Mr. Gray (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), seconded by Mr. Robichaud (Secretary of State (Parliamentary Affairs)), moved, — That the Standing Orders of the House of Commons in force on January 28, 1994, be amended as follows:

PART A

1. That Standing Order 73 be amended:
   1. By deleting sections (1) and (2) thereof and substituting the following therefor:

       

      “(1)

      Immediately after the reading of the Order of the Day for the second reading of any public bill, a Minister of the Crown may propose a motion that the said bill be forthwith referred to a standing, special or legislative committee. The Speaker shall immediately propose the question to the House and proceedings thereon shall be subject to the following conditions:

      (a)

      the Speaker shall recognize for debate a Member from the party forming the Government, followed by a Member from the party forming the official Opposition, followed by a Member from each officially recognized party in the House, in order of the number of Members in that party, provided that, if no Member from the party whose turn has been reached rises, a Member of the next party in the rotation or a Member who is not a member of an officially recognized party may be recognized;

      (b)

      the motion shall not be subject to any amendment;

      (c)

      no Member may speak more than once nor longer than ten minutes;

      (d)

      after not more than 180 minutes of debate, the Speaker shall interrupt the debate and the question shall be put and decided without further debate or amendment.

       (2)

      Every public bill, except for bills referred to a committee before being read a second time pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order, shall be read twice and referred to a committee before any amendment may be made thereto.

       (3)

      Unless otherwise ordered and except for bills referred to a committee before being read a second time pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order, in giving a bill second reading, the same shall be referred to a standing, special or legislative committee.”

   2. By renumbering sections (3) and (4) thereof as sections (4) and (5) respectively.
2. That section (1) of Standing Order 74 be amended by deleting the word “When” and by substituting therefor the words “Unless otherwise provided by Standing or Special Order, when”, in paragraph (a), by deleting the words “or second speaker” and substituting therefor the words “, second or third speaker” and in paragraph (b), by deleting the word “two” and substituting therefor the word “three”.
3. That the Standing Orders be amended:
   1. By inserting, immediately before Standing Order 76, the following:

      “At Second Reading

      76.

      (1)

      The report stage of any bill reported by any standing, special or legislative committee before the bill has been read a second time shall not be taken into consideration prior to the third sitting day following the presentation of the said report, unless otherwise ordered by the House.

      (2)

      If, not later than the second sitting day prior to the consideration of the report stage of a bill that has not yet been read a second time, written notice is given of any motion to amend, delete, insert or restore any clause in a bill, it shall be printed on a Notice Paper. When the same amendment is put on notice by more than one member, that notice shall be printed once, under the name of each member who has submitted it.

      (3)

      When a recommendation of the Governor General is required in relation to any amendment of which notice has been given pursuant to section (2) of this Standing Order, notice shall be given of the said Recommendation no later than the sitting day before the day on which the report stage is to commence and such notice shall be printed on the Notice Paper along with the amendment to which it pertains.

      (4)

      An amendment, in relation to form only in a government bill, may be proposed by a Minister of the Crown without notice, but debate thereon may not be extended to the provisions of the clause or clauses to be amended.

      NOTE: The purpose of this section is to facilitate the incorporation into a bill of amendments of a strictly consequential nature flowing from the acceptance of other amendments. No waiver of notice would be permitted in relation to any amendment which would change the intent of the bill, no matter how slightly, beyond the effect of the initial amendment.

      (5)

      The Speaker shall have the power to select or combine amendments or clauses to be proposed at the report stage and may, if he or she thinks fit, call upon any Member who has given notice of an amendment to give such explanation of the subject of the amendment as may enable the Speaker to form a judgement upon it. If an amendment has been selected that has been submitted by more than one member, the Speaker, after consultation, shall designate which member shall propose it.

      NOTE: The Speaker will not normally select for consideration any motion previously ruled out of order in committee, unless the reason for its being ruled out of order was that it required a recommendation of the Governor General, in which case the amendment may be selected only if such Recommendation has been placed on notice pursuant to section (2) of this Standing Order. The Speaker will normally only select motions that were not or could not be presented in committee. A motion, previously defeated in committee, will only be selected if the Speaker judges it to be of such exceptional significance as to warrant a further consideration at the report stage. The Speaker will not normally select for separate debate a repetitive series of motions which are interrelated and, in making the selection, shall consider whether individual Members will be able to express their concerns during the debate on another motion.
      
      For greater certainty, the purpose of this Standing Order is, primarily, to provide Members who were not members of the committee with an opportunity to have the House consider specific amendments they wish to propose. It is not meant to be a reconsideration of the committee stage.

      (6)

      When the Order of the Day for the consideration of the report stage is called, any amendment proposed pursuant to this Standing Order shall be open to debate and amendment.

      (7)

      When debate is permitted, no Member shall speak more than once or longer than ten minutes during proceedings on any amendment at that stage.

      (8)

      When a recorded division has been demanded on any amendment proposed during the report stage of a bill, the Speaker may defer the calling in of the Members for the purpose of recording the “yeas” and “nays” until more or all subsequent amendments to the bill have been considered. A recorded division or divisions may be so deferred from sitting to sitting.

      NOTE: In cases when there are an unusually great number of amendments for consideration at the report stage, the Speaker may, after consultation with the representatives of the parties, direct that deferred divisions be held before all amendments have been taken into consideration.

      (9)

      When proceedings at the report stage on any bill that has not been read a second time have been concluded, a motion “That the bill, as amended, be concurred in and be read a second time” or “That the bill be concurred in and read a second time” shall be put and forthwith disposed of, without amendment or debate.

      (10)

      The report stage of a bill pursuant to this Standing Order shall be deemed to be an integral part of the second reading stage of the bill. When a bill has been concurred in and read a second time in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Standing Order, it shall be set down for a third reading and passage at the next sitting of the House.

      After Second Reading”.

   2. By renumbering Standing Order 76 as Standing Order 76.1 and by amending the said Standing Order:

      (a) in section (1) thereof, by inserting immediately after the word “committee”, the words “after the bill has been read a second time”;

      (b) in section (2) thereof, by inserting immediately after the word “stage”, the words “of a bill that has been read a second time” and by adding, at the end, the words, “When the same amendment is put on notice by more than one Member, that notice shall be printed once, under the name of each Member who has submitted it.”;

      (c) in section (3) thereof, by inserting immediately after the word “bill”, the words “that has been read a second time”;

      (d) in section (5) thereof, by adding, immediately after the words “upon it”, the words, “If an amendment has been selected that has been submitted by more than one Member, the Speaker, after consultation, shall designate which Member shall propose it.”;

      (e) in section (6) thereof, by deleting the words “section (2) of”;

      (f) by deleting section (8) thereof and by substituting the following therefor:

       

      “(8)

      When a recorded division has been demanded on any amendment proposed during the report stage of a bill, the Speaker may defer the calling in of the Members for the purpose recording the “yeas” and “nays” until more or all subsequent amendments to the bill have been considered. A recorded division or divisions may be so deferred from sitting to sitting.

      NOTE: In cases when there are an unusually great number of amendments for consideration at the report stage, the Speaker may, after consultation with the representatives of the parties, direct that deferred divisions be held before all amendments have been taken into consideration.”

      (g) in section (9) thereof, by inserting immediately after the words “any bill”, the words “that has been read a second time”;

      (h) in section (10) thereof, by inserting immediately after the word “bill”, the words “that has been read a second time”; and

      (i) in section (11) thereof, by inserting immediately after the words “When a bill”, the words “that has been read a second time”.

4. That Standing Order 113 be amended:
   1. By deleting section (1) thereof, and by substituting the following therefor:

       

      “(1)

      Without anticipating the decision of the House, within five sitting days after the commencement of debate on a motion to appoint a legislative committee or to refer a bill thereto, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs shall meet to prepare, and shall report not later than the following Thursday, a list of members of such a legislative committee, which shall consist of not more than fifteen Members. Such a committee shall be organized only in the event that the House adopts the motion for appointment or referral. Upon presentation of such a report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, the same shall be deemed adopted.”

   2. In section (3) thereof, by deleting all of the words after the word “meet” and by substituting therefor the words:

      “within two sitting days of the naming of the Chairman and the adoption of the motion appointing or referring the bill to the committee of which the membership has been reported.”

PART B

That Standing Order 68 be amended by adding, immediately after section (3), the following:

 

“(4)

(a)

A motion by a Minister of the Crown to appoint or instruct a standing, special or legislative committee to prepare and bring in a bill, pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order, shall be considered under Government Orders. During debate on any such motion no Member shall be permitted to speak more than once or for more than ten minutes. After not more than ninety minutes debate on any such motion, the Speaker shall interrupt debate and put all questions necessary to dispose of the motion without further debate or amendment. A motion by a Minister of the Crown to concur in the report of a committee pursuant to this section or to section (4)(b) of this Standing Order shall also be taken up under Government Orders and shall, for the purposes of Standing Order 78, be considered to be a stage of a public bill.

(b)

A motion by a Private Member to appoint or instruct a standing, special or legislative committee to prepare and bring in a bill, pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order, shall be considered as a motion under Private Members’ Business and shall be subject to the procedures in that regard set down in Standing Orders 86 to 99, inclusive. A motion by a member other than a Minister of the Crown to concur in the report of a committee pursuant to this section or to section (4)(a) of this Standing Order shall also be taken up as a motion under Private Members’ Business pursuant to the aforementioned Standing Orders in that regard.

 (5)

A committee appointed or instructed to prepare and bring in a bill shall, in its report, recommend the principles, scope and general provisions of the said bill and may, if it deems it appropriate, but not necessarily, include recommendations regarding legislative wording.

 (6)

The adoption of a motion to concur in a report made pursuant to section (5) of this Standing Order shall be an order to bring in a bill based thereon.

 (7)

(a)

When a Minister of the Crown, in proposing a motion for first reading of a bill, has stated that the bill is in response to an order made pursuant to section (6) of this Standing Order, notwithstanding any Standing Order, the bill shall not be set down for consideration at the second reading stage before the third sitting day after having been read a first time. The second reading and any subsequent stages of such a bill shall be considered under Government Orders. When a motion for second reading of such a bill is proposed, notwithstanding any Standing Order, the Speaker shall immediately put all questions necessary to dispose of the second reading stage of the bill without debate or amendment.

(b)

When a member other than a Minister of the Crown, in proposing a motion for first reading of a bill, has stated that the bill is in response to an order made pursuant to section (6) of this Standing Order, and if the bill has been selected pursuant to Standing Order 92, when a motion for second reading of such a bill has been proposed, notwithstanding any Standing Order, the Speaker shall immediately put all questions necessary to dispose of the second reading stage of the bill without debate or amendment.

 (8)

A Minister of the Crown may propose a motion for first reading of a bill based on an order made pursuant to section (6) of this Standing Order, whether that order was the result of a motion by Minister or of a private member, and notwithstanding the provisions of section (4)(b) of this Standing Order, any such bill shall thereafter be considered under Government Orders.”

PART C

That Standing Order 81 be amended by adding at the end of section (8)(a) the words “In any calendar year, no more than one fifth of all the allotted days shall fall on a Wednesday and no more than one fifth thereof shall fall on a Friday.” and by inserting immediately after section (6) the following:

 

“(7)

When Main Estimates are referred to a standing committee the committee shall also be empowered to consider and report upon the expenditure plans and priorities in future fiscal years of the departments and agencies whose Main Estimates are before it.

 (8)

Any report made in accordance with section (7) of this Standing Order may be made up to and including the last normal sitting day in June, as set forth in Standing Order 28(2), and shall be deemed to be subject to the provisions of section (9) of this Standing Order.”

and by renumbering the subsequent sections accordingly.

PART D

That the Standing Orders be amended by inserting immediately after the title “Budget Debate” and before Standing Order 84, the following:

“83.1.

Commencing on the first sitting day in September of each year, the Standing Committee on Finance shall be authorized to consider and make reports upon proposals regarding the budgetary policy of the government. Any report or reports thereon may be made no later than the tenth sitting day before the last normal sitting day in December, as set forth in Standing Order 28(2).”

PART E

That Standing Order 83(4) be amended by deleting the period and adding the following:

“or to propose an amendment or amendments to a bill then before the House, provided that such amendment or amendments are otherwise admissible.”

PART F

1. That Standing Order 24 be amended by deleting sections (2) and (3) and substituting the following therefor:

    

   “(2)

   At 6:30 o’clock p.m. on any sitting day except Friday and at 2:30 o’clock p.m. on Fridays, the Speaker shall adjourn the House until the next sitting day.”

2. That Standing Order 30(4)(a) be amended by deleting the words “the mid-day interruption” and by substituting therefor, the words “oral questions”.
3. That Standing Order 30(6) be amended by deleting the words “Private Members’ Business — from 5:00 to 6:00 o’clock p.m.” and the words “Private Members’ Business — from 7:00 to 8:00 o’clock p.m.” and substituting therefor the words “ Private Members’ Business — from 5:30 to 6:30 o’clock p.m.” and by deleting the words “Private Members’ Business — from 3:00 to 4:00 o’clock p.m.” and substituting therefor the words “Private Members’ Business — from 1:30 to 2:30 o’clock p.m.”
4. That Standing Order 30 be amended by deleting section (7) thereof and by substituting the following therefor:

    

   “(7)

   If the beginning of Private Members’ Hour is delayed for any reason, or if the Hour is interrupted for any reason, a period of time corresponding to the time of the delay or interruption shall be added to the end of the Hour, provided that if the delay or interruption continues past thirty minutes after the time at which the Hour would have ordinarily ended, Private Members’ Hour for that day and the business scheduled for consideration at that time, or any remaining portion thereof, shall be added to the business of the House on a day to be fixed, after consultation, by the Speaker, who shall attempt to designate that day within the next ten sitting days, but who, in any case shall not permit the intervention of more than one adjournment period provided for in Standing Order 28(2).”

5. That Standing Order 33(2) be deleted and the following substituted therefor:

    

   “(2)

   A period of time corresponding to the time taken for the proceedings pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order shall be added to the time provided for government business in the afternoon of the day on which the said proceedings took place. Private Members Business, where applicable, and the ordinary time of daily adjournment shall be delayed accordingly, notwithstanding Standing Orders 24, 30 and 38 or any Order made pursuant to Standing Order 27.”

6. That Standing Order 38(1) be amended by deleting the words “6:00” and substituting therefor the words “6:30”.
7. That Standing Order 41(1) be amended by deleting all of the words before the word “unless” and by substituting the words “Whenever the business before the House is interrupted pursuant to Standing Order or Special Order,”.

and

That this Order shall come into effect on the Monday following its adoption;

That Standing Order 51 be suspended for the present Session;

That the Clerk be authorized to make necessary editorial and consequential alterations to the Standing Orders;

That the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs examine procedures regarding members statements, special debates, the taking of divisions of the House by electronic means, the conduct of Private Members’ Business, especially with regard to Private Bills and to Senate Public Bills, any anomalies or technical inconsistencies in the Standing Orders, the reform of question period, measures to achieve more direct participation by citizens, including citizens’ initiative, the right of constituents to recall their M.P., binding referenda, free votes in the House of Commons, debates on petitions and fixed election dates. (Government Business No. 6)

Debate arose thereon.

Pursuant to Standing Order 31, Members made statements.

Pursuant to Standing Order 30(5), the House proceeded to Oral Questions.

Mr. Massé (President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada) laid upon the Table — Auditor’s Report and Financial Statement of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1993, pursuant to section 13(2) of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act, Chapter 3, Statutes of Canada, 1989. — Sessional Paper No. 8560-351-499A. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Com mittee on Transport)

Mrs. Finestone (Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)) laid upon the Table — Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (Highlights included) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1993, pursuant to section 6 of the Department of Multiculturalism Act, Chapter C–3, Statutes of Canada, 1991. — Sessional Paper No. 8560-351-577. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage)

Pursuant to Standing Order 33(1), Mrs. Finestone (Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)) made a statement.

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. Riis (Kamloops), seconded by Mr. de Jong (Regina–Qu’Appelle), Bill C–211, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (cattle rustling and range cattle), was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, petitions certified correct by the Clerk of Petitions were presented as follows:

• by Ms. Phinney (Hamilton Mountain), three concerning crimes of violence (Nos. 351-0051 to 351-0053) and one concerning the Young Offenders Act (No. 351-0054);
• by Mr. Finlay (Oxford), one concerning material depicting violence (No. 351-0055).

Debate resumed on the motion of Mr. Gray (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), seconded by Mr. Robichaud (Secretary of State (Parliamentary Affairs)). (Government Business No. 6)

At 6:22 p.m., pursuant to Order made Wednesday, February 2, 1994, the Speaker interrupted the proceedings.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on division.

At 6:24 p.m., the question “That this House do now adjourn” was deemed to have been proposed pursuant to Standing Order 38(1).

After debate, the question was deemed to have been adopted.

The following papers having been deposited with the Clerk of the House were laid upon the Table pursuant to Standing Order 32(1):

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, petitions certified correct by the Clerk of petitions were filed as follows:

• by Mr. Loney (Edmonton North), one concerning material depicting violence (No. 351-0056) and one concerning the official languages of Canada (No. 351-0057).

At 6:37 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 33(2), the House adjourned until tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).