Precedence and Sequence / Government Orders

Government Orders

Journals p. 759

Debates p. 7486

Background

During consideration of the report stage of Bill C-176, an Act to establish the National Farm Products Marketing Council ..., Mr. Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre) proposed that the Orders of the Day be read. In doing this, he explained that he wanted the Government to choose another item on the Order Paper since little progress was likely on the current item. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Laniel) expressed reservations about the acceptability of the motion and asked for comments from Members.

Issue

Can a motion to read the Orders of the Day be put when that stage of the proceedings has already been reached?

Decision

No, such a motion is out of order.

Reasons given by the Speaker

The proposed motion is out of order because it asks the House to proceed to the point it has already reached. Furthermore, a motion that the Orders of the Day be read is obsolete as a substantive motion, and this type of motion survives only in the form of an amendment to a motion introduced before the ordinary business of the day, such as a privileged motion.

Sources cited

Standing Orders 24 and 46.

Beauchesne, 4th ed., p. 165, c. 195.

May, 17th ed., p. 405.

References

Debates, June 28, 1971, pp. 7484-6.