Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage

Relevance

Journals pp. 862-3

Debates p. 7263

Background

During report stage consideration of Bill C-102, an Act to amend the Patent Act, the Trade Marks Act and the Food and Drugs Act, a motion in amendment was proposed by Mr. Saltsman (Waterloo) for Mrs. Macinnis (Vancouver-Kingsway) to add as a new subparagraph to a clause a provision to limit the manufacturing, importing and distributing of drugs to those having a generic name. The Deputy Speaker expressed reservations about the relevance of the motion, but allowed comments from Members before announcing his decision.

Issue

Is the proposed motion in amendment relevant to the clause of the bill to be amended?

Decision

No. The motion in amendment cannot be accepted because it is inconsistent with the clause it proposes to amend.

Reasons given by the Deputy Speaker

The proposed motion in amendment seeks to give the Governor in Council authority to make regulations concerning the manufacture of drugs. This motion in amendment is not entirely relevant to the new subsection of the clause being amended which relates to regulations respecting imported drugs.

Sources cited

May, 17th ed., pp. 549-51, 567.

References

Debates, March 28, 1969, pp. 7262-3.