Precedence and Sequence / Miscellaneous

Notices of motions; private Members'

Journals pp. 157-9

Debates pp. 1609-10

Background

When the House sat, Mr. McGrath (St. John's East) rose on a point of order regarding a notice of motion appearing on the Notice Paper under Private Members' Notices of Motions. The motion asked the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections to determine if it is the privilege of a committee member to call a meeting of his or her committee for the purpose of electing a chairman and vice-chairman. According to Mr. McGrath, the motion raised a question of privilege; listing it under this heading instead of under Motions removed the urgency usually granted to a question of privilege. The Speaker deferred his decision until later in the day.

Issue

Does the content of the notice of motion involve a question of privilege, and if so, under what heading should it be listed?

Decision

The motion does not raise a prima facie question of privilege and it must be listed under the heading of Private Members' Notices of Motions.

Reasons given by the Speaker

It has been generally understood for many years that the power to call a meeting for the purpose of electing a chairman and a vice-chairman rest customarily with the Government Whip, not individual members of a standing committee. The decision that there is no prima facie question of privilege involved in the motion refuses precedence to the motion, but does not prevent discussion on it. Had it been determined that there was a prima facie question of privilege, "it could have been transferred to and considered under Motions ... notwithstanding its position on the Notice Paper".

Sources cited

Standing Orders 17(2), 45(2) and 65(2).

Journals, June 19, 1959, pp. 582-6.

Debates, October 28, 1963, pp. 4071-2.

Bourinot, 4th ed., p. 304.

References

Debates, December 4, 1969, pp. 1579-81.