Precedence and Sequence / Miscellaneous

Dividing ways and means motion

Journals pp. 746-7

Debates pp. 8718-9

Background

When Government Orders were called, Mr. Stanfield (Leader of the Opposition) raised a point of order concerning the validity of the notice of a ways and means motion, tabled December 11, regarding the Excise Tax Act. In his opinion, the notice of motion should be divided on the grounds that it contained more than one proposition, thus giving Members an opportunity to vote on each of them. After hearing Members' comments, the Speaker ruled.

Issue

Can a ways and means motion be divided when it includes different propositions?

Decision

No. The authority of the Speaker of the House with respect to the division of questions is extremely limited and has never been exercised on the notice of a bill.

Reasons given by the Speaker

There is no precedent for dividing a motion preceding a bill. " ... there are a large number of . . . precedents which indicate that a notice of a ways and means motion refers not to one single question but to diverse and different and complex questions ... " Long-established practice, therefore, makes it very difficult to rule that this particular ways and means motion should be divided.

References

Journals, June 15, 1964, pp. 427-31; June 18, 1971, p. 708; December 13, 1973, pp. 746-7.

Debates, December 13, 1973, pp. 8705-7, 8718-9.