Motions Without Notice Proposed Under Standing Order 43 / Application of the Rule

Motion to withdraw bill

Journals p. 173

Debates pp. 1709-10

Background

Under Standing Order 43, Mr. Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre) requested and obtained unanimous consent to allow Mr. Drury (President of the Treasury Board) to withdraw a government order for the reading of Bill C-190, an Act respecting the Auditor General of Canada, from the Order Paper. The motion was put and agreed to. Mr. MacEachen (President of the Privy Council) then asked on behalf of Mr. Drury that the bill be withdrawn from the Order Paper. The Speaker consulted Members before he ruled.

Issue

A motion allowing a Minister to withdraw a bill standing in his name on the Order Paper having been agreed to, must the Minister then make a motion to withdraw it?

Decision

Yes. The opportunity to move that the bill be withdrawn should now be given to the Minister. [Accordingly, Mr. MacEachen, for Mr. Drury, sought and received unanimous consent, and the bill was withdrawn.]

Reasons given by the Speaker

The first motion obtained unanimous consent of the House to allow the President of the Treasury Board to withdraw the bill standing in his name. He must then be given the opportunity to do so.

Sources cited

Standing Order 43.