House of commons.

AuthorMonnin, Marisa
PositionLegislative Reports

The House of Commons adjourned for the winter break on December 14, 2016 and was set to resume sitting on January 30, 2017. The information below covers the period from November 3, 2016 to January 20, 2017.

Points of Order and Questions of Privilege

On November 15, 2016, Matthew Dube (Beloeil-Chambly) rose on a point of order regarding statements made on social media, alleging that a Member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery was denied entry to a committee meeting. In a statement given the following day, the Speaker explained that a journalist experienced difficulty accessing the meeting following a misunderstanding that the meeting was held in camera. Shortly thereafter, when it was confirmed that the meeting was held in public, the journalist was granted access. The Speaker stated that efforts would be made to ensure that such an incident would not be repeated in the future.

On November 22, 2016, the Speaker delivered his ruling on the question of privilege raised on November 3, 2016, by Tracey Ramsey (Essex) concerning the Minister of International Trade in relation to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU (CETA). Ms. Ramsey alleged that the Minister of International Trade contravened the Government's policy on the tabling of treaties, which indicates that the Government must observe a waiting period of at least 21 sitting days before the introduction of the necessary implementing legislation in Parliament. In his decision, the Speaker explained that the government's policy cannot be regarded as part of the body of rules that govern the House's procedures and practices. The Speaker stated that when members request redress with respect to rules external to the House, the Speaker does not have the power to interpret nor enforce these rules. The Speaker declined to find that there existed a prima facie case of privilege and concluded that there was no clear evidence that the Member had been impeded in the fulfillment of her parliamentary functions.

Committees

On November 28, 2016, the Special Committee on Electoral Reform tabled two reports. The first report outlined the Committee's desire that it be re-constituted if the Government were to table legislation designed to amend the Canadian election system. The second report urged the Minister of Democratic Institutions to include the questions within the Committee's e-consultation survey on the website mydemocracy.ca.

The Special Committee on Electoral...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT