, 1867, ss. 53 and 54.

Standing Orders 62 and 63.

Journals, January 16, 1912, pp. 118-9; February 23, 1912, p. 240.

Beauchesne, 3rd ed., p. 171, cc. 449, 450.

References

Debates, November 6, 1969, pp. 581-2; November 10, 1969, pp. 668-73.