Amendments to the Content of Bills / Report Stage

Substantive amendment; interpretation clause

Journals p. 5975

Debates p. 26163

Background

On July 29, 1982, as the House was about to begin report stage consideration of Bill C‑85, An Act to establish a corporation called Canagrex, the Acting Speaker (Mr. Corbin) expressed doubts as to the admissibility of a motion in amendment standing in the name of Mr. Hargrave (Medicine Hat) which sought to insert a new definition in the interpretation clause. However, he invited the Member to make his comments at the appropriate time. On June 7, 1983, after having listened to a Member's comments, the Deputy Speaker ruled.

Issue

Does the motion in amendment seek to change the interpretation clause by limiting the bill's field of application?

Decision

Yes. The motion in amendment is not admissible.

Reasons given by the Deputy Speaker

The motion in amendment is aimed not only at introducing a new definition in the interpretation clause of a bill by way of a substantive amendment, but its effect would be to limit the bill's field of application. The attempt to delete from the interpretation clause "beef cattle and beef products" goes beyond the principle of this bill and introduces a notion which goes beyond its initial objective.

Sources cited

Journals, May 21, 1970, pp. 835-7.

Debates, November 28, 1974, p. 1754.

Beauchesne, 5th ed., p. 233, c. 773(10).

References

Debates, July 29, 1982, pp. 19828-9; June 7, 1983, pp. 26162-3.