Emergency Debates / Motions to Adjourn – Emergency Debates

Leave not granted - other opportunities for debate; Speaker explains rule

April 27, 1990

Debates, pp. 10766-7

On April 27, 1990, Ms. Dawn Black (New Westminster—Burnaby) rose pursuant to Standing Order 52 to ask for leave to move the adjournment of the House to discuss violence against women and two incidents in particular which in her opinion underscored that the situation was worsening.^[1] The Speaker's decision on this matter is reproduced below.

Decision of the Chair

Mr. Speaker: First of all, I want to thank the honourable Member for New Westminster—Burnaby for giving me notice well in advance of this application. As honourable Members will know, the honourable Member for New Westminster—Burnaby has been pursuing this matter with great diligence, not just in the last few hours, but for a long period of time.

I do want to indicate to the honourable Member that when she raised this question yesterday in the House during Question Period, and I was forced only for procedural reasons to ask her to put her question, my intervention, which I would have preferred not to have had to make, especially on this issue, was strictly procedural.

I commented yesterday to the honourable Member that I know something about the club and the place where this terrible incident happened. The honourable Member indicates that she also is familiar with the club, its members and the place. So, as your Speaker, I have a sense of personal anguish over that particular incident and, of course, others. There is no question in this House how we all feel about the terrible event in Montreal, and the many other things to which the honourable Member and other honourable Members have referred.

The honourable Member has asked for an emergency debate. I want it very clearly understood by honourable Members and also the public that it is sometimes difficult for a Speaker to adequately explain why an emergency debate might not be granted when the issue is of such terrible importance to the country, as is this. There is no question in this House among all fair-minded Members, and I think among decent people across the country, that this issue is of very great importance to us. It affects our children, our loved ones, our parents, our schools, the workplace, and it is of very great importance.

However, having said that, I know that the honourable Member would agree with me that given the diligence of which she and other honourable Members are capable, there will be other opportunities, sometimes each day and certainly in the coming days, to pursue the matter further.

With great reluctance I have to say that on strictly procedural grounds, I do not feel it appropriate to order that all of the business of the House be set aside for an emergency debate.

I want to stress to the honourable Member and also to the public who has heard her important plea that the matter is treated with a great deal of concern and must be addressed constantly.

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1990-04-27