TYPICAL SITTING DAY INTRODUCTION DAILY BUSINESS DETAILED ARTICLES

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1 Introduction Daily Business Daily Proceedings Prayers National Anthem Statements by Members Oral Questions (Question Period) Routine Proceedings Tabling of Documents Introduction of Government Bills Statements by Ministers Presenting Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations Presenting Reports from Committees Introduction of Private Members Bills First Reading of Senate Public Bills Motions Presenting Petitions Questions on the Order Paper Government Orders Private Members Business Adjournment Proceedings (Late Show) Other Weekly Business Special Debates Addresses by Distinguished Visitors More Information Typical Sitting Day INTRODUCTION The daily business of the House of Commons is taken up according to a sequence set out in the Standing Orders (rules of the House). The House convenes on Mondays at 11:00 a.m., on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 10:00 a.m., and on Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. The Chamber usually adjourns by 7:00 p.m., except on Friday when it rises at 2:30 p.m. DAILY BUSINESS All items of business that can be dealt with on a given day are listed on the daily Order Paper, the official agenda of the House. The daily activities of the House are generally grouped into five categories: Daily Proceedings; Routine Proceedings; Government Orders; Private Members Business; and Adjournment Proceedings. DETAILED ARTICLES Daily Order of Business Order Paper Order of Business [Parliamentary Publications] 1 of 7

2 DAILY PROCEEDINGS The Daily Proceedings include three events: Prayers (followed by the National Anthem on Wednesdays); Statements by Members; and Oral Questions. Prayers At the beginning of each sitting of the House, following the ceremonial Speaker s parade, the Speaker takes the Chair. After it has been confirmed that a quorum of 20 Members is present, the Speaker reads the prayer. The House pauses for a moment of silent reflection when the prayer is finished. National Anthem On Wednesdays, Members sing the national anthem at the opening of the sitting. After the prayer has been read, but before the doors are opened to admit the public, the Speaker recognizes a Member to lead the House in singing the national anthem. On all other days, the Speaker orders the doors opened immediately following the prayer and silent reflection, and the proceedings of the House begin. DETAILED ARTICLES Speaker s Parade Prayers Quorum Statements by Members At 2:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, the Speaker calls Statements by Members. During this 15-minute period, any Member who is not a Minister is permitted to address the House for up to one minute on virtually any matter of local, provincial, national or international concern. DETAILED ARTICLE Statements by Members Oral Questions (Question Period) Following Statements by Members, at no later than 2:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m. on Friday), Question Period takes place for a maximum of 45 minutes. At this time, Members may question the Government on all matters within its jurisdiction. DETAILED ARTICLE Question Period [Questions] ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Routine Proceedings also referred to as the daily routine of business, consists of several categories of business that provide Members with an opportunity to bring a variety of matters to the attention of the House. The amount of time required to complete Routine Proceedings varies from day to day depending on the number of items to be dealt with. DETAILED ARTICLE Routine Proceedings The separate headings or rubrics that make up Routine Proceedings are: 2 of 7

3 Tabling of Documents A Minister, or his or her Parliamentary Secretary, may table any report or paper on any topic within the administrative competence of the Government. The Government is also required to table a variety of documents either by statute, by order of the House, or by Standing Order. The Speaker may also table certain documents just prior to the announcement of the Tabling of Documents rubric. The Speaker tables reports from Officers of Parliament such as the Auditor General, the Information and Privacy Commissioners as well as reports on his/her interparliamentary exchange trips and reports relating to the administration of the House of Commons. DETAILED ARTICLE Tabling of Documents Introduction of Government Bills Government legislation is first presented to the House under this rubric. DETAILED ARTICLE Introduction and First Reading of Bills [Legislative Process] Statements by Ministers Under this heading, Ministers may make announcements or statements on government policy or matters of national interest. Following a ministerial statement, a spokesperson from each recognized opposition party is permitted to respond. DETAILED ARTICLE Statements by Ministers Presenting Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations Canada's international and interparliamentary relations are carried out in part through formal parliamentary associations that operate on multilateral and bilateral levels to promote Canada's interests abroad. Interparliamentary delegations are required to present to the House reports on any trip taken in fulfillment of their duties, either in Canada or abroad, within 20 sitting days of their return to Ottawa. DETAILED ARTICLES Presenting Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations Parliamentary Associations Interparliamentary Groups Presenting Reports from Committees Information, requests and recommendations from standing, special or legislative committees and standing or special joint committees are transmitted to the House by way of reports under Presenting Reports from Committees. A report may be presented by the committee chair, or in his or her absence, by a member of the committee. If the committee has adopted a motion to request a response from the Government to its report, that request is communicated orally at the time that it is presented. When a committee has appended supplementary or dissenting opinions or recommendations to its report, a committee member representing the Official Opposition may provide a brief explanation of these views. DETAILED ARTICLE Presentation of a Committee Report in the House of Commons [Committees] 3 of 7

4 Introduction of Private Members Bills Public bills sponsored by any Member who is not a Minister are introduced under this heading. DETAILED ARTICLE Private Members Bills Notice, Introduction and First Reading [Private Members Business] First Reading of Senate Public Bills When a Senate public bill has been passed by the Senate, a message is sent to inform the House. The bill is placed on the Order Paper under the heading First Reading of Senate Public Bills. When the Member or Minister sponsoring the bill in the House signals his or her desire to proceed when the heading is called, the motion for first reading is deemed carried without debate, amendment or question put. DETAILED ARTICLE First Reading of Senate Public Bills Motions When the Speaker calls Motions during Routine Proceedings, any Minister or Member may rise and move a motion provided that it has been placed on the Notice Paper at least 48 hours in advance. Otherwise, a Minister or Member must seek unanimous consent to move the motion. Examples of motions moved under this rubric include those to manage the business and calendar of the House or its committees, including concurrence in committee reports and to modify House rules. DETAILED ARTICLE Motions (Routine Proceedings) Presenting Petitions This daily period is provided for the presentation by Members of Parliament of petitions from the Canadian public wishing to bring their concerns to the attention of Parliament. This period is limited to 15 minutes. Before being presented, a petition must be examined and certified correct as to form and content by the Clerk of Petitions. Although Members may make a brief statement about the petitions, no debate is permitted during the presentation of petitions. DETAILED ARTICLES Petitions Presenting Petitions Form and Content of Petitions Guidelines Government Responses to Petitions Recommended Forms of Petitions Questions on the Order Paper Members may have placed on notice, at any one time, up to four written questions to the Government relating to public affairs. A Member may ask for a response to a specific question within 45 calendar days and may also ask that an oral answer be provided to up to three of his or her questions. When Questions on the Order Paper is called, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader announces which questions the Government intends to answer that day. DETAILED ARTICLE Placing Written Questions on the Order Paper [Questions] 4 of 7

5 GOVERNMENT ORDERS Items of business proposed by Ministers which the House has ordered for consideration are classed as Government Orders. These items fall under the following headings: Business of Supply; Ways and Means Proceedings; Government Bills (Commons); Government Bills (Senate); and Government Business. Government Orders occupies most of the sitting day and the choice of what items will be debated under this heading is made exclusively by the Government. Although the Government does not select the subject matter of the motion debated on an allotted or opposition day under the Business of Supply, it designates the day on which the item will be taken up. The motion is considered under Government Orders. DETAILED ARTICLE Government Orders PRIVATE MEMBERS BUSINESS Each day, one hour of House time is set aside for Private Members Business during which bills and motions sponsored by private Members are considered. Only one bill or motion may be debated per day during this hour. Private Members Business commences at 11:00 a.m. on Mondays, 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 1:30 p.m. on Friday. DETAILED ARTICLE Private Members Business [General Article] ADJOURNMENT PROCEEDINGS (LATE SHOW) Adjournment proceedings, also referred to as the late show, are held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, after which the House adjourns. This debate, which runs for a maximum of 30 minutes, allows for brief exchanges between Members and Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries on predetermined topics. The Speaker must indicate to the House, at no later than 5:00 p.m., which matter or matters are to be raised that day. DETAILED ARTICLE Adjournment Proceedings (Late Show) [Questions] OTHER WEEKLY BUSINESS A variety of other business items come before the House during the sitting week, although not on a daily basis: Weekly Business Statement (Thursday Statement) Each Thursday, after Question Period, the House Leader of the Official Opposition rises to ask the Government House Leader about Government business to be considered by the House in the succeeding days or week. The Government House Leader then outlines what business the Government intends to bring forward. This practice is commonly known as the Business Statement or the Thursday Statement. The statement is for information purposes only and is not binding on the Government. The Review of Delegated Legislation The Review of Delegated Legislation involves the consideration of reports concerning federal regulations from the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations. Consideration of these reports is limited to a onehour period at 1:00 p.m. on a Wednesday. 5 of 7

6 Notices of Motion for the Production of Papers Notices of Motion for the Production of Papers are submitted by Members in order to request documents that the Government is not obliged to present to Parliament. These motions are decided without debate when taken up on Wednesdays after Routine Proceedings. If a Minister or the Member requesting the document decides that debate on such a motion is necessary, the notice of motion is transferred for debate to Private Members Business. DETAILED ARTICLES Review of Delegated Legislation Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers [Private Members Business] SPECIAL DEBATES A variety of special debates that occur less regularly, are also provided for by the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. They include: Debate on the Standing Orders and Procedure a one-day debate on the rules and procedures of the House held within the first 90 sitting days of each Parliament; Emergency Debates debates on pressing matters held outside the ordinary sitting hours of the House; Estimates Debates in Committee of the Whole special debates held in Committee of the Whole (the House sitting as a committee) during May on the Estimates of two selected departments or agencies; Statutory Debates special debates to review specific statutory provisions. The requirements for these debates are included in the statutes themselves; Suspension of Certain Standing Orders a debate held when the House is asked to suspend certain Standing Orders in relation to any business that the Government considers urgent; and Take Note Debates debates held when the House wishes to take note of an issue, allowing Members to state their views without the requirement that a decision be reached. DETAILED ARTICLES Debate on the Standing Orders and Procedure Emergency Debates Estimates Debates in Committee of the Whole Statutory Debates Suspension of Certain Standing Orders Special Debate Take-note Debates Committees of the Whole [Committees] ADDRESSES BY DISTINGUISHED VISITORS From time to time, the House of Commons Chamber is the site for a joint address to Parliament by a distinguished visitor (usually a head of state or head of government). For these addresses, the practice has normally been for the House of Commons to adopt a motion for a joint address. The motion usually provides for the address and related speeches to be appended to Hansard, and includes the date and time of the adjournment of the House to hear the address, as well as permission for the media to broadcast the event. DETAILED ARTICLE Addresses by Distinguished Visitors MORE INFORMATION House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Second Edition, 2009 Chapter 9, Sittings of the House Chapter 10, The Daily Program Standing Orders of the House of Commons 6 of 7

7 Chapter III, Sittings of the House of Commons Chapter IV, Daily Program at (613) or by at Modified: February of 7

8 DAILY ORDER OF BUSINESS The daily order of business is the recurring sequence of business for each sitting day. The daily business of the House is taken up according to a predetermined sequence outlined in the rules of the House. All items of business that can be dealt with on a given day are listed on the daily Order Paper, the official agenda of the House. The daily activities of the House are generally grouped into five categories: Daily Proceedings; Routine Proceedings; Government Orders; Private Members Business; and Adjournment Proceedings. The Daily Proceedings include three events in the daily schedule: Prayers (followed by the National Anthem on Wednesdays), Statements by Members and Oral Questions. The Daily Routine of Business, or Routine Proceedings as it is more commonly known, consists of separate categories of business usually referred to as rubrics and includes, among other items, tabling of documents, statements by Ministers and the introduction of bills sponsored by either the Government or private Members. Government Orders include any item of business proposed by a Minister which the House has ordered for consideration. Each day one hour of House time is set aside for Private Members Business during which bills and motions sponsored by Members who are not Ministers are considered. The Adjournment Proceedings are the final category of business considered on a sitting day (Fridays excepted). (The Daily Order of Business table is available on the Parliament of Canada Web site.)

9 SPEAKER S PARADE Immediately before a sitting commences, a ceremonial procession known as the Speaker s Parade makes its way from the Speaker s chambers along the Hall of Honour to the House of Commons Chamber. The procession is led by the Sergeant-at-Arms or his or her deputy bearing the Mace; he or she is followed by the Speaker, a page carrying the prayers for the Speaker s use prior to the opening of the sitting, the Clerk of the House and other Table Officers. As the parade enters the Chamber, Members rise while the Speaker makes his or her way to the Chair. The Sergeant-at-Arms pauses until the Speaker has taken the Chair, then places the Mace on the end of the Clerk s Table, bows and takes his or her seat at the Bar of the House. Once satisfied that a quorum is present, the Speaker reads the prayer, presides over a moment of silence and then opens the sitting. In the absence of the Speaker, the Presiding Officer for the sitting takes the Speaker s place in the parade. At the end of a sitting, the Speaker adjourns the House and then exits the Chamber, this time, through the doors behind the Chair, preceded only by the Sergeant-at-Arms bearing the Mace. RELATED ARTICLES Quorum Prayers

10 PRAYERS Before the doors of the Chamber are opened to the public at the beginning of each sitting of the House, the Speaker takes the Chair and reads the prayer before any business is considered. While the prayer is being read, the Speaker, the Members and the Table Officers all stand. The text of the prayer is as follows: Almighty God, we give thanks for the great blessings which have been bestowed on Canada and its citizens, including the gifts of freedom, opportunity and peace that we enjoy. We pray for our Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, and the Governor General. Guide us in our deliberations as Members of Parliament, and strengthen us in our awareness of our duties and responsibilities as Members. Grant us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to preserve the blessings of this country for the benefit of all and to make good laws and wise decisions. Amen. The prayer is followed by a moment of silence for private reflection and meditation. At the end of the moment of silence, the Speaker orders the doors opened, and the proceedings of the House begin. At this point, television coverage of the proceedings commences and Members guests and the public enter the visitors galleries.

11 QUORUM Under the Constitution Act, 1867, a quorum of 20 Members, including the Speaker, is required to constitute a meeting of the House for the exercise of its powers. This constitutional requirement is reiterated in the Standing Orders, which also set out the procedure where there appears to be an absence of quorum in the House. Should a quorum appear not to exist at the time the House is scheduled to meet, a count of the House is taken by the Speaker. If fewer than 20 Members are present, the Speaker adjourns the House until the next sitting day. During a Sitting During a sitting, any Member may draw the attention of the Speaker to the lack of a quorum. If a quorum is obviously present, the Speaker may simply announce that there is a quorum and proceed with the business before the House. If there is some doubt as to there being a quorum, a count is made by the Speaker. If a quorum is present, business continues. However, if no quorum exists after the first count, the bells are rung for no longer than 15 minutes. Within that period, if a subsequent count determines that a quorum is present, the Speaker will order the bells silenced and the House will proceed with the business before it. If at the end of the 15 minutes there is still no quorum, the Speaker adjourns the House until the next sitting day and the names of the Members present are recorded in the Journals. Should the House be required to adjourn for lack of quorum, any Order of the Day either under consideration at the time or projected for later in the day retains its precedence on the Order Paper for the next sitting. RELATED ARTICLES Journals [Parliamentary Publications] Order Paper and Notice Paper [Parliamentary Publications]

12 STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Statements by Members takes place at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. Members who are not Ministers are permitted to address the House for up to one minute on virtually any matter of local, provincial, national or international concern. This one-minute time limit is rigorously enforced by the Speaker. If Statements by Members begins promptly at 2:00 p.m. (11:00 a.m. on Friday), the entire 15 minutes provided for these proceedings is used; at least 15 Members are typically recognized. If the start of these proceedings is delayed, the time is reduced accordingly, and could even be eliminated for that sitting. Question Period begins promptly at 2:15 p.m. (or 11:15 a.m. on Friday), regardless of whether or not a full 15 minutes was devoted to Statements by Members. Guidelines In presiding over the conduct of this daily activity, Speakers follow a number of well-defined guidelines: Members may speak on any matter of concern and not necessarily on urgent matters. Personal attacks are not permitted. The Speaker may interrupt an individual statement and ask the Member to resume his or her seat when: offensive language has been used; a Senator or the actions of the Senate have been criticized; a ruling of a court of law has been denounced; or the character of a judge has been attacked. Speakers have also cautioned Members not to: use this period to make defamatory comments about non-members; use the verbatim remarks of a private citizen as a statement; or make statements of a commercial nature. During Statements by Members, the Chair consults speaking lists provided by the Whips of the various parties and attempts to recognize government Members and Members in opposition on an equal basis. Points of order arising from Statements by Members are normally dealt with after Question Period, although unparliamentary language is usually dealt with immediately. RELATED ARTICLE Points of Order [Debate and Voting]

13 ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS The daily routine of business, commonly referred to as Routine Proceedings, is the time in the daily schedule when Members have an opportunity to bring a variety of matters to the attention of the House, generally without debate. Routine Proceedings takes place at the opening of the sitting at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, at 3:00 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, and at 12:00 noon on Friday. This segment of the daily program is organized under separate headings or rubrics called by the Speaker each day and considered in sequence. These include: Tabling of Documents; Introduction of Government Bills; Statements by Ministers; Presenting Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations; Presenting Reports from Committees; Introduction of Private Members Bills; First Reading of Senate Public Bills; Motions; Presenting Petitions; Questions on the Order Paper. As the Speaker calls each rubric in Routine Proceedings, Members who wish to bring forward matters rise in their places and are recognized. Usually they will have indicated previously to the Chair or to the Clerks at the Table their wish to raise an item. The amount of time required to complete Routine Proceedings varies from day to day depending on the number of items dealt with under each rubric. After Routine Proceedings on Wednesday, Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers is considered immediately after Questions on the Order Paper. Applications for emergency debates are also considered after Routine Proceedings, prior to the calling of Orders of the Day. RELATED ARTICLES Tabling of Documents Introduction and First Reading of Bills [Legislative Process] Private Members Bills Notice, Introduction and First Reading [Private Members Business] Statements by Ministers Presenting Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations Presentation of a Committee Report in the House of Commons [Committees] First Reading of Senate Public Bills Motions (Routine Proceedings) Presenting Petitions Order Paper Questions [Parliamentary Publications] at (613) or by at [email protected].

14 TABLING OF DOCUMENTS Tabling of Documents is the first rubric under Routine Proceedings. The presentation of government reports and returns (responses) is one method by which the House of Commons obtains information. In addition to administrative documents that may be tabled in the House by Ministers, certain returns, reports and other papers are required to be laid before the House each year or session either by statute, by order of the House or pursuant to the Standing Orders. Tabling of Documents by Ministers A Minister, or his or her Parliamentary Secretary, may table any report or paper as long as it deals with a matter within the administrative competence of the Government. The Government is required to table: comprehensive responses to committee reports if requested; responses to petitions referred to it; announcements of Order-in-Council nominations or appointments; and annual reports of government departments, agencies and commissions. Any document quoted by a Minister in debate, or in response to a question, must also be tabled. All documents tabled in the House by a Minister are required to be presented in both official languages. All papers presented in the House or deposited with the Clerk are recorded in the Journals. Front Door vs. Back Door Tabling Tabling of documents in the Commons Chamber is often referred to as front door tabling. Papers required to be tabled may also be deposited by a Minister with the Clerk of the House on any sitting day. This is known as back door tabling. Tabling of Documents by Private Members Private Members are normally not allowed to table documents. However, Members have been allowed on occasion to table documents with the unanimous consent of the House; such documents have typically been tabled in only one of the official languages. Tabling of Documents by the Speaker The Speaker tables documents: pertaining to the administrative or ceremonial functions of the office of the Speaker or to the procedural affairs of the House; relating to the Board of Internal Economy; containing the annual reports of Officers of Parliament and of the Canadian Human Rights Commission; containing reports of the provincial and territorial electoral boundaries commissions; or those related to parliamentary exchanges. Tabling of Documents During Periods of Adjournment During periods of adjournment, Ministers are permitted to deposit with the Clerk of the House, on the Wednesday following the 15th day of any month, any returns, reports or other papers required to be laid before the House. RELATED ARTICLES Routine Proceedings Journals [Parliamentary Publications] at (613) or by at [email protected].

15 STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS During Statements by Ministers, Ministers may make brief factual statements on government policy or announcements of national interest. A representative of each officially recognized opposition party is permitted to speak in response to a Minister s statement but may not engage in debate or ask questions of the Minister. There is no explicit limitation on the time allotted to Ministers. However, the length of each response may not exceed the length of the Minister s statement and the Speaker has the discretion to limit the duration of the proceedings. A Minister is not obliged to make a statement in the House and may choose instead to make a policy announcement outside the House. While questions of privilege have been raised about Ministerial statements being made outside the Chamber, Speakers have consistently ruled that there are no grounds to support such a claim and that no privilege has been breached. The overall length of time used under this rubric is added to the time provided for Government Orders that day, thereby delaying the ordinary hour of daily adjournment. RELATED ARTICLE Government Orders

16 PRESENTING REPORTS FROM INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS Members frequently travel abroad or within Canada as part of officially recognized interparliamentary delegations representing both the House of Commons and Parliament as a whole. An officially-recognized interparliamentary delegation is composed in whole or in part of Members of the House. Within 20 sitting days of their return from travel abroad, interparliamentary delegations are required to present a report to the House on their trip. The report typically includes the names of the Members who participated on the delegation, the travel dates, and information on the delegation s activities and the cost of the trip. When presenting a report during Routine Proceedings, the head of the delegation, or a Member acting on his or her behalf, may comment briefly on the content of the report, but no debate is permitted. The Speaker tables reports related to parliamentary exchanges which he or she has led abroad, prior to the Tabling of Documents. Each report is recorded as a sessional paper and is open to public scrutiny. RELATED ARTICLE Parliamentary Associations

17 PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATIONS Parliamentary associations are international associations of parliamentarians, whose Canadian component is made up of Senators and Members. They are forums for the exchange of ideas and information and for the sharing of knowledge and experience through person-to-person contact. The main activities of these associations include exchanges, conferences and seminars with parliamentarians from other countries on various subjects of mutual interest. The Canadian Parliament is a participant in 12 international parliamentary associations. These include five bilateral associations: Canada-China Legislative Association; Canada-France Interparliamentary Association; Canada-Japan Interparliamentary Group; Canada-United Kingdom Parliamentary Association; and Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group And seven multilateral associations: Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF); Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association; Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association; Canada NATO Parliamentary Association; Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA); ParlAmericas; and Interparliamentary Union (IPU). Each association, operating under an established constitution, elects a number of parliamentarians from its membership to form an Executive Committee. The Joint Interparliamentary Council (JIC), which operates under the authority of the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons, is responsible for determining all budgetary and administrative matters relating to parliamentary associations. Each association must submit an annual budget and detailed work plan. The JIC apportions funds to the associations on the basis of their budget submissions from the total funding allotted by Parliament. For more information see the International and Interparliamentary Affairs Web site. Modified: November 2011

18 INTERPARLIAMENTARY GROUPS There are four formally recognized interparliamentary groups, composed of both Senators and Members of the House of Commons. These groups exist to increase mutual understanding between Canada and other countries through bilateral exchanges. The four interparliamentary groups are: Canada-Germany; Canada-Ireland; Canada-Israel; and Canada-Italy. Interparliamentary groups receive administrative assistance from the Senate and the House, but they do not receive funds to cover meetings and travel expenses. Their sole source of revenue is the membership fees they receive from individual parliamentarians.

19 FIRST READING OF SENATE PUBLIC BILLS When the Senate has passed a public bill originating there, a message is sent to the House of Commons requesting its concurrence. The Clerk of the House receives the message and informs the Speaker who announces the arrival of the bill to the House at the first convenient opportunity during a sitting. The bill is then placed on the Order Paper under the heading First Reading of Senate Public Bills during Routine Proceedings. If no Member chooses to sponsor a bill emanating from the Senate, no further action is taken; the bill remains on the Order Paper for the remainder of the session. If a Member or Minister agrees to sponsor the bill in the House, he or she indicates this when the rubric First Reading of Senate Public Bills is called, and the motion for first reading of the bill is deemed carried without debate, amendment or question put. Since a Senate public bill is already printed when it is introduced in the House, there is no need to order that it be printed yet again. After the motion for first reading is adopted, the order for second reading is placed on the Order Paper under Government Orders or at the bottom of the list in the Order of Precedence under Private Members Business, depending on the sponsor. RELATED ARTICLES Legislative Process [General Article] Senate Public Bills [Private Members Business]

20 MOTIONS (ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS) Motions permissible under this rubric are those for concurrence in committee reports and those relating to the sittings and proceedings of the House or of its committees. The Speaker has consistently ruled that any motion pertaining to the arrangement of the business of the House should be introduced by the Government House Leader and may be considered under Motions or under Government Orders. However, the Speaker allows certain motions placed on notice by private Members, such as motions of instruction to committees and for concurrence in committee reports. Motions moved during Routine Proceedings require 48 hours notice. However, in practice, they are often moved without notice with the unanimous consent of the House and adopted without debate. Examples of such motions include those to: manage the proceedings and business of the House or its committees; change the order of business of the House; arrange the times or days of sitting of the House; amend the Standing Orders; suspend the Standing Orders; discharge an order of the House; concur in a committee report; authorize a committee to travel; establish a special committee; instruct a committee; alter the membership of a committee; appoint officers of the House (such as the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Privacy Commissioner, the Chief Electoral Officer and the Information Commissioner); send messages to another country; and censure Chair occupants. During debate on a motion under Routine Proceedings, if a motion to proceed to the Orders of the Day is moved and adopted, the motion being debated is superseded and dropped from the Order Paper. Except in the case of a motion to concur in a committee report, when debate on any motion considered during Routine Proceedings is adjourned or interrupted, the order for resumption of the debate is transferred to Government Orders and is considered again only at the Government s initiative. In the case of a concurrence motion in a committee report, debate for up to three hours is permitted, at which time the Speaker will put all questions. Should debate on the motion be adjourned or interrupted, the motion will be slated for debate within 10 sitting days on a date set by the Government, following consultation with the House leaders of the other parties. The resumed debate occurs at the end of the sitting day and once the three hours have expired or there are no more Members wishing to speak, the Speaker will put all the questions. If a recorded division is requested, it is automatically deferred to the next Wednesday that the House is sitting and is held no later than the end of Government Orders. 1 of 2

21 Routine Motions for Which Unanimous Consent Has Been Denied The House may consider any routine motion for which written notice has not been provided and whose presentation requires, but has not been granted, unanimous consent. These motions include those required for the: observance of the proprieties of the House; maintenance of its authority; management of its business; arrangement of its proceedings; establishment of the powers of its committees; maintenance of the accuracy of its records or the fixing of its sitting days; or changes in the times of meetings or adjournment. When consent for the moving of such a motion has previously been denied, a Minister may rise under the rubric Motions to request that the Speaker put the question to the House. The Chair puts the question immediately without debate or amendment. The Speaker then asks those opposed to the motion to rise in their places. If 25 or more Members rise to object, the motion is deemed withdrawn; otherwise, the motion is adopted. RELATED ARTICLE Types of Motions [Debate and Voting] 2 of 2

22 PETITIONS A petition is used to draw attention to an issue of public interest or concern and request that action be taken. A public petition, signed by Canadian residents and addressed to the House of Commons, the Government of Canada, a Minister of the Crown or a Member of the House of Commons, is one of the most direct means for people to communicate with Parliament. Petitioners cannot directly petition the House of Commons. Only a Member of Parliament can present a petition to the House. The petitioners must send their petition to a Member with a request to present it. Before a petition can be presented by a Member, it must be examined to confirm that it meets certain requirements established by the rules and practices of the House. A Member wishing to present a petition must first submit the petition to the Clerk of Petitions for certification. A petition can be presented to the House by a Member, either by presenting it during Routine Proceedings or by filing it with the Clerk of the House during a sitting. The rules of the House require that the government reply to a petition within 45 calendar days of its presentation. If such a petition remains without a response at the expiration of this time, a committee of the House, designated by the Member presenting the petition, is required to look into the Ministry s failure to respond. For further information: Clerk of Petitions Private Members' Business Office Room 134-C, Centre Block House of Commons Tel Fax RELATED ARTICLES Form and Content of Petitions Guidelines Government Responses to Petitions Presenting Petitions Recommended Forms of Petitions Find this and other detailed articles on House of Commons procedure by visiting the Compendium of Procedure Web site at

23 PRESENTING PETITIONS WHAT IS A PETITION? A petition is used to draw attention to an issue of public interest or concern and request that action be taken. A public petition, signed by Canadian residents and addressed to the House of Commons, the Government of Canada, a Minister of the Crown or a Member of the House of Commons, is one of the most direct means for people to communicate with Parliament. As outsiders are not permitted to address the House directly, petitions must be presented by Members. Therefore, petitioners must send their petition to a Member asking the Member to present it on their behalf. CERTIFICATION Before a Member can present a petition in the House, the rules of the House of Commons require that it must first be certified correct as to form and content. Petitions for certification should be sent by a Member to the Clerk of Petitions, Private Members Business Office, Room 134-C, Centre Block. The name of the Member submitting the petition should be clearly indicated. Certification normally takes between three and five working days, though this may vary depending on the volume of petitions being submitted for certification. Petitions may be submitted for certification during periods of adjournment or prorogation. However, petitions cannot be certified during a dissolution (election period). A petition meeting the requirements for certification will be returned to the Member with a certificate attached, signed by the Clerk of Petitions. A certified petition is not to be altered or tampered with in any way; nor is the certificate to be removed. Uncertifiable Petitions A petition submitted for certification which does not meet the requirements as to form and content will be returned to the Member with an explanatory note. Government Response to Petition Committee Selection The rules of the House require that the government reply to a petition within 45 calendar days. If a petition remains without a response at the expiration of this time, a standing committee of the House is required to look into the Ministry s failure to respond. A certified petition returned to a Member will be accompanied by a form, to be signed by the Member, on which the Member must indicate the committee to which the Ministry s failure to respond will be referred. This form must accompany the certified petition when the petition is presented in the House. PRESENTATION OF A PETITION Any Member of Parliament may be asked to present a petition even if he or she does not represent the petitioners. Nothing in the rules or practices of the House requires a Member to present a petition he or she has received. The Member may even ask another Member to present the petition. Endorsement by Member Once a petition has been certified, any Member may present it. The Member presenting it must endorse the petition by signing the back of the last page of the petition. 1 of 2

24 Photocopies of Petitions It is advisable for a Member to keep a photocopy of at least the first page of a petition for future reference. Presentation During Routine Proceedings A Member may present a certified and endorsed petition in the House on any sitting day during Routine Proceedings when the Speaker calls Presenting Petitions. A maximum of 15 minutes each sitting day is provided for the presentation of petitions. Routine Proceedings takes place at 3:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at 12:00 noon on Fridays. To be recognized to present a petition, a Member must be in his or her assigned place. A Member with more than one petition to present on a given day is advised to present them all when given the floor, as individual Members are recognized by the Chair only once during Presenting Petitions. This allows more Members to be recognized within the 15-minute time limit. When presenting a petition, no debate is permitted. A Member may make a brief factual statement, referring to the petition being duly certified, to its source, to the subject matter of the petition and its request, and the number of signatures it carries. Petitions are not to be read in their entirety. The statement is reproduced in Hansard, the official record of the debates, and a record of the petition appears in the Journals for that day. Presentation by Filing with the Clerk of the House A certified petition may also be presented by a Member at any time during a sitting of the House by filing it with a Clerk at the Table in the Chamber, once it has been endorsed by the Member. A record of the petition appears in the Journals for that day. FOLLOWING PRESENTATION Certified petitions presented to the House are forwarded to the Privy Council Office, which is responsible for their reception and processing. The petitions ultimately end up in the Library and Archives Canada collection. A Member wishing a photocopy of a petition already presented in the House should contact the Office of Parliamentary Returns of the Privy Council (Tel ; Fax ). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Clerk of Petitions Private Members' Business Office Room 134-C, Centre Block House of Commons Tel Fax RELATED ARTICLES Form and Content of Petitions Guidelines Government Responses to Petitions Petitions Recommended Forms of Petitions Modified: January of 2

25 FORM AND CONTENT OF PETITIONS GUIDELINES Before a petition can be presented by a Member, it must be examined to confirm that it meets certain requirements established by the rules and practices of the House (described below). A Member wishing to present a petition must first submit the petition to the Clerk of Petitions for certification. Sample forms of petitions are available in the article entitled Recommended Forms of Petitions FORM OF A PETITION Addressee A petition must be addressed to one of the following: the House of Commons; the House of Commons in Parliament assembled; the Government of Canada; a Minister of the Crown; or a Member of the House of Commons. Text A petition must contain a request, sometimes also referred to as a prayer, for the addressee to take some action (or refrain from taking some action) to remedy a grievance. A petition may also include a more detailed description of the grievance and/or a statement of opinion. However, a statement of grievance or opinion alone cannot be received as a petition. The request should be clear and to the point. The petition must not demand or insist that the addressee do something. The petition may include a return address. Written, Typewritten or Printed on Paper of Usual Size The text of a petition must be handwritten, typed, printed or photocopied on sheets of paper of usual size, i.e. measuring 21.5 cm x 28 cm (8 1/2 x 11 inches) or 21.5 cm x 35.5 cm (8 1/2 x 14 inches). A petition submitted on paper of irregular size, or on any other material, is not acceptable. Language A petition must be respectful, use temperate language, and not contain improper, disrespectful or unparliamentary language. In particular, there should be no disrespect shown to the Sovereign or charge made against the character or conduct of Parliament, the courts or any other duly constituted authority. A petition must be written in one or both of the official languages. Erasures or Interlineations The text of a petition must not be altered either by erasing or crossing out words or by adding words or commentary. Any alteration will make the petition unacceptable. Attachments, Appendices or Extraneous Material A petition must be free of any other matter attached or appended to or written or printed on the petition, whether in the form of additional documents, maps, pictures, logos, news articles, explanatory or supporting statements, or requests for support. A petition printed on the reverse of a document (for example a newsletter or a Member s Householder or Ten Percenter) is not acceptable. Subject Matter Indicated on Every Sheet If a petition is composed of more than one sheet of signatures and addresses, the subject matter of the petition must be indicated on every sheet. 1 of 2

26 CONTENT Matters Within Federal Jurisdiction A petition must concern a subject within the authority of the Parliament of Canada, the House of Commons or the Government of Canada. A petition must not concern a purely provincial or municipal matter or any matter which should be brought before a court of law or a tribunal. Requesting Expenditure of Public Funds A petition may include a request for the expenditure of public funds. Signatures and Addresses A petition must contain a minimum of 25 valid signatures with addresses. A petition should contain signatures of residents of Canada only. Persons not resident in Canada cannot petition the House of Commons of Canada. A petition signed exclusively by non-resident persons is not acceptable. There is no minimum age requirement for anyone signing a petition. Each petitioner must sign, not print, his or her own name directly on the petition and must not sign for anyone else. If a petitioner cannot sign because of illness or a disability, this must be noted on the petition and the note signed by a witness. A petition must contain original signatures written directly on the document and not pasted, taped, photocopied or otherwise transferred to it. Some signatures and addresses must appear on the first sheet with the text of the petition. Signatures and addresses may appear on the reverse of the petition. The address may either be the petitioner s full home address, or the city and province, or the province and postal code. As with the signature, the address must be written directly on the document and not pasted, taped, photocopied or otherwise transferred to it. The inclusion of other contact information (such are telephone numbers or addresses) is permitted but not required. A Member of the House of Commons may sign a petition, but should ask another Member to present that petition. The signatures of Members inscribed on a petition are not counted towards the required 25 signatures and addresses. DRAFT PETITIONS Members of the public who wish to petition the House of Commons on a matter of public interest are advised to first submit a draft petition (without signatures) to a Member of Parliament to see whether it is correctly worded and whether the Member would agree to present it. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Clerk of Petitions Private Members' Business Office Room 134-C, Centre Block House of Commons Tel Fax RELATED ARTICLES Petitions Presenting Petitions Government Responses to Petitions Recommended Forms of Petitions 2 of 2

27 GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO PETITIONS The Standing Orders require the government to respond within 45 calendar days to every petition submitted to it. Under the authority of the Clerk of the House, the original petition is forwarded to the Office of Parliamentary Returns of the Privy Council Office, which makes arrangements with the appropriate government department or agency for the preparation and collection of a reply. Each petition receives an individual response. Any Member who has presented a petition is provided with a copy of the response at the time it is tabled. After being tabled in the House, a government response to a petition (unlike the petition itself) becomes a sessional paper and is recorded in the Journals. If the tabling of a government response to a petition is done during Routine Proceedings, the government spokesperson, usually the Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader, simply informs the House that responses to a certain number of petitions are being tabled; no reference is made to specific petitions or the content of the responses, and the intervention is reproduced in the Debates of the House of Commons. The government response to a petition may also be deposited with the Clerk. The rules of the House make no provision for sanctions in the event that the government fails to respond to a petition within 45 calendar days. However, the matter of the government s failure to respond is automatically referred to the standing committee designated by the Member presenting the petition. Within five sitting days of such a referral, the Chair of the committee must then convene a meeting to consider the failure of the Ministry to respond. While most business of the House is terminated when Parliament is prorogued, government responses to petitions presented in a previous session must be tabled in a subsequent session. The dissolution of Parliament ends any requirement for the government to respond to a petition. For further information: Clerk of Petitions Private Members' Business Office Room 134-C, Centre Block House of Commons Tel Fax RELATED ARTICLES Form and Content of Petitions Guidelines Petitions Presenting Petitions Recommended Forms of Petitions

28 Recommended Forms of Petitions The following are recommended forms of petitions. Sample A First page of petition PETITION TO THE Here identify either (House of Commons, House of Commons in Parliament assembled, Government of Canada, Minister of the Crown, Member of Parliament) We, the undersigned, Here identify, in general terms, who the petitioners are, for example - citizens (or residents) of Canada - electors of (name of electoral district) - residents of the Province of (name) - residents of the City (or Village or Township, etc.) of (name) draw the attention of the Here identify either (House of Commons, House of Commons in Parliament assembled, Government of Canada, Minister of the Crown, Member of Parliament) to the following : THAT Here briefly state the reasons underlying the request for the intervention of the addressee by outlining the grievance or problem or by summarizing the facts which the petitioners wish the addressee to consider. THEREFORE, your _petitioners request (or call upon) the To Here identify either (House of Commons, House of Commons in Parliament assembled, Government of Canada, Minister of the Crown, Member of Parliament) Here set out the request by stating succinctly what action the petitioners wish the addressee to take or what action it should refrain from taking. Signatures (Sign your own name. Do not print.) Addresses (Give your full home address, or your city and province, or province and postal code.) Recommended Forms of Petitions 1

29 Compendium of Procedure House of commons Canada Sample A Subsequent pages of petition (Example 1) THEREFORE, your petitioners Here repeat the request from the first page of the petition. Signatures (Sign your own name. Do not print.) Addresses (Give your full home address, or your city and province, or province and postal code.) Sample A Subsequent pages of petition (Example 2) Petition concerning _Here state the subject matter of the petition. Signatures (Sign your own name. Do not print.) Addresses (Give your full home address, or your city and province, or province and postal code.) 2 Recommended Forms of Petitions

30 Compendium of Procedure House of commons Canada Sample B First page of petition PETITION TO THE Here identify either (House of Commons, House of Commons in Parliament assembled, Government of Canada, Minister of the Crown, Member of Parliament) WHEREAS: Optional statement of facts We, the undersigned, Here identify, in general terms, who the petitioners are, for example - citizens (or residents) of Canada - electors of (name of electoral district) - residents of the Province of (name ) - residents of the City (or Village or Township, etc.) of (name) request (or call upon) the Here identify either (House of Commons, House of Commons in Parliament assembled, Government of Canada, Minister of the Crown, Member of Parliament) To Here set out the request by stating succinctly what action the petitioners wish the addressee to take or what action it should refrain from taking. Signatures (Sign your own name. Do not print.) Addresses (Give your full home address, or your city and province, or province and postal code.) Recommended Forms of Petitions 3

31 Compendium of Procedure House of commons Canada Sample B Subsequent pages of petition (Example 1) THEREFORE, we request (or call upon) _Here repeat the request from the first page of the petition. Signatures (Sign your own name. Do not print.) Addresses (Give your full home address, or your city and province, or province and postal code.) Sample B Subsequent pages of petition (Example 2) Petition concerning _Here state the subject matter of the petition. Signatures (Sign your own name. Do not print.) Addresses (Give your full home address, or your city and province, or province and postal code.) 4 Recommended Forms of Petitions

32 Compendium of Procedure House of commons Canada Sample C First page of petition PETITION TO THE Here identify either (House of Commons, House of Commons in Parliament assembled, Government of Canada, Minister of the Crown, Member of Parliament) We, the undersigned, Here identify, in general terms, who the petitioners are, for example - citizens (or residents) of Canada - electors of (name of electoral district) - residents of the Province of (name) - residents of the City (or Village or Township, etc.) of (name) wish to bring to your attention Here briefly state the reasons underlying the request for the intervention of the addressee by outlining the grievance or problem or by summarizing the facts which the petitioners wish the addressee to consider. THEREFORE, we request (or call upon) the Here identify either (House of Commons, House of Commons in Parliament assembled, Government of Canada, Minister of the Crown, Member of Parliament) To Here set out the request by stating succinctly what action the petitioners wish the addressee to take or what action it should refrain from taking. Signatures (Sign your own name. Do not print.) Addresses (Give your full home address, or your city and province, or province and postal code.) Recommended Forms of Petitions 5

33 Compendium of Procedure House of commons Canada Sample C Subsequent pages of petition (Example 1) THEREFORE, we request (or call upon) _Here repeat the request from the first page of the petition. Signatures (Sign your own name. Do not print.) Addresses (Give your full home address, or your city and province, or province and postal code.) Sample C Subsequent pages of petition (Example 2) Petition concerning _Here state the subject matter of the petition. Signatures (Sign your own name. Do not print.) Addresses (Give your full home address, or your city and province, or province and postal code.) 6 Recommended Forms of Petitions

34 GOVERNMENT ORDERS Each sitting day, a substantial portion of the House s time (normally, 23.5 hours per week) is devoted to the consideration of Government Orders, which includes any item of business proposed by a Minister. Orders of the Day When the Speaker calls Orders of the Day, a Table Officer rises and reads from the Order Paper the business that the House is to consider at that time. Government Orders are listed under the following headings: Supply Proceedings; Ways and Means Proceedings; Government Bills (Commons); Government Bills (Senate); and Government Business. Government Business includes motions to: establish special committees; refer business to committees; propose a resolution declaratory of some opinion; or make arrangements for the conduct of House business. Some of these motions may also be dealt with under Motions during Routine Proceedings. When Government Orders is called, any item that has been called, and on which debate has begun, must be dealt with until debate is adjourned, interrupted or disposed of. Scheduling of Government Orders The business that the House considers during Government Orders is determined solely by the Government. The office of the Government House Leader provides a projected order of business or agenda of orders (bills and motions) that the House is to consider that day. A weekly statement concerning the projected order of business is customarily made on Thursday after Question Period. Although the Government does not select the subject matter to be debated when the House considers an opposition motion on an allotted supply day, it designates the day on which the item is to be taken up. On an allotted day, the Government cannot put aside the Business of Supply and take up other Government Orders until all Supply motions listed on that day s Order Paper have been dealt with. RELATED ARTICLES Business of Supply [Financial Procedures] Business of Ways and Means [Financial Procedures] Legislative Process [General Article] Debate and Voting [General Article] Motions (Routine Proceedings)

35 REVIEW OF DELEGATED LEGISLATION Some Acts of Parliament give the power to make and implement regulatory legislation to Ministers, departments, agencies, boards or other authorities. Delegated legislation is a term used to describe these regulations, orders, rules, by-laws and other instruments. Parliament scrutinizes most of this legislation to ensure that the provisions do not exceed the powers delegated by Parliament itself. The Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations is responsible for the scrutiny of delegated legislation. Reports from the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations Should the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations decide that a regulation or some other statutory instrument exceeds or conflicts with the intentions of an Act of Parliament, it may report the matter to the House. At least 30 days before it adopts the report, the Committee is obliged to notify the authority authorized to make the regulation that it is going to report to the House. Such a report, presented during Routine Proceedings under the rubric Presenting Reports from Committees, must contain only a resolution which, if concurred in, will result in a House order to the Government to revoke the offending regulation or statutory instrument. Notice of a Motion that a Resolution Be Adopted (given by Member) Once presented, the resolution contained in the report is automatically placed on the Notice Paper in the name of the Member who presented the report. After 48 hours, the resolution is transferred to the Order Paper under the rubric Motions. The resolution is deemed to have been moved and adopted by the House at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment on the fifteenth sitting day after the report is presented, unless a Minister gives notice of a motion that the resolution not be adopted. Notice of Motion that a Resolution Not Be Adopted (presented by a Minister) Following the presentation of a report to revoke a regulation, a Minister has 15 days to place a motion on notice to the effect that the resolution not be adopted. Debate The motion in the name of the Minister may be debated for up to one hour at 1:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday following the expiry of the 48-hour written notice. No other business can be taken up during the debate. If proceedings are completed before 2:00 p.m., the Speaker suspends the sitting until that time. Recorded votes on these motions are automatically deferred until the ordinary hour of daily adjournment on that day. If the Minister s motion is adopted, the resolution in the name of the Member who tabled the report is withdrawn and the regulation may be implemented. If the Minister s motion is defeated, then the regulation is revoked.

36 DEBATE ON STANDING ORDERS AND PROCEDURE The Standing Orders of the House of Commons provide for a one-day special debate on the rules and procedures of the House and its committees early in the life of each Parliament. The debate affords Members an opportunity to express their views and to offer suggestions on the improvements to the rules. Initiating Debate Standing Order 51 provides for an automatic debate on the motion, That this House takes note of the Standing Orders and procedures of the House and its committees on a day designated by a Minister between the sixtieth and ninetieth sitting day of the first session of a Parliament. If no day is designated, the debate is automatically held on the ninetieth sitting day. Rules of Debate Debate on the motion takes precedence over all other business of the House and lasts a maximum of one sitting day. The proceedings on the motion expire when the debate ends or at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment, whichever comes first. To encourage participation, the rules permit no Member to speak more than once or longer than 10 minutes. RELATED ARTICLE Standing Orders of the House of Commons [Parliamentary Procedure]

37 EMERGENCY DEBATES The Standing Orders provide Members with an opportunity to hold special debates on urgent matters. A Member may request that the House discuss a matter requiring urgent consideration by debating a motion to adjourn the House and, if the request is granted, the debate is held at the earliest opportunity, forgoing the usual 48-hours notice. Initiating Debate Written notice of the subject of a proposed emergency debate must be received by the Speaker at least one hour before the Member rises to make the request at the conclusion of the daily routine of business. The Member makes a brief statement, reading the text of the application filed with the Speaker. No discussion or argument is allowed. If more than one notice has been received by the Speaker, Members are recognized in the order in which their applications were received. The Speaker decides whether a matter warrants the urgent attention of the House and is not required to give reasons when granting or refusing a request for an emergency debate. Criteria for Decision The Speaker determines first whether the subject could be brought before the House within a reasonable time by other means. The Speaker then considers: the importance and specificity of the issue; the degree to which the matter falls within the jurisdiction of the Government; whether the request attempts to revive discussion on a matter previously debated during the session; and whether the request deals with a matter debatable by means of a substantive motion for which notice has already been given. Other conditions are also considered. Chair occupants have established that the subject matter proposed should not normally: be exclusively of local or regional interest; be related only to one specific group or industry; or involve the administration of a government department. The Speaker also takes into account the general wish of the House to have an emergency debate on the subject. Only one motion for an emergency debate may be moved in a sitting. Timing of Debate An emergency debate must take place on the day the request is granted, unless the Speaker directs that it be taken up on the next sitting day. From Monday to Thursday, such debates commence at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment (usually 6:30 p.m.) and end at no later than 12:00 midnight. On Fridays, emergency debates begin as soon as the Speaker finds the application acceptable, and continue until no later than 4:00 p.m. RELATED ARTICLES Time Limits on Debate [Debate and Voting] Rules of Debate [Debate and Voting] at (613) or by at [email protected].

38 ESTIMATES DEBATES IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE The Leader of the Opposition, in consultation with the leaders of the other opposition parties, may give notice before May 1, of a motion to refer consideration of the Main Estimates of one or two departments or agencies to Committees of the Whole. Forty-eight hours notice is required. The motion is deemed adopted and the selected and the Estimates are automatically withdrawn from the standing committees to which they were deemed referred. Each of the two debates lasts a maximum of four hours and takes place at the end of the day, following Adjournment Proceedings or, on a Friday, following Private Members Business. The debates must be held no later than May 31. During these debates, Ministers may be accompanied by senior departmental officials who sit with them in the Chamber in order to provide information to the Minister or the Parliamentary Secretary as they respond to questions. Members may rise more than once to speak and put questions, but for no longer than 15 minutes at a time. Only 10 minutes of this time may be spent making a statement. A Committee of the Whole considering these Estimates does not have the authority to report to the House and is therefore unable to defeat or reduce the Estimates. At the conclusion of the debate, the Committee rises, the Estimates are deemed reported and the House adjourns until the next sitting day. RELATED ARTICLES Business of Supply [Financial Procedures] Committees of the Whole [Committees]

39 STATUTORY DEBATES Parliament has included provisions governing special statutory debates in several statutes. Statutory debates can be grouped into two broad categories: those involving a general review of an Act or a particular aspect of it; and those involving a debate to confirm, revoke or amend an order, regulation, declaration, proclamation, guideline or other instrument of delegated legislation set out in provisions contained in the statute in question. Some of these statutes make regulations subject to an affirmative resolution (bringing them into force). This requires that both the Senate and the House of Commons debate the regulations before they can come into effect. Regulations may also be subject to negative resolution (revoking them), which means they remain in effect until Parliament revokes them following debate. Initiating Debate For statutes that provide for a debate to be held, a Minister must, within a specified time, file a notice of motion with the Speaker in order to initiate the debate. A debate to revoke delegated legislation typically requires that a notice of motion signed by a minimum number of Members or Senators, as set out in the statute, be filed with the Speaker. After notice has been filed in accordance with House rules and transferred to the Order Paper under the rubric Statutory Orders, debate must take place within a set number of days as prescribed in the given statute. Duration of Debate The duration of a statutory debate is usually prescribed in the legislation, be it one or more sitting days or only a few hours.

40 SUSPENSION OF CERTAIN STANDING ORDERS SPECIAL DEBATE The House may suspend certain Standing Orders in order to deal with any business that the Government considers to be urgent. Pursuant to Standing Order 53, a Minister may move a motion at any time to suspend the Standing Orders respecting notice requirements and the times of sitting. The Minister must give reasons for the urgency of the situation. The Speaker may allow up to one hour of uninterrupted debate on the Minister s motion, putting aside the business then before the House. Amendments are not permitted unless proposed by a Minister, other than the one who moved the motion. If no Member rises to speak, the Speaker immediately puts the motion to the House for a decision. When the debate is completed, or after one hour, the Speaker asks those Members opposed to the motion to rise. If 10 or more Members rise to object, the motion is deemed withdrawn; otherwise, the motion is adopted and becomes an order of the House.

41 TAKE-NOTE DEBATES From time to time, the House holds a take-note debate which allows Members to express their views on an issue, without the requirement that a decision be taken. Take-note debates allow Members to participate in the development of government policy, making their views known before the Government adopts a position. A Minister of the Crown, following consultation with the House Leaders of the other parties, may propose a motion at any time to hold a take-note debate. The Minister s motion must be proposed at least 48 hours before the debate is to begin and sets out the subject matter and the date on which the debate will be held. Debate Take-note debates are held at the end of the sitting day in a Committee of the Whole. The adjournment proceedings are suspended on that day. The rules governing a Committee of the Whole apply except that: the Speaker may preside; no Member may speak for longer than 10 minutes followed by a 10-minute question and comment period; the Speaker does not accept any motion except That the Committee do now rise ; when no Member rises to speak or after four hours of debate, whichever is earlier, the Committee rises; and when the Committee rises, the House immediately adjourns to next sitting day. RELATED ARTICLE Committees of the Whole [Committees]

42 ADDRESSES BY DISTINGUISHED VISITORS A Joint Address to Parliament is a speech made by a distinguished visitor, usually a foreign head of state or head of government, to Members of the Senate and the House of Commons. These extra-parliamentary events usually take place in the House of Commons Chamber and the regular proceedings of the House are suspended for the occasion. The assembly does not constitute a sitting of the House and the Mace (a large, heavy and richly-ornamented staff which is the symbol of authority of the Speaker) is not present at its usual location on the Clerk s Table. The proceedings are jointly presided over by the Speakers of the Senate and of the House. The House usually decides to broadcast the event and to append the text of the address, along with the related remarks by Canadian parliamentarians, to Hansard. Welcoming Ceremony Distinguished visitors are met in the Rotunda of the Centre Block by the Prime Minister, the Speakers of both Houses and other dignitaries where they sign the Senate and House of Commons visitors books. At the appointed time, the official party enters the House of Commons Chamber. After being introduced by the Speaker of the House, the Prime Minister provides an official welcome and invites the visitor to address the assembly. Who attends and where do they sit? When a Joint Address takes place, the House of Commons becomes a grand hall, accommodating both Members of the House and the Senate, and the various guests invited for the occasion. The seating arrangements in the House are not what they would be for a regular sitting. The Speaker of the House takes the Speaker s Chair, with the Speaker of the Senate seated in a chair to his or her right. The Clerk s Table is cleared of its usual material and a lectern placed at its head. The Prime Minister and the distinguished visitor are seated along the side of the Table to the Speaker s right; the Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Commons are seated along the other side of the Table. Senators and Justices of the Supreme Court are seated on the floor of the House in front of the Table. Members of the official delegation and other dignitaries are seated along the back wall of the Chamber. Members of the House of Commons take their usual seats. All seats in the galleries overlooking the House of Commons are assigned to invited guests. Gallery privileges are suspended and access to the galleries is strictly controlled for this occasion. Departure Ceremony At the conclusion of the address, the Speakers of the Senate and of the House make remarks. At this point, the official party exits the Chamber and proceeds to the House of Commons Speaker s Chambers. 1 of 2

43 List of Distinguished Visitors For lists of those who have made a Joint Address to the Parliament of Canada, click on links below: Foreign Dignitaries who have addressed a Joint Session of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada Heads of States and of Governments who have addressed Joint Sessions of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada Modified: June of 2