GENERAL RULE

Procedure generally

1(1) Proceedings in the House and in any Committee are to be conducted in accordance with these Rules and with the sessional and other orders of the Assembly.

Procedure in unprovided cases

1(2) In cases not provided for in these Rules or the orders of the Assembly, the Speaker or Chairperson is to be guided by the usages and customs of the Assembly or, if there are none, by the parliamentary traditions of the House of Commons and any other Legislative Assembly in Canada, to the extent they apply to this Assembly.

Definitions

1(3) In these Rules, Orders and Forms of Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly

“the Assembly” means the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba;

“the Clerk” means the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly (see Rule 140);

“Committee of the Whole House” refers to the Committee of the Whole and to the Committee of Supply;

“Critic” means a Member of a Recognized Opposition Party designated by that party as a Critic for a government department or a specific area;

“distributed” means the provision of a document to the House, either by providing a physical copy in the Chamber or committee rooms, or by providing an electronic copy;

“document” means either a hard copy version or electronic version of a document referenced in the House (in the event of a discrepancy between the two versions of a document, the hard copy version will be considered the correct version);

“Moderator” means a Legislative Assembly employee who facilitates the virtual participation of Members in the proceedings;

“tabling” means the provision of a document to the House by any Member during a House or Committee proceeding, either by providing a physical copy to the Clerks’ Table in the Chamber or committee rooms, or by providing an electronic copy;

“the House” means the Legislative Assembly while in session;

“the Law Officer” means the Law Officer of the Legislative Assembly (see Rule 144);

“the Leader of a Recognized Party” means the Member recognized by the Speaker as occupying the position of Leader of that party; and

“the Leader of the Official Opposition” means the Member recognized by the Speaker as occupying the position of Leader of the Official Opposition, pursuant to section 52.16 of The Legislative Assembly Act;

“the Official Opposition” means the political party represented in the Legislature by the second largest number of Members;

“a Recognized Opposition Party” means an opposition party represented in the Legislative Assembly by four or more Members;

“the Rules” means these Rules, Orders and Forms of Proceeding of the Legislative Assembly;

“Supply Bill” means a Bill relating to interim, main or supplementary supply, such as an Appropriation Act.

“virtually” means participating in a proceeding of the House or any Committee using an approved videoconferencing platform.

Proceedings of the House or Committees

1(4) A proceeding of the House or any Committee may be conducted with:

(a) all Members physically present in the Chamber or committee room;

(b) some Members physically present in the Chamber or committee room and some Members participating virtually; or

Requirements for virtual participation

1(5) Members who are participating virtually are considered to be in their seat and must:

(a) have their audio and video functions enabled with their faces identifiable in order to participate in proceedings, be included as part of the quorum and vote; and

(b) keep their audio muted until recognized by the Chair, and also turn off their camera when they are away from the screen.

CHAPTER I – REGULATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HOUSE

SESSIONAL CALENDAR

Sitting periods

2(1) The House may meet at any time during the following sitting periods, except during the Spring Sittings when the House must begin to meet on the first Wednesday in March:

November Sittings

From the first Tuesday following the Remembrance Day constituency week as described in sub-rule (2)(a) to the first Thursday in December.

Spring Sittings

From the first Wednesday in March to the first sitting day in June.

Fall Sittings

From the sixteenth sitting day before the Thursday of the week prior to the Remembrance Day constituency week, to that Thursday.

If the Thursday of the week prior to Remembrance Day is not a sitting day, the Fall sitting period shall be from the sixteenth sitting day before the Wednesday of the week prior to the Remembrance Day constituency week, to that Wednesday.

Within these periods, the House is to meet on a day fixed by the Speaker at the Government’s request and, unless adjourned earlier by order of the House, is to be adjourned by the Speaker, without a motion for adjournment on the applicable day. The House then stands adjourned to the call of the Speaker.

Completion of Specified Bills

The Government may call the House into session for up to four additional sitting days in June after the first sitting day in June in order to complete consideration of Specified Bills. On the last of these four sitting days the remaining stages of Specified Bills not dealt with by the usual hour of adjournment will have all remaining questions put to a vote following the provisions outlined in sub-rule (16). The House will not rise until royal assent has been granted.

Completion of Designated Bills, the Business of Supply and BITSA

On the last Thursday sitting prior to the Remembrance Day Week, the House will not adjourn until the questions have been put and Royal Assent granted for the following items:

(a) the Designated Bills;

(b) the Business of Supply set out in sub-rule 76(1) including The Appropriation Act; and

Any remaining steps for these items not dealt with 60 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour will have all remaining questions put to a vote following the provisions outlined in sub-rules (23), (25) and (26).

Constituency Weeks

2(2) The House shall not meet during the following constituency weeks:

(a) the week in which Remembrance Day falls if it falls on a weekday, or the week following Remembrance Day if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday ("Remembrance Day constituency week");

(b) the week designated under The Public Schools Act as a spring break or vacation ("Spring constituency week");

(c) the week in which May 1 falls if it falls on a weekday, or the week following May 1 if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday ("May constituency week");

(d) the week commencing on the third Monday of October ("October constituency week");

Days of Observance

2(3) The House shall not meet on:

(a) September 30, the day designated as Orange Shirt Day;

(b) November 8, the day designated as Indigenous Veterans Day.

Recall of the House

2(4) If the Government advises the Speaker that the public interest requires the House to meet at any time because of an emergency or extraordinary circumstances, a reason for the recall must be provided. The Speaker must advise the Members that the House is to meet at the time specified by the Government and of the reason for the recall.

Recalled House may meet for up to three weeks

2(5) When recalled under sub-rule (4), the House is to begin to meet at the specified time, and unless adjourned earlier by order of the House, is to be adjourned by the Speaker, without a motion for adjournment at the usual adjournment time on the twenty-first calendar day after it was recalled. The House then stands adjourned to the call of the Speaker.

Further recall of the House

2(6) If the House is adjourned in accordance with sub-rule (5), the House must not be recalled again under sub-rule (4) until after the House has been in recess for a period of one week.

Recall not prevented

2(7) For certainty, nothing in this rule prevents the Government from recalling the House under sub-rule (4) at any time except sub-rules (6) and (19).

Meeting outside sitting periods on agreement

2(8) If the House Leaders agree, the House may meet at a time other than during a sitting period referred to in sub-rule (1).

Emergency Provisions

2(9) In response to an emergency that could threaten public safety, the Speaker and the Leaders of Recognized Parties, or designates, have the authority to vary, pause, or postpone House and Committee proceedings as necessary by sending a letter signed by the Speaker and the Leaders of Recognized Parties, or designates, to all Members of the Legislative Assembly.

Specified Government Bills

2(10) In order for a Government Bill to be identified as specified, the following actions must take place:

(a) First Reading must be moved no later than the twentieth sitting day after presentation of the Throne Speech;

(b) the Bill has not been included on the list of Designated Bills tabled by the Official Opposition in accordance with sub-rule (11);

(c) the Bill has been included on the Specified Bill list tabled by the Government House Leader no later than 60 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour on the fourteenth sitting day after the First Reading Completion Day for Specified Bills;

(d) the Second Reading question must be put no later than the fifteenth sitting day after the First Reading Completion Day for Specified Bills; and

(e) the Bill has been included on the Specified Bill list tabled by the Government House Leader no later than 60 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour on the Concurrence and Third Reading Completion Day per sub-rule 2(16).

Private Members’ Bills cannot be specified or designated.

Designation by Opposition parties

2(11) No later than the fourteenth sitting day after the First Reading Completion Day for Specified Bills, the Official Opposition may designate up to five Government Bills for the purpose of further consideration at a later sitting period. If The Budget Implementation and Tax Statutes Amendment Act is identified as a Designated Bill, it counts as two of the five Bills that can be designated. If there is a Second Opposition Party, the division of Designated Bills is four for the Official Opposition and one for the Second Opposition Party. The Interim Appropriation Act may not be designated under this sub-rule.

Second Reading Completion Days for Specified Bills

2(12) On the same sitting day identified in sub-rule (11), and after Bills have been designated by the Opposition parties, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) if Routine Proceedings has not concluded 90 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour, the Speaker must terminate Routine Proceedings and proceed to Orders of the Day;

(b) at 60 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour, the Speaker will interrupt debate and call for Second Reading of all remaining Specified Bills in an order that is to be announced by the Government House Leader, or in the order listed on the Order Paper;

(c) the House shall sit until midnight to consider Second Reading of Specified Bills, and the House may sit past midnight only with unanimous consent;

(d) for each Specified Bill that has not yet been called for debate by this day, debate shall proceed as follows:

(i) the Minister must move the Second Reading motion and may speak for a maximum of 10 minutes,

(ii) a question period of up to 15 minutes may occur according to the provisions of sub-rule 133(5),

(iii) Critics and each Independent Member may speak for a maximum of 10 minutes,

(iv) the Speaker shall then put the question;

(e) for each Specified Bill that has been called for debate previously, debate shall proceed as follows:

(i) if the question period has not yet occurred, it shall take place as described in paragraph (d)(ii),

(ii) if the question period was previously interrupted, it shall continue as described in paragraph (d)(ii),

(iii) any Member identified in paragraph (d) who has not yet spoken in the debate shall be afforded the opportunity to speak,

(iv) the Speaker shall then put the question;

(f) Matters of Privilege and Points of Order will be deferred until all votes are completed;

(g) despite sub-rule 14(4), divisions on these Specified Bills cannot be deferred.

2(13) On the sitting day following the sitting day identified in sub-rule (11), if there are any remaining Specified Bills at Second Reading or Debate on Second Reading, the House is not to see the clock until the question has been put on all outstanding Specified Bill Second Reading motions and the following provisions are to apply:

(a) at the beginning of Orders of the Day the provisions outlined for limited debate on Specified Bills in sub-rule 2(12) will apply;

(b) if Routine Proceedings has not concluded 90 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour, the Speaker must terminate Routine Proceedings and proceed to Orders of the Day;

(c) at midnight, Ministers shall move the Second Reading motions for any remaining Specified Bills and the Speaker shall put the questions immediately, without debate. Despite sub-rule 14(3) the division bells shall ring for no more than one minute on each question;

(d) Matters of Privilege and Points of Order will be deferred until all votes are completed;

(e) despite sub-rule 14(4), divisions on these Specified Bills cannot be deferred;

(f) the House shall rise following the consideration of the last motion and any deferred Matters of Privilege or Points of Order.

Committee Completion Day for Specified Bills

2(14) Standing Committees must complete consideration of any Specified Bills that have been referred to those Committees no later than the fourteenth sitting day after the sitting day identified in Rule 2(11). Those Specified Bills must then be reported to the House on the following sitting day.

Report Stage Completion Day for Specified Bills

2(15) No later than the third sitting day after the Final Committee Report Day for Specified Bills, Report Stage on each specified Government Bills must be completed.

Concurrence and Third Reading Completion Day for Specified Bills

2(16) No later than the second sitting day after Report Stage Completion Day for Specified Bills — or in the event no Report Stage Amendments have been filed, no later than the fifth sitting day after Final Committee Report Day for Specified Bills — Concurrence and Third Readings of Specified Bills must be completed. On this day, the Minister, Critics and each Independent Member may speak for a maximum of 10 minutes each per Government Bill moved for Concurrence and Third Reading. The House cannot adjourn until royal assent has been granted.

Actions to complete Second Reading, Report Stage and Concurrence and Third Reading of Specified Bills

2(17) If the actions referred to in sub-rules (13), (15) and (16) have not been completed by the noted date, the following provisions are to apply:

(a) the House will not adjourn on that day until the Speaker has put all the applicable questions on all Specified Bills;

(b) if Routine Proceedings has not concluded 90 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour, the Speaker must terminate Routine Proceedings and proceed to Orders of the Day;

(c) at 60 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour the Speaker will interrupt debate and put all questions on the remaining Bills with no further debate or amendment, except for the debate provisions allowed under sub-rules (12) and (16);

(d) Matters of Privilege and Points of Order will be deferred until all votes are completed;

(e) despite sub-rule 14(4), divisions on these Specified Bills cannot be deferred;

(f) if a deadline day falls on a Friday sitting during the debate on the Budget Motion, the provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) shall proceed as follows:

(i) The Speaker must terminate Routine Proceedings immediately upon conclusion of Oral Questions.

(ii) at 30 minutes after the conclusion of Oral Questions the Speaker will interrupt debate and put all questions on the remaining Bills with no further debate or amendment, except for the debate provisions allowed under sub-rules (12) and (16).

Actions to complete Committee Stage of Specified Bills

2(18) If the actions referred to in sub-rule (14) have not been completed in committee by the noted date, the following provisions are to apply if a committee is sitting:

(a) If a Committee considering Bills has not completed public presentations, it must close public presentations at 9:00 p.m. By unanimous consent the deadline can be extended to 10:00 p.m. The public has the ability to provide written submissions for an additional 24 hours.

(b) At 11:00 p.m. any member of the Committee who wishes to move an amendment to a Bill must file 20 copies of the amendment with the Clerk of the Committee, and the Clerk must distribute the amendment to members of the Committee. After that time, an amendment may be moved only if copies of it were filed with the Clerk and distributed as required by this rule.

(c) At midnight the Chair of the Committee must interrupt the proceedings and, without further debate or amendment (other than an amendment distributed as required by paragraph (b)), put every question necessary to complete clause-by-clause consideration of the Bills under consideration.

(d) The committee must report the Bills to the House at its next sitting. In the event that the Committee fails to report the Bills at that sitting, the Bills are deemed to be reported to the House, as amended by the Committee (if applicable) and the report is deemed to be received by the House at that sitting.

Designated Bills

Second Reading Completion Day for Designated Bills

2(19) Within two sitting days of the session resuming, the question for Second Reading of Designated Bills must be put. Emergency recall sittings are exempt from this provision.

(a) For each Designated Bill that has not yet been called for debate by this day, debate shall proceed as follows before the question is put:

(i) the Minister may speak for a maximum of 10 minutes;

(ii) a question period of up to 15 minutes may occur according to the provisions of sub-rule 133(5); and

(iii) Critics and each Independent Member may speak for a maximum of 10 minutes.

(b) For each Designated Bill that has been called for debate previously, debate shall proceed as follows before the question is put:

(i) any Members identified in paragraph (a) who have not yet spoken in the debate shall be afforded the opportunity to speak;

(ii) if the question period has not yet occurred, it shall take place as described in paragraph (a)(ii); and

(iii) if the question period was previously interrupted, it shall continue as described in paragraph (a)(ii).

Committee Completion Day for Designated Bills

2(20) No later than the ninth sitting day after the Second Reading Completion Day for Designated Bills, Standing Committees or Committee of the Whole must complete consideration of any Designated Bills that have been referred to those committees. Standing Committees must report those Bills to the House on the following sitting day while Committee of the Whole can report Bills on the same sitting day once consideration of the Bills is completed.

Report Stage Completion Day for Designated Bills

2(21) No later than the third sitting day after Final Committee Report Day for Designated Bills, Report Stages of designated Government Bills must be completed.

Concurrence and Third Reading Completion Day for Designated Bills

2(22) No later than the second sitting day after Report Stage Completion Day for Designated Bills — or in the event no Report Stage Amendments have been filed, no later than the fifth sitting day after Final Committee Report Day for Designated Bills — Concurrence and Third Readings of Designated Bills must be completed. On this day, the Minister, Critics and each Independent Member may speak for a maximum of 10 minutes each per Government Bill moved for Concurrence and Third Reading. The House cannot adjourn until royal assent has been granted.

Actions to complete Second Reading, Report Stage and Concurrence and Third Reading of Designated Bills

2(23) If the actions referred to in sub-rules (19), (21) and (22) have not been completed by the noted date, the following provisions are to apply:

(a) the House will not adjourn on that day until the Speaker has put all the applicable questions on all Designated Bills;

(b) if Routine Proceedings has not concluded 90 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour, the Speaker must terminate Routine Proceedings and proceed to Orders of the Day;

(d) Matters of Privilege and Points of Order will be deferred until all votes are completed;

(e) Despite sub-rule 14(4), divisions on these Designated Bills cannot be deferred.

Actions to Complete Committee Stage of Designated Bills

2(24) If the actions referred to in sub-rule (20) have not been completed in a Standing Committee by the noted date, the following provisions are to apply if a Standing Committee is sitting:

(a) If a Committee considering Bills has not completed public presentations, it must close public presentations by 9:00 p.m. By unanimous consent the deadline can be extended to 10:00 p.m. The public has the ability to provide written submissions for an additional 24 hours.

(c) At midnight, the Chair of the Committee must interrupt the proceedings and, without further debate or amendment (other than an amendment distributed as required by paragraph (b)), put every question necessary to complete clause-by-clause consideration of the Bills under consideration.

Actions to Complete Committee of the Whole Stage of Designated Bills

2(25) If the actions referred to in sub-rule (20) have not already been completed in Committee of the Whole, the following provisions are to apply:

(a) if not already in Committee of the Whole by 4:00 p.m. the House must resolve into Committee of the Whole;

(b) at 4:00 p.m. the Chairperson must put the remaining questions without further debate or amendment to conclude consideration of the legislation before the Committee;

(d) despite sub-rule 14(4), divisions on these Designated Bills cannot be deferred.

Actions to Complete the Business of Supply

2(26) If the required actions for the Business of Supply taking place in the Committee of Supply, Committee of the Whole or in the House have not been completed by the last Thursday sitting prior to the Remembrance Day Week, the following provisions are to apply:

(a) if Routine Proceedings has not concluded 90 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour, the Speaker must terminate Routine Proceedings and proceed to Orders of the Day;

(b) if not already in Committee of Supply or Committee of the Whole 60 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour, the House must resolve into Committee of Supply or Committee of the Whole;

(c) at 60 minutes prior to the usual adjournment hour the Chairperson or the Speaker will interrupt debate and put the questions on all remaining items with no further debate or amendment;

(d) Matters of Privilege and Points of Order will be held until all votes are completed;

(e) despite sub-rule 14(4), divisions on these items cannot be deferred.

If no Speaker

2(27) If there is no Speaker, the Clerk is to act in the Speaker’s place for the purpose of calling the Assembly into session.

SITTINGS

Daily sittings

3 The House is to meet on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, unless otherwise ordered. But it is not to meet on a day designated as a holiday under The Public Service Act.

Hours of sitting

4(1) The time for the daily sittings of the House shall be 1:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays unless otherwise ordered.

Friday sittings

4(2) During the debates on the motions for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne and the Budget the House shall sit on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday Morning sittings

4(3) Except during the debates on the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne and the Budget the House shall also sit on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m., to consider Private Members’ Business, and on these days the Speaker shall leave the Chair at 12:00 noon until 1:30 p.m.

Usual adjournment hour

4(4) The Speaker must adjourn the House to the next sitting day, without a motion for adjournment,

(a) at 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays; and

(b) at 12:30 p.m. on Fridays during debates on the motions for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne and the Budget.

Committee of Supply Friday sittings

4(5) Once consideration of departmental estimates has begun, the Committee of Supply may sit on Friday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. if the House Leaders from all recognized parties provide written notice to the Speaker by 5:00 p.m. on the previous Wednesday.

4(6) When the Committee of Supply sits on Friday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the Speaker must adjourn the Thursday sitting on Friday at 12:30 p.m.

4(7) Any Friday on which meetings of the Committee of Supply are held shall be considered to be a sitting day of the Legislature.

Intersessional committee meetings

4(8) During intersessional periods, any day on which meetings of Standing or Special Committees are held shall be considered to be a sitting day of the Legislature, but are not to be included in the count of the sitting days for Specified or Designated Bills, and the Clerk shall record the number of sitting days which are Committee days.

4(9) Despite sub-rule 91(8), 10 calendar days’ notice is required for intersessional committee meetings with the following exceptions;

(a) meetings of the Standing Committee on the Rules of the House

(b) meetings of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

Subsequent intersessional meetings

4(10) Five calendar days’ notice is required for subsequent intersessional meetings of a committee continuing to consider legislation previously referred to it.

4(11) Sub-rule (10) may be waived if the Clerk receives a written request from the House Leaders of all Recognized Parties at the time additional meetings are scheduled.

Intersessional committee meetings to hear public presentations

4(12) Despite sub-rule (8), Standing Committees cannot meet intersessionally during the months of January, February, June, July and August to hear public presentations unless

(a) all Recognized Opposition Parties have granted leave on the record; or

(b) House Leaders of all Recognized Opposition Parties have countersigned the letter from the Government House Leader calling for an intersessional committee meeting.

QUORUM

Quorum

5(1) The presence of at least 10 Members in the House, including the Speaker and any Members participating virtually, is necessary to constitute a meeting of the House for the exercise of its powers.

5(2) With the exception of Tuesday mornings in accordance with sub-rule (4), if there is no quorum present at the start of a sitting day, the Speaker is to adjourn the House for the sitting day.

Quorum bell

5(3) If a quorum count is requested during a proceeding of the House:

(a) the division bells shall ring for one minute during which time the doors shall remain open and Members may enter the Chamber or join the proceeding virtually;

(b) once the division bells stop, no further Members may enter the Chamber or join the proceeding virtually;

(c) the Clerk shall then count all Members present, including the Speaker, Members in their seats in the Chamber and Members who are present virtually, and announce the result to the House.

(d) if a quorum of Members is not present, the Speaker must adjourn the House for the sitting day.

Tuesday Private Members’ Business

5(4) Despite sub-rule (3), no request for a quorum count may be made during Tuesday morning sittings for Private Members’ Business.

Committee of Supply quorum counts

5(5) With the exception of Friday sittings of the Committee of Supply referred to in sub-rule 77(12), if a quorum count is requested during a sitting of the Committee of Supply:

(a) all sections of the Committee shall recess to allow a quorum count to be requested and conducted in the House, in accordance with sub-rule (3);

(b) if a quorum of Members is not present, the Speaker must adjourn the House for the sitting day.

THE SPEAKER

Election of Speaker first order of business

6(1) At the opening of the first session of a Legislature, and at any other time as determined pursuant to sub-rule (2), the election of a Speaker shall be the first order of business and shall not be interrupted by any other proceeding.

Election of Speaker in case of vacancy

6(2) If the office of Speaker becomes vacant for any reason, the House must proceed to elect one of its Members as Speaker.

If the vacancy arises between sessions or while the House is adjourned, the Clerk must immediately notify all Members of the vacancy and inform them that the first order of business when the House next meets will be the election of a Speaker.

No Minister or Leader of Recognized Party eligible for election

6(3) No Minister of the Crown, or Leader of a Recognized Party, shall be eligible for election to the Office of Speaker.

Election of Speaker takes precedence over all other business

6(4) The election of a Speaker shall take precedence over all other business and the House shall continue to sit, if necessary, beyond its usual adjournment hour, until a Speaker is elected and is installed in the chair and if the House has continued to sit beyond its usual hour of daily adjournment, the Speaker shall thereupon adjourn the House until the next sitting day.

Clerk to administer election of Speaker

7(1) For the purpose of electing a Speaker, the Clerk, or in the absence of the Clerk another Clerk at the Table, shall administer the election process and shall preside during the election of a Speaker.

Question of Privilege or Point of Order not permitted

7(2) During the election of a Speaker, the Clerk shall not be permitted to entertain any Question of Privilege or Point of Order.

No debate or motions during election of Speaker

7(3) During the election of a Speaker there shall be no debate and no adjournment motion nor motion of any other kind shall be accepted for consideration.

Not a question of confidence

7(4) The election of a Speaker shall not be considered a question of confidence in the Government.

Election of Speaker by secret ballot

8(1) The election of a Speaker shall be conducted by secret ballot as follows:

Members wishing to stand for election to inform Clerk

(a) After a general election, or at any other time when there is a vacancy in the Office of Speaker, any Member who wishes to stand for election to the Office of Speaker shall, not later than 4:30 p.m. on the working day preceding the day on which the election of a Speaker is expected to take place, in writing in the prescribed form, to inform the Clerk who shall prepare, in alphabetical order, a list of the given names and surnames of those Members who wish to stand as candidates for election to the Office of Speaker.

Clerk to distribute list of candidates

(b) After the closing days and times referred to in paragraph (a), the Clerk shall affix a copy of the list of candidates provided for in paragraph (a) in a conspicuous place in or near the Legislative Chamber, and shall provide copies of that list to the caucus office of each recognized political party and to each Independent Member.

Election of Speaker exempt from virtual provisions

8(2) The election of the Speaker is exempt from the provisions allowing Members to participate in proceedings virtually. In the event of an emergency situation requiring Members to participate virtually in the election of the Speaker, the House Leaders shall authorize the Clerk, in writing, to develop procedures to enable virtual participation during the secret ballot process.

Clerk to declare sole candidate as Speaker

8(3) If only one Member stands for election to the Office of Speaker, or at any stage a withdrawal, pursuant to sub-rule (14), leaves only one candidate remaining, the Clerk shall announce in the Chamber that candidate’s name and without any vote declare that Member to be elected Speaker.

Ballot papers to be provided by Clerk

8(4) If there are two or more candidates for election to the Office of Speaker, ballot papers shall be provided to Members present in the Chamber by the Clerk, prior to the taking of the ballot.

List of candidates distributed in Chamber

8(5) Before the taking of the first ballot, the Clerk shall distribute the list of candidates to Members present in the Chamber.

Marking the ballot paper

8(6)(a) Each Member present in the Legislative Chamber who wishes to indicate their choice for the Office of Speaker, shall proceed to one of the voting booths at the Table and print or write legibly on the ballot paper the surname of a candidate whose name appears on the list distributed pursuant to sub-rule (5).

Candidates having the same surname

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), when two or more candidates, whose names appear on the list distributed pursuant to sub-rule (5), have identical surnames, each Member who wishes to indicate their choice for one of these candidates shall print or write legibly on the ballot paper the given name and the surname of the candidate of their choice.

Deposit of ballot papers

8(7) Members shall deposit their completed ballot papers in a box provided for that purpose on the Table.

Counting of ballot papers

8(8) Once all Members wishing to do so have deposited their ballot papers, the Clerks at the Table shall retire from the Legislative Chamber with the ballot box and shall count the vote and the Clerk, being satisfied as to the accuracy of the count, shall destroy the ballots together with all records of the number of ballots cast for any candidate.

Clerk to declare candidate with majority

8(9) If one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, the Clerk shall announce the name of that Member as the Speaker.

Subsequent ballots to exclude lowest candidate

8(10) If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, the name of the candidate, or in the event of a tie the candidates, having the lowest number of votes cast, shall be excluded from subsequent ballots.

Equality of votes

8(11) If every candidate receives the same number of votes, no names shall be excluded from the next ballot.

List of candidates for subsequent ballots

8(12) For each subsequent ballot, the Clerk shall prepare a list of candidates and distribute it to Members present in the Chamber.

Subsequent ballots

8(13) Subsequent ballots shall be conducted in the manner prescribed in sub-rules (4) through (14) and the balloting shall continue, in a like manner, until such times as a candidate is elected Speaker upon having received a majority of the votes cast.

Withdrawal of candidate from election

8(14) At any time after the result of the first ballot has been declared, but before the commencement of a second or subsequent ballot, a candidate may withdraw from the election by rising in their place in the House and stating that they are withdrawing, and the election shall then proceed as if the Member had not become a candidate.

Clerk to prescribe forms, etc.

8(15) The Clerk shall prescribe the following

(a) Member’s notice of intent to seek election to the Office of Speaker;

(b) the form of the ballot paper; and

The Speaker’s duties

9(1) The Speaker shall preserve order and decorum and enforce the Rules, and shall decide all questions of order without appeal.

Ruling on Points of Order

9(2) In explaining a Point of Order, the Speaker shall state the rule or authority applicable to the case.

Ruling on motion deemed out of order

10 When the Speaker is of the opinion that a motion offered to the House is contrary to the Rules or is a violation of the privileges of the Assembly, or both, the House shall be so advised immediately but the Speaker may reserve a decision and subsequently state the reasons therefore before putting the question.

Not to join in debate

11(1) The Speaker shall not take part in any debate before the House.

Casting vote

11(2) In the case of an equality of votes, the Speaker shall cast the deciding vote; and any reasons stated by the Speaker shall be entered in the Votes and Proceedings.

Legislative Assembly Management Commission Annual Report

12 Within two weeks after the opening of each session, the Speaker shall table the annual report of the Legislative Assembly Management Commission.

DEPUTY SPEAKER

CHAIRPERSON, DEPUTY CHAIRPERSONS
OF
COMMITTEES OF THE WHOLE HOUSE

Deputy Speaker, Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House

13(1) A Deputy Speaker of the House, who shall also be Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House, shall be elected by way of motion from among the Members at the commencement of the first session of each Legislature. The Member so elected shall, if present, take the Chair of each Committee of the Whole House.

Term of Office

13(2) The Member elected to serve as Deputy Speaker and Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House shall continue to act in that capacity until the end of the Legislature for which they are elected, and, in the case of a vacancy by death, resignation or otherwise, the House shall forthwith elect a successor.

Deputy Chairpersons of Committees

13(3) At the commencement of every Legislature or from time to time as the necessity may arise, the House shall appoint two Deputy Chairpersons of the Committees of the Whole House.

Deputy Chairperson to act as Chairperson

13(4) If, at any meeting of a Committee of the Whole House, or any section thereof, the Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House is not present, a Deputy Chairperson shall act in the place and stead of the Chairperson.

When Speaker is absent

13(5) If the Speaker is absent from a meeting of the House, the Deputy Speaker must act in their place. If the Deputy Speaker is also absent, one of the Deputy Chairpersons may act in their place.

Appointment of Acting Chairperson

13(6) In the absence of the Deputy Speaker, and both Deputy Chairpersons, or any one of them the Speaker may, in forming a Committee of the Whole House, before leaving the Chair, appoint any Member or Members to be Chairperson of the Committee or of any section thereof.

DIVISIONS

Termination of debate before division

14(1) After Members have been summoned for a division, no further debate shall be permitted.

Entering and leaving during divisions

14(2) No Member shall enter or leave the Chamber or virtual platform from the stating of the question until the final result of the vote is announced.

Time limit on division bells

14(3) Not more than one hour after directing that the Members be called in, the Speaker shall

(a) order that the division bells be turned off;

(b) state the question again; and

Deferral

14(4) Despite sub-rule (3), and after consulting with the Whips from all Recognized Parties, the Speaker may direct that a division be deferred to a specific time set by the Speaker, unless otherwise stated in these rules.

Limitations on deferral

14(5) When pursuant to sub-rule (4), the Speaker has directed that the division be deferred

(a) the time for the division once set shall not be altered;

(b) no further deferral shall be granted in respect of that division; and

Business to be continued

14(6) When a division is deferred pursuant to sub-rule (4), the House shall continue with the business before it, pursuant to sub-rule 24(2).

Voting compulsory

14(7) Every Member present and in their seat shall vote.

Pairing

14(8) Despite sub-rule (7), any two Members may indicate that they will not take part in any recorded division held on one or more specified dates by providing advanced notice to the Speaker of their intention to “pair” their votes.

Declaration of voting intentions

14(9) Following a division

(a) the Speaker shall provide an opportunity for Members who filed advance notice of pairing to declare which way they would have voted; and

(b) the names of the Members who filed advance notice of pairing shall be printed in the Votes and Proceedings, immediately following the entry for the division.

Requesting a recorded division

14(10) A recorded division on any question put in the House may be requested by

(a) a House Leader from a Recognized Party; or

(b) any Member with the support of three other Members.

Recording of “Ayes” and “Nays”

14(11) On a recorded division, the names of Members voting “Aye” and the names of the Members voting “Nay” are to be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.

CONDUCT OF MEMBERS

Attendance required

15 Every Member shall attend the service of the House unless a leave of absence has been given to the Member by the Speaker.

Member having pecuniary interest not to vote

16 A Member shall not vote upon any question in which the Member has a direct pecuniary interest; and the votes of any Member so interested shall be disallowed.

Withdrawal of Members

17 Where a question arises touching the conduct of any Member or any Member’s election, or the Member’s right to hold their seat, the Member may make a statement, and shall withdraw during the time the matter is in debate.

Naming of a Member for an offence in the House

18(1) The Speaker shall be vested with the authority to maintain order:

(a) by naming individual Members for disregarding the authority of the Chair;

(b) by ordering the withdrawal of a Member from the Chamber, or termination of a Member’s virtual participation, for the remainder of the sitting day, despite Rule 15.

In the event of a Member disregarding an order of the Chair, the Speaker shall order the Sergeant-at-Arms to accompany the Member out of the Chamber, or direct the Member to terminate their virtual participation.

Offence in Committee

18(2) When an offence to which sub-rule (1) applies is committed in any Committee of the House, the Chairperson:

(a) shall be authorized to no longer recognize the Member in question to speak in debate for the duration of the meeting;

(b) shall have the ability to suspend the proceedings;

(d) if the Member in question refuses to comply with the direction of the Chairperson referenced in (a), the Chairperson shall be authorized to have the Member removed from the Committee room for the duration of the meeting.

Term of suspension

18(3) A suspension under sub-rule (1) or (2) shall be decided by the Speaker but shall not exceed two weeks.

Suspension from service of House for Session

18(4) If a Member refuses to obey the Speaker’s order to accompany the Sergeant-at-Arms out of the Chamber or terminate their virtual participation, the Speaker must then advise the House that force is required to implement the order. Any Member removed from proceedings by force is then suspended from all sittings of the House for the remainder of the session.

Decorum on Adjournment

19(1) When the House adjourns, Members present in the Chamber shall stand and remain in their places, while Members participating virtually shall remain in place until the Speaker has left the Chamber.

Bowing to the Chair

19(2) Members must bow to the Chair when entering, leaving or crossing the Legislative Chamber if the Mace is in the Chamber.

Crossing the Chamber

19(3) Members may not cross the Legislative Chamber between the Chair and the Mace.

Use of electronic devices

19(4) Members participating in a House or Committee proceeding may use electronic devices in silent mode. When a Member is speaking in debate, such devices should be kept out of view.

Telephone conversations

19(5) Members may not have telephone conversations in the House or in Committee.

Members’ Dress Code

20(1) When participating in a Sitting of the House, Members shall dress in one of the following types of attire:

(a) professional contemporary business;

(b) traditional Indigenous;

that does not offend the dignity of the Assembly.

20(2) In Committees of the House a business casual dress code is permitted, in addition to the provisions allowed in 20(1) (b) and (c).

20(3) The Speaker shall oversee dress code expectations for Members, and may provide guidance and authorize exceptions to the dress code in appropriate circumstances.

CONDUCT OF VISITORS

Visitors

21 Visitors may be admitted to the gallery and to any other parts of the Chamber that are specified for that purpose by the Speaker.

Conduct of visitors

22 A visitor admitted to the Chamber or the gallery who creates a disturbance, or does not withdraw when directed, shall be ejected from the Chamber or the gallery by the Sergeant-at-Arms, as the Speaker may order. If necessary the visitor may be taken into custody by security staff or the Winnipeg Police Service.

CHAPTER II – BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

ROUTINE BUSINESS

Prayer and Indigenous Land Acknowledgment

23 Each sitting day before any business begins the Speaker shall read the Prayer, followed by an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement.

Routine Proceedings

24(1) Routine Proceedings in the House at 1:30 p.m., and at 10:00 a.m. when it sits on a Friday, is as follows, unless the House orders otherwise:

Introduction of Bills

Committee Reports

Tabling of Reports

Ministerial Statements

Members’ Statements

Oral Questions

Petitions

Grievances

Order after daily routine

24(2) After the daily routine of business, the Orders of the Day shall be considered as follows, subject to sub-rule 31(14), Rule 32 and sub-rules 35(5) and 47(1):

Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne

Budget Motion

Committee of the Whole House, for considering Bills

Committee of Supply

Report Stage, Bills reported from Committees

Government Bills – Concurrence and Third Readings, Second Readings

Government Motions

Opposition Day Motions

Resolving into Committee of the Whole or of Supply

24(3) Whenever the Order of the Day is called for “Committee of the Whole House, for considering Bills” or for “Committee of Supply”, the Speaker is to leave the Chair and the House is to resolve itself into the Committee.

Private Members’ Business

24(4) Subject to sub-rule 4(3), Private Members’ Business shall be considered as follows when the House sits on Tuesdays and Thursdays:

Tuesday:

10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Private Members’ Hour)

Private Bills

Public Bills

Motions

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon (Private Members’ Hour)

Private Members’ Resolutions

Motions

Thursday:

10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Private Members’ Hour)

Public Bills

Private Bills

Motions

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon (Private Members’ Hour)

Private Members’ Resolutions

Motions

Deferred votes from previous Tuesday Private Members’ Business at 11:55 a.m.

Sequence of Private Members’ Bills

24(5) Private Members’ Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills shall be called in the following sequence as listed on the Order Paper:

(a) Report Stage;

(b) Debate on Report Stage;

(d) Debate on Concurrence and Third Readings;

(e) Second Readings;

(f) Debate on Second Readings.

When a Private Member’s Public Bill or Private Bill is called for debate and is not disposed of within that hour, it shall be placed on the bottom of the list of Bills of that type on the Order Paper.

House Leaders Authorized to announce Private Members’ Bills for debate

24(6) House Leaders of Recognized Parties have the authority to announce Private Members’ Bills sponsored by Members of their own Caucuses for debate in the first Hour of Private Members’ Business. The House Leaders are further authorized to call more than one Private Members’ Bill for debate during that hour, and may allocate blocks of time for consideration of each Bill within the first Hour of Private Members’ Business.

(a) On Tuesday mornings the Government House Leader or designate shall announce Private Members’ Bills for debate.

(b) On Thursday mornings the Official Opposition House Leader or designate, or the House Leaders or designates of other Recognized Opposition Parties, shall announce Private Members’ Bills for debate.

(i) The House Leaders or designates of all Recognized Opposition Parties must submit to the Speaker a written agreement on dividing time on Thursday mornings.

(ii) In the event of an impasse the Speaker shall make a determination as to this division of time.

Divisions during Private Members’ Business

24(7) Any division requested during Private Members’ Business on Tuesday or Thursday must be deferred to 11:55 a.m. on the Thursday of the same week, and shall not be further deferred.

Order for Divisions

24(8) Except by unanimous consent, in situations where multiple deferred divisions are scheduled for the same day, the Speaker shall call the votes in the following sequence:

(a) divisions deferred from the Tuesday Private Members’ Business, in the order they were requested;

(b) divisions deferred from the Thursday Private Members’ Business, in the order they were requested.

For any division that takes place in accordance with this sub-rule the division bells shall ring for no more than five minutes, and the House will not recess until all deferred divisions are completed.

Private Members’ Bills Question Period

24(9) Following the Sponsor’s opening speech on the Second Reading of a Private Members’ Bill, a ten minute question period on the Bill may occur.

During this question period

(a) questions may be addressed to the Sponsor by any Member, with the first question being asked by a Member from another party, followed by a rotation between parties;

(b) each Independent Member may ask one question; and

Selected Bills

25(1) Each Recognized Party may select up to three Private Member’s Bills per session to proceed to a Second Reading debate and vote.

Bills to proceed to a Second Reading vote

25(2) Each Independent Member may select one Private Members' Bill per session to proceed to a Second Reading debate and vote, and despite Rule 69(1), an Independent Member will not require a seconder to move each Reading motion for their selected Private Members' Bill.

Written notice

25(3) Written notice of each selected Bill, indicating the sitting day and time when the debate and vote will occur, must be provided to the Speaker by the Government House Leader (or designate) and the Independent Member no later than two weeks prior to the scheduled end of the Fall Sittings.

Scheduling Independent Members’ Selected Bills

25(4) As part of the written notice required in sub-rule (3), an Independent Member and the Government House Leader or designate must agree on a date and time for the debate and vote on the selected Bill, and notify the Speaker in writing of the details.

(a) In the event of an impasse, the Speaker shall make a determination as to the scheduling of these debates.

(b) The Government House Leader or designate will announce Independent Members’ Private Members’ Bills for debate on Tuesdays.

TABLING OF REPORTS

Tabling of reports

26(1) Each sitting day, Ministers of the Crown or the Speaker may table reports or other documents required to be laid before the House in accordance with an Act, Regulation, the Rules of the House or a Resolution or Order of the House.

Number of copies

26(2) Ministers or the Speaker must provide sufficient copies of a report or document that is provided to the House for tabling. Sufficient copies will be determined by the Speaker in consultation with the House Leaders of all Recognized Parties.

Intersessional tablings

26(3) If the House has been adjourned for more than five days, a report or document to be tabled in accordance to sub-rule (1) may instead be deposited with the Clerk.

Referral to intersessional committee

26(4) A report or document deposited with the Clerk is to be considered for all purposes to have been laid before the House on the first sitting day after the adjournment, but it may also be referred for the consideration of a committee intersessionally.

No tabling during dissolution

26(5) A report or document may not be deposited with the Clerk under this Rule during a dissolution period.

Recorded in Votes and Proceedings

26(6) A record of any report or document deposited with the Clerk must be entered in the Votes and Proceedings.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS

Ministerial Statements

27(1) Each sitting day, Ministers of the Crown may make statements or announcements of Government policy.

Notice of Ministerial Statement

27(2) The Government must provide written notice to the Speaker, all Recognized Parties, and any Independent Member(s) of the intention to deliver a Ministerial Statement 90 minutes before Routine Proceedings. The notice must include the subject matter of the statement.

Comment by Opposition Party

27(3) A spokesperson for each Recognized Opposition Party may make a brief comment about the Minister’s announcement or statement. The spokesperson may speak for no longer than the Minister spoke.

Including names in Hansard Transcript

27(4) If a Member indicates that they wish to include in the Hansard transcript the names of individuals referenced in their statement or their response, up to 50 names will be permitted and included in the transcript. Members are responsible for the accuracy of their lists, which must be in a legible form and be provided to Hansard before 5:00 p.m. on the same sitting day the Statement is read in the House.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

Members’ Statements – Limitations

28(1)(a) On each sitting day, up to five Members may be recognized to make a Member’s Statement on any matter;

(b) Each statement shall be no more than two minutes in duration.

Restrictions on scope

28(2) A Minister of the Crown may not use the time allotted for Members’ Statements to comment on government policy or ministerial or departmental action.

Including names in Hansard Transcript

28(3) If a Member indicates that they wish to include in the Hansard transcript the names of individuals referenced in their statement, up to 50 names will be permitted and printed. Members are responsible for the accuracy of their lists, which must be in a legible form and be provided to Hansard before 5:00 p.m. on the same sitting day the Statement is read in the House.

ORAL QUESTIONS

Oral Questions

29(1) The time allowed for Oral Questions shall not exceed 40 minutes.

Rules of debate apply

29(2) The rules of debate shall apply to Oral Questions.

Time limits on questions and answers

29(3) Questions and answers in Oral Questions shall not:

(a) exceed 60 seconds for Leaders of Recognized Parties;

(b) exceed 45 seconds for other Members and Ministers.

Order of questions

29(4) Following a general election and before the first House sitting period, the House Leaders must jointly advise the Speaker of the order, by party, in which questions will be asked during Oral Questions. The order will be followed for the duration of each Legislature, unless the composition of the parties in the House changes, in which case the House Leaders must, before the next House sitting, advise the Speaker of any change to the order in which questions are to be asked.

Prohibition on Points of Order and Matters of Privilege during Oral Questions

29(5) The Speaker shall not consider Points of Order or Matters of Privilege during Oral Questions.

GRIEVANCES

One Grievance per session

30(1) Each Member may raise one Grievance during a session of the Assembly.

Speaking time

30(2) Members may speak for no longer than 10 minutes on a Grievance.

No restriction on subject matter

30(3) There shall be no restriction on the subject matter raised in a Grievance.

No restriction on number of Grievances daily

30(4) There shall be no restriction on the number of Grievances that may be raised on any given day.

Terminated same day

30(5) A Grievance is terminated when the House adjourns and shall not be continued or resumed at the next or any subsequent sitting of the House.

Restrictions

30(6) Grievances shall not be considered

(a) while the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne is listed on the Order Paper; or

(b) while the motion for approval by the House in general of the budgetary policy of the Government is listed on the Order Paper, but Grievances shall be called on the day the Budget is delivered.

OPPOSITION DAY MOTIONS

Number of Opposition Days

31(1) In each session there shall be up to three sitting days to be known as Opposition Days.

Distribution of Opposition Days

31(2) The Official Opposition shall be entitled to not less than two Opposition Days in each session and the second largest Recognized Opposition Party shall be entitled to one Opposition Day in each session. If there is only one Recognized Opposition Party it could be entitled to all three Opposition Days.

Filing of Motion during session

31(3) During a sessional period, an Opposition Day Motion shall be filed with the Clerk on a sitting day before the House adjourns, or before the usual adjournment hour, whichever is later.

Filing of Motion between sessions

31(4) Between sessional periods, an Opposition Day Motion must be filed with the Clerk before 12:00 noon on the last business day before the sessional period begins.

Placing on the Order Paper

31(5) An Opposition Day Motion shall be placed on the Order Paper on the first sitting day after it is filed despite sub-rules 64(1) and 68(2).

Consideration of Motion

31(6) Subject to sub-rule (12), an Opposition Day Motion shall be considered on the same day it appears on the Order Paper.

Notifying House Leaders

31(7) The Clerk shall notify House Leaders and Independent Members on the day an Opposition Day Motion is filed.

Time limit

31(8) During debate of an Opposition Day Motion, no Member shall speak longer than 10 minutes.

Not for Second Reading or Concurrence and Third Reading

31(9) No motion under this Rule shall be for Second Reading or Concurrence and Third Reading of a Bill.

Not a non-confidence motion

31(10) No motion under this Rule shall be a motion of non-confidence in the Government.

Jurisdictional limit

31(11) A motion under this Rule may only concern a matter that comes within the administrative responsibilities of the Government.

Restrictions

31(12) No sitting day shall be designated an Opposition Day during consideration of

(a) the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne;

(b) the motion to approve in general the budgetary policy of the Government; or

One only per week

31(13) Only one Opposition Day may be designated during any week the House meets.

First item of business

31(14) A motion to be debated on an Opposition Day shall be considered as the first item of business under Orders of the Day.

Debate limited to one sitting day

31(15) Debate on an Opposition Day Motion is to be limited to one sitting day. The House shall not adjourn until all Members have had an opportunity to speak to the motion. When there are no further speakers in the debate, the Speaker shall put the question.

Amendments not allowed

31(16) A motion under this Rule cannot be amended.

ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

Precedence generally

32(1) All items standing on the Orders of the Day, except Government Business, shall be taken up according to the precedence assigned to each on the Order Paper.

Precedence of Government Business

32(2) When Government Business has precedence, items of Government Business and Private Members’ Business may be called in such sequence as the Government determines.

Orders not taken up

33 Subject to sub-rule 24(5), any business listed under sub-rule 24(2) not taken up or proceeded with when called may be allowed to stand and retain its precedence.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' RESOLUTIONS

Definition of "resolution"

34(1) In this Rule, "resolution" means a vote, motion, resolution or address, but does not include a motion for the First, Second or Concurrence and Third Reading of the Bill, or a motion to refer a Bill to a Committee.

Submitting a resolution

34(2) Each Private Member may submit one resolution in each legislative session to the Clerk, who shall determine if it is procedurally correct. A resolution under this Rule may not have more than one “Resolved” clause.

Moving a resolution

34(3) When moving a resolution in the House, a Member is only required to read the “Resolved” clause, but the entire text of the resolution – including the “Whereas” clauses – shall be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings and Hansard.

Resolutions cannot be amended

34(4) Resolutions cannot be amended, unless by unanimous consent of the House.

Time limit of debate

34(5) Each resolution is to be considered for no more than three hours. At the end of the three hours of debate, or if there are no more Members wishing to speak, the Speaker must put the question.

Private Members’ Resolution Question Period

34(6) Following a Sponsor’s opening speech, a question period of up to 10 minutes on the resolution may occur. This 10 minute question period shall count as part of the three hours of debate on the Resolution.

During this question period

(a) questions may be addressed to the Sponsor by any Member in the following sequence:

(i) the first question may be asked by a Member from another party,

(ii) any subsequent questions must follow a rotation between parties;

(b) each Independent Member may ask one question; and

Tuesdays — Government Resolutions

34(7) Each Tuesday the Government House Leader or designate shall announce in the House which resolution will be debated during Private Members' Business on the following Tuesday morning.

Thursdays — Opposition Resolutions

34(8) If there is one Recognized Opposition Party, each Thursday the Opposition House Leader or designate shall announce in the House which resolution will be debated during Private Members' Business on the following Thursday morning.

Opposition Resolutions — more than one Recognized Opposition Party

34(9) If there is more than one Recognized Opposition Party, the Opposition House Leaders must submit to the Speaker an agreement that specifies which party's private member resolutions will be debated during Private Members' Business on each Thursday morning during the session. The House Leader of the party whose members' resolutions are to be debated the following Thursday morning shall make the announcement required under sub-rule (8).

Private Members’ Resolutions – intersessional notice

34(10) Pursuant to sub-rules (7) and (8), and despite sub-rules 64(3) and 68(2), when a sitting period resumes during a week when Private Members’ Business would be considered

(a) by 12:00 noon two business days before the sitting period begins, a House Leader or designate shall file with the Clerk’s Office the Resolution to be debated during the first Tuesday and Thursday of the Private Members’ Business sitting;

(b) by 4:30 p.m. two business days before the sitting period begins, a copy of the filed Resolutions must be provided by the Clerk’s office to the House Leaders of all Recognized Parties and to Independent Members; and

(c) resolutions filed during an intersessional period shall appear on the Order Paper on the first Tuesday and Thursday of Private Members’ Business, without appearing on the Notice Paper.

Independent Member Resolutions

34(11) One resolution submitted by each Independent Member will be scheduled for debate on a Tuesday morning and announced by the Government House Leader.

Seconder not required

34(12) Despite sub-rule 69(1), an Independent Member will not require a seconder to move their resolution.

Resolutions not disposed of

34(13) When a resolution is called for the first time by a House Leader of a Recognized Party during a Private Members' Hour, and

(a) the resolution is not disposed of within that hour; or

(b) the Member is not present or does not proceed with the resolution at that time;

the resolution is to be placed on the Order Paper at the bottom of the list of resolutions.

Request to "stand" or "adjourn" matters

34(14) Despite sub-rule 38(1), during Private Members' Business, no Member may ask that a matter be allowed to "stand" and no motion to "adjourn" can be made respecting a resolution.

BUDGET SPEECH DEBATE

Presentation of Budget

35(1) The Budget shall not be presented until the debate on the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne is concluded.

Motion for Budget Address

35(2) The Address on the Budget shall be preceded by the following motion “THAT this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the Government”.

Limitation on debate

35(3) The debate on the motion for approval by the House in general of the budgetary policy of the Government, and any amendments thereto, shall not exceed six sitting days, including the day of the presentation of the Budget.

One amendment and sub-amendment

35(4) Only one amendment and one sub-amendment may be accepted to the motion for approval by the House, in general, of the budgetary policy of the Government.

Precedence on Order Paper

35(5) The Order of the Day for resuming debate on the motion for approval by the House in general of the budgetary policy of the Government, and any amendments thereto, shall take precedence over all other motions for the same day.

Interrupting debate

35(6) Despite sub-rule (5), the Government House Leader may interrupt the debate on as many as two sitting days to call Government business.

Disposal of questions

35(7) On the sixth of the six days, at 30 minutes before the usual adjournment hour, unless debate has previously been concluded, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and forthwith put every question necessary to dispose of the main motion, and any amendments thereto. The House shall not adjourn until all the required actions have taken place.

Speaking times in debate

35(8) No Member may speak for more than 20 minutes in this debate.

Exceptions

35(9) The 20-minute limit does not apply to:

(a) Leaders of Recognized Parties;

(b) a Minister moving the Budget motion.

A Leader who has not yet spoken in this debate may, by giving written notice to the Speaker before speaking in the debate, designate one Member of their caucus who may speak in the debate with unlimited time. In this instance, the 20-minute limit will then apply to the Leader.

Termination of debate

35(10) On the eighth sitting day after the main motion has been moved, at 30 minutes before the usual adjournment hour, unless debate has previously been concluded, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and forthwith put every question necessary to dispose of the main motion, and any amendments thereto. The Speaker shall not hear Points of Order or Matters of Privilege until all questions relating to this debate have been disposed of. The House shall not adjourn until all the required actions have taken place.

GENERAL

Reading Orders of the Day

36 A motion for reading the Orders of the Day has precedence over any motion before the House.

Matter of Privilege

37(1) When a Matter of Privilege arises it shall be taken into consideration immediately, except during Oral Questions.

Motion required

37(2) A submission from a Member raising a Matter of Privilege should conclude with a motion giving the House power to impose a reparation or apply a remedy.

Rulings subject to challenge

37(3) The Speaker shall determine if a prima facie case of privilege has been established and provide the House with a rationale for this decision. Rulings of the Chair dealing with Matters of Privilege may be challenged by:

(a) a House Leader from a Recognized Party; or

(b) any Member with the support of three other Members.

Adjournment of debate

38(1) A motion to adjourn a debate is always in order.

Adjournment of the House

38(2) A motion to adjourn the House shall not be made until the Orders of the Day have been entered upon.

MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Setting aside regularly scheduled business of the House

39(1) After Petitions, any Member may move to set aside the regularly scheduled business of the House to discuss a Matter of Urgent Public Importance, of which the Member has given prior notice to the Speaker not less than 90 minutes prior to the start of Routine Proceedings.

Explanation of motion

39(2) A Member making a motion under sub-rule (1) may explain arguments in favour of the Member’s motion in not more than 10 minutes, and one Member from each of the other recognized parties in the House may state the position of their party with respect to the motion in not more than 10 minutes.

Procedure on motion

39(3) After any explanation made under sub-rule (2), the Speaker shall rule on whether or not the motion under sub-rule (1) is in order and of urgent public importance, and if the Speaker rules in favour of the motion, the Speaker will then put the question “Shall the debate proceed?” to a vote of the House.

Idem

39(4) If the House determines by its vote to set aside the regularly scheduled business of the House to debate a Matter of Urgent Public Importance, each Member who wishes to speak in the debate shall be limited to 10 minutes. The debate on the Matter of Urgent Public Importance shall not exceed two hours in duration. On conclusion of the debate the House shall proceed to Orders of the Day.

Restriction on motion

39(5) The right to move to set aside the regularly scheduled business of the House for the purpose mentioned in sub-rule (1) is subject to the following restrictions

(a) not more than one such motion may be made at the same sitting;

(b) not more than one matter may be discussed on the same motion;

(d) the motion shall not anticipate a matter that has previously been appointed for consideration by the House, or with reference to which a notice of motion has previously been given and not withdrawn;

(e) the motion shall not raise a Question of Privilege; and

(f) the discussion under the motion may not raise any question that, according to the Rules, may be debated only on a distinct motion under notice.

Business not to stand over

39(6) Any debate on a motion made under sub-rule (1) is terminated when the time allotted for the debate has expired, or when the House adjourns on the day of the debate prior to the expiration of the two-hour time limit, and shall not be continued or resumed at the next or any subsequent sitting of the House.

CHAPTER III – RULES OF DEBATE

MEMBERS SPEAKING

Order in addressing the Chair

40 Every Member in the Chamber wishing to speak shall rise in their place and address themselves to the Speaker. Members participating virtually shall signal their intention to speak and should speak from a seated position once recognized.

Tabling documents

41(1) A Member presenting a report or document to the House must state that they are “tabling” the report or document.

Sufficient Copies

41(2) Members must provide sufficient copies of any report or document that is provided to the House for tabling. Sufficient copies will be determined by the Speaker in consultation with the House Leaders of all Recognized Parties.

No requirement to table documents twice

41(3) Members are not required to table reports or documents that have already been tabled or are already part of the public record.

Recorded only once

41(4) Any report or document tabled more than once does not need to be recorded again as a Sessional Paper or Tabled Paper.

Tabling documents quoted from

41(5) Where in a debate a Member directly quotes from private documents, including digital representation or correspondence, any other Member may require the Member who is speaking to table a copy of the document quoted.

Relevancy

42 Speeches shall be directed to the question under consideration or to a motion or amendment that the Member speaking intends to move, or to a Point of Order.

Questions not to be revived or anticipated

43 No Member shall revive a debate already concluded during the session or anticipate a matter appointed for consideration of which notice has been given.

SPEECHES LIMITED TO 30 MINUTES

30-minute limit

44(1) Unless otherwise stated in these Rules, no Member may speak for more than 30 minutes in any debate.

Exceptions

44(2) The 30-minute limit does not apply to:

(a) Leaders of Recognized Parties;

(b) a Minister moving a motion;

A Leader of a Recognized Party who has not yet spoken in a debate may, by giving written notice to the Speaker before speaking in the debate, designate one Member of their caucus who may speak in the debate with unlimited time. In this instance, the 30-minute limit will then apply to the Leader.

10-minute limit during Private Members’ Hour

44(3) No Member may speak for more than 10 minutes

(a) during a Private Members’ Hour; or

(b) in a debate on an item of Private Members’ business called by the Government outside a Private Members’ Hour.

General rule on rotation

44(4) When a Member speaks in a debate, in the absence of a debate rotation, the Speaker must not recognize another Member from the same party to speak until an opportunity to speak has been provided to Member from another party or an Independent Member.

Exception: splitting 30-minute limit

44(5) Except during the debate on the motions for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne and the Budget, on being recognized to speak, a Member may inform the Speaker that they are dividing the 30-minute limit equally with another Member of the same party. Such speeches must be given consecutively without rotation among the parties. A Member who speaks within that 30-minute limit may not speak again in the debate except as permitted by Rule 59 (Member may explain speech if misquoted or misunderstood).

THRONE SPEECH DEBATE

Limitation of debate on Address in Reply to Throne Speech

45 The proceedings on the Order of the Day for presenting and debating the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, and on any amendments proposed thereto, shall not exceed six sitting days.

One amendment and sub-amendment

46 Only one amendment and one sub-amendment may be accepted to the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne.

Precedence on Order Paper

47(1) The Order of the Day for resuming debate on the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne shall take precedence over all other motions for the same day.

Interrupting debate for Government business

47(2) Despite sub-rule (1), the Government House Leader may interrupt the debate on as many as two sitting days to call Government business.

Disposal of questions

47(3) On the sixth of the six days, at 30 minutes before the usual adjournment hour, unless debate has previously been concluded, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and forthwith put every question necessary to dispose of the main motion, and any amendments thereto. The House shall not adjourn until all the required actions have taken place.

Speaking times in debate

47(4) No Member may speak for more than 20 minutes in this debate.

Exceptions

47(5) The 20-minute limit does not apply to Leaders of Recognized Parties.

A Leader who has not yet spoken in this debate may, by giving written notice to the Speaker, designate one Member of their caucus who may speak in the debate for as long as the Member wishes. If the Member then speaks in the debate, the 20-minute limit applies to the Leader.

Termination of debate

47(6) On the eighth sitting day after the main motion has been moved, at 30 minutes before the usual adjournment hour, unless debate has previously been concluded, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and forthwith put every question necessary to dispose of the main motion, and any amendments thereto. The Speaker shall not hear Points of Order or Matters of Privilege until all questions relating to this debate have been disposed of. The House shall not adjourn until all the required actions have taken place.

DEBATABLE MOTIONS

Debatable motions

48(1) The following motions are debatable, that is to say, every motion

(a) standing on the Orders of the Day;

(b) for the concurrence in a report of a Standing or Special Committee;

(d) for the Previous Question, subject to sub-rule 77(14);

(e) for the Second Reading of a Bill;

(f) for the Concurrence and Third Reading of a Bill;

(g) for the setting aside of the ordinary business of the House when made for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance;

(h) for the adoption in Committee of Supply, or in any other Committee of the Whole House, of the resolution, clause, section, preamble or title under consideration;

(i) for the appointment of a Committee;

(j) for the reference to a Committee of a report or any return tabled in the House; and

(k) for the suspension of any rule of the House;

and any other motion made upon routine proceedings as may be required for the observance of the proprieties of the House, the maintenance of its authority, the appointment or conduct of its officers, the management of its business, the arrangement of its proceedings, the correctness of its records, the fixing of its sitting days or the times of its meeting or adjournment.

Non-debatable motions

48(2) All other motions, including adjournment motions, shall be decided without debate or amendment.

Constitutional Amendment Motion

49(1) Debate on a government motion proposing amendment to the Constitution Act of Canada pursuant to Part V of that Act, and on any amendments proposed to that motion, shall take precedence over all other business for 10 sitting days unless debate has been concluded previously.

Referral to Committee

49(2) Prior to the sixth day of debate on such a motion, that motion shall be referred to a Standing or Special Committee of the House ordered to receive submissions from the general public and to report back to the House.

Not to be moved during Throne Speech Debate

49(3) No such motion shall be introduced while the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne is on the Orders of the Day for consideration by the House.

Not to be moved during Budget Speech Debate

49(4) No such motion shall be introduced while the motion for approval by the House in general of the budgetary policy of the Government is on the Orders of the Day for consideration by the House.

TIME ALLOCATION FOR BILLS AND MOTIONS

Time allocation for Bills and motions

50(1) During Orders of the Day, the Government House Leader may propose a time allocation motion allotting a specified number of hours to consider and dispose of the proceedings on a government Bill or government motion.

If the Government House Leader is absent, another Minister may propose the motion.

Reasons for motion

50(2) The Government House Leader or other Minister proposing the motion may state the reasons for a time allocation motion, and one Member of each Recognized Opposition Party may respond. No speech may exceed 10 minutes.

No amendment or debate

50(3) A time allocation motion cannot be amended, and cannot be debated except as described in sub-rule (2).

Vote cannot be deferred

50(4) A vote on a time allocation motion cannot be deferred despite Rule 14.

When notice can be given

50(5) Notice of a time allocation motion cannot be given

(a) for proceedings on a Bill, until two weeks have elapsed since the Bill was distributed in the House, and the Speaker has called the Bill for debate at least three times; and

(b) for any other government motion, unless debate on the motion has begun.

Exception for supply Bill

50(6) Sub-rule (5) does not apply to a supply Bill or a Bill to implement the budget.

May cover one or more stages of a Bill

50(7) A time allocation motion for a Bill may cover the proceedings at one or more stages of the Bill’s consideration. A motion covering more than one stage must specify the time allocated to each of them.

No time allocation for certain Bills

50(8) A time allocation motion cannot be made for a Bill that

(a) provides for privatizing a Crown corporation; or

(b) amends, repeals or overrides the referendum requirements of The Fiscal Responsibility and Taxpayer Protection Act or The Manitoba Hydro Act, or any Act that requires a referendum before a Crown corporation is privatized.

100 hours of estimates not affected

50(9) A time allocation motion cannot have the effect of reducing the 100 hours allowed under Rule 76 for considering estimates and supply Bills.

CLOSURE OF DEBATE

Closure of debate

51(1) Immediately before the Order of the Day for resuming an adjourned debate is called, or if the House is in Committee of Supply or any other Committee of the Whole House, a Minister of the Crown who has given notice at a previous sitting of their intention to do so, may move that the debate shall not be further adjourned, or that further consideration of any resolutions, clauses, sections, preambles or titles shall be the first business of the Committee and shall not be further postponed. In either case the question shall be decided without debate or adjournment.

Effect of adoption of closure motion

51(2) Where the motion for closure is resolved in the affirmative, no Member shall thereafter speak more than once, or longer than 30 minutes in any such adjourned debate; or, if in Committee, on any such resolution, clause, section, preamble or title; and if the adjourned debate or postponed consideration has not been resumed or concluded before 2:00 a.m., no Member shall speak after that hour, but all such questions as must be decided in order to conclude the adjourned debate or postponed consideration shall be decided forthwith.

QUESTIONS OF ORDER DURING DEBATE

Procedure on Point of Order

52(1) A Member addressing the House, if called to order by either the Speaker or on a Point of Order raised by another Member, shall cede the floor while the Point of Order is being stated.

Debate

52(2) The Speaker may permit debate on the Point of Order before giving a decision, but the debate must be strictly relevant to the Point of Order.

Decision

52(3) The Speaker shall decide the Point of Order and the Speaker’s decision is not subject to appeal to the House and cannot be debated.

Points of Order ruled on by Chairperson

52(4) Rulings on Points of Order by a Chairperson in Committee of Supply and in Committee of the Whole House are not subject to appeal, while rulings of a Chairperson on Points of Order in a Standing Committee can be appealed.

Irrelevance and repetition in debate

53 The Speaker or the Chairperson of any Committee, after having called the attention of the House, or of the Committee, to the conduct of a Member who persists in irrelevance or repetition, may direct the Member to discontinue speaking; and if the Member still continues to speak, if in the House, the Speaker shall name the Member, and, if in Committee, the Chairperson shall report the matter to the House.

DECORUM IN DEBATE

Conduct during the putting of the question

54(1) When putting the question, the Speaker should be heard in silence.

Disrespectful or offensive language

54(2) No Member shall speak disrespectfully of the reigning monarch or any other Member of the Royal Family, or of the Governor-General, or of the Lieutenant Governor or the person administering the Government of Manitoba, or use offensive words against the House, or against any Member thereof.

No interruption except on Point of Order

55 When a Member is speaking, no Member shall interrupt, except to raise a Point of Order or a Matter of Privilege.

Maintenance of order

56(1) When any matter is being debated, the Member who has been recognized by the Speaker holds the floor until their time has elapsed or the House rises. With the exception of raising a Point of Order or Matter of Privilege, if another Member seeks to interrupt the Member holding the floor the Speaker shall call the second Member to order.

Unanimous consent

56(2) Unanimous consent of the House shall be considered to be given only after the Speaker has put the question to that effect and which has received the unanimous affirmative vote of all the Members present at the time when the question was put.

Private conversations

57 No Member shall engage in private conversation in such a manner as to interrupt the business of the House.

READING THE QUESTION

Reading the question

58 When the question under discussion does not appear on the Order Paper, or has not been distributed, any Member may require it to be read at any time of the debate, but not so as to interrupt a Member while speaking.

MEMBERS NOT TO SPEAK TWICE, REPLY

No Member to speak twice

59 No Member may speak twice to a question except in explanation of a material part of the Member’s speech in which the Member may have been misquoted or misunderstood, but the Member shall not then introduce any new matter, and no debate shall be allowed upon the explanation.

Replies

60(1) Subject to sub-rule (2), a Member who has moved a substantive motion or the Second Reading of a Bill may reply but not a Member who has moved an Order of the Day (not being the Second Reading of a Bill), an amendment, the previous question, an adjournment during a debate, or an instruction to a Committee.

Reply where debate adjourned

60(2) Subject to Rule 51, the mover of a substantive motion may reply although the debate thereon, by being adjourned, becomes an Order of the Day.

Reply closing debate

60(3) The reply of the mover of the original motion closes the debate, but the Speaker shall see that every Member wishing to speak has the opportunity to do so before the final reply.

CHAPTER IV

WRITTEN QUESTIONS

Written Questions

61(1) Each Member may place up to five Written Questions on the Order Paper per session. A Written Question may seek information from

(a) a Minister of the Crown relating to public affairs; or

(b) another Member relating to any Bill, motion or other public matter connected with the business of the House in which the Member may be concerned.

In putting any such Written Question, or replying to it, no argument or opinion shall be offered or any facts stated, except so far as may be necessary to explain it.

Responses by Members

61(2) A Member replying to a Written Question must do so within 30 days of the Written Question appearing on the Order Paper. If the reply is received when the House is not sitting, the Clerk shall provide the answer in writing to the Member who asked the question, while also notifying all Recognized Party Caucuses and Independent Members that a reply has been received and is available upon request.

Written Questions listed

61(3) A Written Question that remains unanswered will be listed on the Order Paper once every two weeks.

Replying to Written Questions

61(4) A Member replying to a Written Question shall table the answer in the House or, if the House is not in session, follow established intersessional tabling provisions in accordance with sub-rule 26(3).

CHAPTER V

CONDOLENCE MOTIONS

Condolence Motions

62(1) A condolence motion is to be considered during the Fall Sittings. A condolence motion may be considered during the Spring Sittings only by unanimous consent.

Notice not required

62(2) Despite Rule 64, a condolence motion is moved without notice during Orders of the Day.

No amendments

62(3) A condolence motion is not subject to amendments and speaking time limits do not apply.

Moment of silence

63 At the conclusion of the speeches the Speaker puts the question and asks Members to signify their approval of the motion by rising in their places for a moment of silence.

CHAPTER VI

NOTICES AND UNANIMOUS CONSENT

One-day notice of motion

64(1) One day’s notice must be given of the following motions:

(a) to introduce a public Bill other than a supply Bill;

(b) under Rule 50(1) (time allocation motion);

(d) to appoint a committee;

(e) to place a Written Question on the Order Paper.

Notice during sessional period

64(2) A notice under sub-rule (1) that is filed during a sessional period must

(a) be filed with the Clerk on a sitting day before the House adjourns, or before the usual adjournment hour, whichever is later; and

(b) be printed in the Notice Paper for the next sitting day and placed on the Order Paper for the next sitting day after that.

Notice between sessional periods

64(3) Between sessional periods, the notice must be filed with the Clerk before 12:00 noon on the last working day before the sessional period begins.

If the House is being recalled under sub-rule 2(4), the notice must be placed on the Order Paper for the first sitting day. In any other case, the notice must be printed in the Notice Paper

(a) for the first sitting day, in the case of a session being re-convened;

(b) for the second sitting day, in the case of a Second Session or a later session of the Legislature; and

and must be placed on the Order Paper for the next sitting day after that.

Motion without notice by leave

65 A motion may, in the case of urgent and pressing necessity previously explained by the mover, be made by unanimous consent of the House without notice having been given under Rule 64.

CHAPTER VII

MOTIONS: AMENDMENTS

Motion imposing public aid or charge

66 Any vote, resolution, address or Bill introduced in the House for the appropriation of any part of the public revenue, or of any tax or impost to any purpose whatsoever, or to impose any new or additional charge upon the public revenue or upon the people, or to release or compound any sum of money due to the Crown, or to grant any property of the Crown, or to authorize any loan or any charge upon the credit of His Majesty in right of the Province, shall be recommended to the House by a message from the Lieutenant Governor before it is considered by the House.

Abstract motion

67(1) A resolution may be moved contemplating a possible future grant without being recommended to the House by a message from the Lieutenant Governor, if it is couched in such general terms or language as merely to express an abstract opinion and is not binding upon the House.

Decrease in expenditure or removal or reduction in exception from a tax

67(2) No Member, who is not a Minister of the Crown shall move any amendment to a Bill or to estimates that increases any expenditure or varies a tax or a rate of tax or provides an exemption or increases an exemption from a tax or a proposed tax, but a Member who is not a Minister of the Crown may move an amendment to a Bill that decreases an expenditure or that removes or reduces an exemption from a tax or a proposed tax.

Motions to be in writing

68(1) All motions, except motions to adjourn a debate or to adjourn the House, shall be in writing.

If filed with the Clerk

68(2) A motion requiring notice must be filed with the Clerk. If the motion meets procedural requirements, the notice is to be reproduced on the Notice Paper and placed on the Order Paper as described in Rule 64.

Amendments

68(3) A motion to amend a motion shall be delivered to the Speaker at the time it is moved.

Motion moved and seconded

69(1) Motions shall be moved and seconded before being debated. Members must be at or in their seats to move or second a motion.

Motion put before debate

69(2) Motions shall be put from the Chair before being debated.

Same question not to be put twice

70 A motion shall not be made if the subject matter thereof has been decided by the House during the same session.

Motions during a debate

71 When a question is under debate, no motion shall be made except

(a) to amend it;

(b) to postpone it to a day certain;

(d) for reading the Orders of the Day;

(e) for proceeding to another Order;

(f) to adjourn the debate; or

(g) to adjourn the House.

Withdrawing motions

72 A Member who had made a motion may withdraw it with the unanimous consent of the House.

Motion to commit Bill, etc.

73 A motion to refer a Bill, resolution, or question to a Committee, until decided, precludes amendment of the main question.

THE PREVIOUS QUESTION

Form of the previous question

74(1) The previous question, until it is decided, precludes all amendments of the main question, and shall be in the following words: “That this question be now put”.

Procedure where affirmed

74(2) Where the previous question is resolved in the affirmative, the original question shall be put forthwith without any amendment or debate.

CHAPTER VIII

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

Membership and Quorum

75(1) All MLAs are considered Members of a Committee of the Whole House, and a quorum of at least 10 Members is required for the Committee to sit and conduct its business. For the Committee of Supply, quorum consists of 10 Members in total participating in the proceedings in all three sections.

Rules observed in a Committee of the Whole House

75(2) The Rules of the House shall be followed in a Committee of the Whole House, as applicable, with the following exceptions:

(a) Members participating in the Chamber are not required to rise in their place to speak;

(b) a Seconder is not required for moving motions;

(d) with the exception of opening statements in the Committee of Supply (see sub-rule 77(2)), speeches in a Committee of the Whole House shall not exceed five minutes.

Relevance in debate

75(3) Speeches in a Committee of the Whole House must be strictly relevant to the item or clause under discussion.

Order in a Committee of the Whole House

75(4) The Chairperson of a Committee of the Whole House shall maintain order and decide all questions of order, and such decisions are not subject to appeal, in accordance with sub-rule 52(4). Subject to Rule 18(2), disorder in a Committee of the Whole House may be censured by the House only after it has received a report on the disorder.

Officials in the Committee of Supply

75(5) During the consideration of Departmental Estimates in the Committee of Supply, officials of the Government and of a Recognized Opposition Party as required by a Minister or a Critic may be admitted to the Legislative Chamber. They must be seated at a table placed in front of the Minister or Critic. This sub-rule does not apply during opening statements or the debate on a Minister’s salary.

Business of Supply

76(1) The business of supply for a fiscal year consists of:

(a) motions to concur in interim supply, main estimates and supplementary estimates;

(b) motions to reduce, restore or reinstate any item in the estimates;

Estimates referred to Committee of Supply

76(2) When the estimates and the accompanying messages from the Lieutenant Governor are tabled in the House, they stand referred to the Committee of Supply.

100-hour limit for business of supply

76(3) In each session, no more than 100 hours in total are to be allowed for consideration of the business of supply, other than

(a) the concurrence motion under Rule 78;

(b) the motion for Second Reading of a supply Bill; or

Record of time remaining

76(4) The Clerk shall print in the Order Paper for each sitting day the number of hours and minutes remaining under sub-rule (3).

When time limit expires

76(5) If the business of supply to which the 100-hour limit applies has not been completed when that limit expires, the Chairpersons of a Committee of the Whole House shall immediately put all questions necessary to dispose of the remaining matters. These questions are not subject to debate, amendment or adjournment.

Speeches in Committee of Supply

77(1) With the exception of opening statements, speeches in the Committee of Supply shall not exceed five minutes and must be strictly relevant to the item under discussion.

Opening statements

77(2) Opening statements from Ministers and Critics shall not exceed 10 minutes.

Seating in Chamber section of the Committee of Supply

77(3) During Committee of Supply Sittings in the Chamber, the Minister presenting their estimates and the Critic of that Minister’s department, as well as any other Member participating in the debate, shall be permitted to speak from a place in the front row benches in the Chamber.

Sittings outside Chamber

77(4) The Committee of Supply is authorized to meet outside the Chamber to consider the estimates of government departments.

Concurrent sittings

77(5) The Committee of Supply shall, unless otherwise ordered, sit in three separate sections concurrently, one section in the Chamber and two sections outside the Chamber, to consider the estimates of separate government departments.

No sitting while House in Session

77(6) Neither the Committee of Supply, nor any section of the Committee of Supply, is authorized to sit to consider estimates while the House is in session.

Estimates Sequence

77(7) The sequence in which the Estimates of Expenditure are to be considered by the Committee of Supply will be established by agreement of the House Leaders of all Recognized Parties. If the House Leaders are unable to come to an agreement on the sequence, the Speaker shall determine the sequence in consultation with House Leaders of all Recognized Parties.

Tabling of Estimates Sequence

77(8) Once the Estimates Sequence has been determined, the Government House Leader must table in the House a written agreement listing the sequence, signed by the House Leaders of all Recognized Parties. In the event that the Speaker is required to determine the sequence, they will sign and table the document.

Changes to estimates sequence

77(9) Changes to the estimates sequence may be made only by written agreement of the House Leaders of all Recognized Parties. The Government House Leader shall table the revised estimates sequence in the House or in the Committee of Supply. If the revised sequence is tabled in the Committee of Supply, the Chairperson must report the change to the House on the next sitting day during Committee Reports.

Recorded Votes in Committee of Supply

77(10) Where, immediately following a voice vote, two Members request a recorded vote, the division bells shall summon the Members of all sections of the Committee of Supply to the Chamber, and a division shall take place.

All sections of the Committee of Supply to meet

77(11) For the purposes of conducting a division pursuant to sub-rule (10), all sections of the Committee of Supply must meet together in the Chamber section.

Committee of Supply sitting on Fridays

77(12) When the Committee of Supply sits on a Friday:

(a) no request for a quorum count is permitted;

(b) a motion for the Committee to rise may only be decided on a voice vote;

(i.) be deferred to the next Sitting of the Committee of Supply and be considered then as the first item of business,

(ii.) not be further deferred;

(d) after a division has been deferred, that section of the Committee must rise.

After the Committee of Supply rises on a Friday, no other business may be called in the House.

Reports from the Committee of Supply

77(13) The Chairperson of the Committee of Supply shall report to the House items passed during the consideration of interim and main supply, and shall also report at the conclusion of the estimates process, all resolutions passed and the concurrence motion. The Chairperson shall report Matters of Privilege referred by the Committee as well as incidents of grave disorder.

“Previous Question” in Committee

77(14) Where the motion for the “previous question” is moved in Committee of Supply, or in a section of the Committee of Supply, the motion is not debatable.

Considering departmental estimates

77(15) During the consideration of departmental estimates:

(a) questioning for each department shall proceed in a global manner, with questions put separately on all resolutions once the Official Opposition Critic indicates that questioning has concluded;

(b) if the first resolution for the department contains the Minister’s salary, that resolution shall be deferred until all other resolutions have had their questions put;

(c) line items do not need to be passed, but they may be called for the purpose of asking questions or moving amendments.

Matters under advisement

77(16) During the consideration of departmental estimates and the debate on the concurrence motion in the Committee of Supply, when a Minister takes a question under advisement they must, within 45 days of the question being asked, respond to the question in one of the following ways:

(a) in the Committee of Supply before the conclusion of that department's estimates:

(i) by providing the answer verbally, or

(ii) by tabling the answer;

(b) in the Committee of Supply during the debate on the concurrence motion:

(i) by providing the answer verbally, or

(ii) by tabling the answer;

(i) by tabling an answer in the House, or

(ii) if the House is not in session, by following established intersessional tabling provisions in accordance with sub-rule 26(3).

No debate on report from Supply

77(17) The report on the resolutions considered in the Committee of Supply and on the concurrence motion pursuant to sub-rule 78(1) shall be received by the House without debate.

Concurrence motion in Committee of Supply

78(1) After all supply resolutions have been considered, a concurrence motion must be moved in the Committee of Supply sitting as a full Committee in the Chamber.

Text of motion

78(2) The concurrence motion is to be in the following form:

“THAT the Committee of Supply concur in all supply resolutions relating to the Estimates of Expenditure for the fiscal year ending March 31, (year) which have been adopted at this session, whether by a section of the Committee of Supply or by the full Committee.”

No time limit

78(3) Subject to Rule 50(1), there is no time limit on the debate on the concurrence motion.

Notice before questioning of Ministers

78(4) The Official Opposition House Leader must, by 4:00 p.m. on the previous sitting day, table in the House a list of Ministers of the Crown who may be called for questioning in the debate on the concurrence motion. This list is to be in effect until a new list is tabled.

Notification if Ministers are to be questioned concurrently or sequentially

78(5) More than one Minister can be questioned at the same time on similar or related subject matter; however notice of this arrangement must be provided by the Official Opposition House Leader when tabling the list of Ministers on a previous sitting day. It is to be clearly identified whether Ministers are being questioned concurrently or questioned sequentially.

Committee recess to allow Ministers to attend

78(6) Ministers appearing on the list after the first name listed are not required to be in the Chamber; however the Committee will recess for five minutes to allow the Ministers to attend once their place in the sequence is reached.

Limits on number of times Ministers can be called

78(7) The First Minister is only eligible to be called once on the concurrence list for a maximum of three days, while the other Ministers of the Crown can be called a maximum of three times.

Critic to indicate if questioning is concluded or is to continue

78(8) By the end of each sitting to consider concurrence, the critic conducting the questioning must indicate whether questioning of the current Minister is concluded or is to continue at the next sitting of the committee.

Concurrence motion in the House

79(1) On receipt of a report from the Committee of Supply respecting consideration of a concurrence motion pursuant to sub-rule 78(1) a concurrence motion shall be moved in the House forthwith without notice.

Non-debatable

79(2) A motion pursuant to sub-rule (1) shall not be subject to debate, amendment or adjournment.

Referral of Bills to Committee of the Whole

80 Any Bill after having been read a second time may, on the same day, be referred to the Committee of the Whole. The Committee may then consider all the bills so referred to it, and report the bills along with any amendments to the House immediately after the Committee rises.

Amendments to be reported

81 All amendments made in a Committee of the Whole House shall be reported by the Chairperson to the House, which shall receive the report forthwith.

CHAPTER lX

STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

WITNESSES

Standing Committee Size and Composition

82(1) At the beginning of the first session of each Legislature the House Leaders or designates of all Recognized Parties must meet to consider the size and composition of all Standing Committees of the House (listed below).

Agriculture and Food

Crown Corporations

Human Resources

Intergovernmental Affairs

Justice

Legislative Affairs

Private Bills

Public Accounts

Rules of the House

Social and Economic Development

Statutory Regulations and Orders

The representation of Members on each Committee shall be based on the number of seats each Recognized Party holds in the House. The House Leaders must report this information in writing to the Speaker. In the event of an impasse, the Speaker shall determine the size and composition of all Standing Committees of the House and report that in writing to all Members.

Changes to Standing Committee Size and Composition

82(2) If the House Leaders determine that a change in Standing Committee size and composition is required at any time due to changes in House composition, they must report these changes in writing to the Speaker. In the event of an impasse, the Speaker shall determine the new size and composition of all Standing Committees of the House and report that in writing to all Members.

82(3) Standing Committee size and composition is effective upon receipt of a letter from the House Leaders by the Speaker, or in the event of an impasse, once the Speaker reports to all Members. At the next Sitting, the Speaker must table the Standing Committee membership size and composition.

Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson

82(4) Each Standing or Special Committee shall elect a permanent Chairperson and a permanent Vice-Chairperson at its first meeting in each Legislature, and in the case of a vacancy of either the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson by reason of the incumbent dying, resigning their seat in the Assembly, becoming disqualified from sitting or voting in the Assembly, or resigning from the Committee, the Committee shall forthwith elect a successor.

Vice-Chairperson to act

82(5) If at any meeting of the Committee, the Chairperson is not present, the Vice-Chairperson shall act in the place of the Chairperson.

Examination of Regulations

83(1) All Regulations that, under The Statutes and Regulations Act, stand permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Statutory Regulations and Orders, shall be examined by that Committee.

Principles for consideration of Regulations

83(2) The Committee shall, in examining Regulations and Orders submitted to it, be governed by the following principles

(a) the Regulations should not contain substantive legislation that should be enacted by the Legislature, but should be confined to administrative matters;

(b) the Regulations should be in strict accord with the statute conferring the power and, unless so authorized by the statute, should not have any retroactive effect;

(d) the Regulations should not impose a fine, imprisonment, or other penalty, or shift the onus of proof of innocence onto a person accused of an offence;

(e) a Regulation in respect of personal liberties should be strictly confined to things authorized by statute;

(f) the Regulations should not impose anything in the way of a tax (as distinct from the fixing of the amount of a license fee or the like);

(g) the Regulations should not make any unusual or unexpected use of the delegated power; and

(h) the Regulations should be precise and unambiguous in all parts.

Rules referred

83(3) The Rules, Orders and Forms of Proceeding of the Legislative Assembly stand permanently referred to the Standing Committee on the Rules of the House and shall be examined from time to time by that Committee.

Speaker to be Chairperson

83(4) The Speaker shall be a Member and Chairperson of the Standing Committee on the Rules of the House.

Standing Committee on the Rules of the House to meet twice per year

83(5) After consulting with House Leaders of recognized parties and each Independent Member, the Government House Leader shall call a minimum of two meetings per year of the Standing Committee on the Rules of the House.

Quorum

84(1) Of the number of Members appointed to compose a Committee, a majority of them are a quorum, unless the House otherwise orders.

Committee membership lists

84(2) At least one hour prior to the start of each Committee meeting, the Whip or the Whip’s designate must provide to the Committee Clerk a signed list of Members from their Caucus to serve on the Committee for that particular meeting. Changes can also be made during the meeting by the Whip or Whip’s designate providing written notification to the Chairperson.

Notice of Committee Meetings

84(3) Notice of Committee Meetings shall be provided to the Whip of each caucus.

Right of addressing Committee or putting questions

85 A Member who is not a Member of a Committee may attend for the purpose of addressing the Committee, or of putting questions to witnesses, but shall not be permitted to vote.

Order in Committee and speaking times

86(1) The Chairperson of a Standing or Special Committee of the House, shall maintain order and shall decide all questions of order subject to an appeal to the Committee.

86(2) No MLA attending a Standing or Special Committee meeting may speak for more than 10 minutes at one time in any debate, however there is no limit on the number of times a Member can speak, unless otherwise agreed to by the Committee, subject to sub-rule 91(3).

Voting in Committees

87 All questions before a Committee shall be decided by a majority of votes excluding the vote of the Chairperson of the Committee and when the votes on a question are equal the Chairperson shall cast a deciding vote.

Presentation of Committee Reports

88(1) A report from a Standing or a Special Committee shall be presented by the Chairperson, and shall be read by the Clerk.

If the Chairperson is unable to present, the Vice-Chairperson may present the report. If neither the Chairperson nor the Vice-Chairperson is able to present, any Member who served on the Committee for the meeting(s) reported may present the report.

Concurrence

88(2) Concurrence in a report of a Committee may be moved subsequently after the usual notice has been given.

Idem

88(3) Concurrence moved by the Government shall be debated under “Government Motions”.

Idem

88(4) Concurrence moved by a Private Member will be debated during Private Members’ Business.

Signing of report

89 The report of a Committee shall be signed by the Chairperson only.

Reports not to be amended

90 A report from a Standing or Special Committee shall not be amended by the House, but it may be referred back to the Committee.

Regulations re representations

91(1) Committees may make regulations governing representation to be made by the general public at Committee meetings, and the regulations shall conform with the general guidelines established for the House.

NOTE: It is suggested that such regulations should be read aloud by the Chairperson of the Committee at the commencement of each meeting so that all concerned may be fully aware of any restrictions which are to be placed upon representations by the public.

Presentations to Bills

91(2) After First Reading of a Bill is adopted, members of the public may register to make presentations to a Standing or Special Committee considering a Bill, with the following Rules to apply:

(a) presentations may be made either in person or virtually;

(b) presentations are allowed from presenters residing outside of Manitoba, but only the first two out-of-province presenters may present virtually. All other out-of-province presenters must appear in person unless the House Leaders provide written permission prior to the meeting, or the Committee grants leave.

Hearing presentations on Bills

91(3) The following rules are to apply to each public presentation:

(a) each presenter may use a maximum of 10 minutes to present to the Committee;

(b) with the unanimous consent of the Committee, a presenter who has spoken for 10 minutes may be granted additional time to conclude their presentation;

(c) following each presentation a five-minute question and answer period between the presenter and Members may occur. Questions shall not exceed 45 seconds each.

(d) during question and answer periods on presentations to Government Bills, questions may be addressed to presenters in the following rotation:

i. the Minister sponsoring the Bill, or another Member of their caucus,

ii. a Member of the Official Opposition,

iii. a Member of another Recognized Party (if present),

iv. an Independent Member.

(e) during question and answer periods on presentations to Private Members’ Bills, questions may be addressed to presenters in the following rotation:

i. the Member sponsoring the Bill, or another Member of their caucus,

ii. a Member from each other Recognized Party,

iii. an Independent Member.

If presenter not in attendance

91(4) Except with the unanimous consent of the Committee, if a presenter registered to speak is not present when called to make their presentation, the presenter’s name is to be dropped to the bottom of the list. If the presenter is not in attendance when called a second time, the presenter’s name is to be removed from the list.

Evening Meetings to begin at 6:00 p.m.

91(5) A Standing or Special Committee that meets in the evening to consider a Bill must meet at 6:00 p.m. As an exception, if a Committee considering a Bill in the afternoon has not finished hearing presenters at 6:00 p.m., it may recess and reconvene at 7:00 p.m.

Sitting past midnight

91(6) Except with the unanimous consent of the Committee, a Standing or Special Committee must not hear public presentations past midnight. After concluding public presentations, by unanimous consent the Committee may sit past midnight to consider a Bill clause by clause.

No presenters may register past midnight on the third evening

91(7) After midnight on the third evening that a Standing or Special Committee meets to consider a Bill, no presenter can be registered to make a presentation.

Two days’ notice of meeting

91(8) Two days’ notice must be given in the House of the first meeting of a Standing or Special Committee considering Bills, if presenters are registered to speak when the meeting is set.

CHAPTER X

PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE
STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

Mandate of Committee

92 The mandate of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is to

(a) examine the financial administration of public assets and spending of public funds (including crowns, agencies, recipients of public money);

(b) review amendments to legislation dealing with the responsibilities of the Auditor General after Second Reading and before Report Stage; and

93 The PAC shall not concern itself with policies of the Government or with the rationale of Government programs. The PAC shall focus on administration of Government Policy and ensure that public money for the policies and programs of government is expended in an efficient and economical manner.

Scope of activities

94 To fulfill its mandate the PAC is entitled to examine

(a) the public accounts;

(b) the financial statements of crowns, agencies and recipients of public money; and

95 In examining the documents set out in Rule 94, the PAC may review and evaluate any of the following

(a) the reliability and appropriateness of information in the Public Accounts to provide a full and fair accounting of operations and financial transactions;

(b) the collection of and proper accounting for revenues;

(d) the adequacy of safeguards to protect assets from loss, waste and misappropriation;

(e) the regard for economy in the acquisition of goods and services;

(f) the regard for efficiency in operations respecting the expenditure of public money;

(g) any financial management reforms in Government to determine whether due regard is given to maintaining legislative accountability; and

(h) any matter reported in the Auditor General’s reports.

96 The reviews and evaluations of the PAC may relate to past, current and committed expenditures as referred by the Government House Leader.

97 The PAC shall also examine any other matter that the House refers to it concerning the financial integrity of the administration.

Size and Composition of Committee

98 The PAC shall consist of all recognized parties proportionally represented in relation to the number of seats that each party has in the Legislative Assembly.

99 Cabinet Ministers and Leaders of a Recognized Party in the Legislative Assembly shall be ineligible as Members of the PAC, with the exception of the Minister of Finance.

100(1) Members on the PAC shall serve for a term that is equal to the duration of the Legislature.

100(2) Despite sub-rules (1) and 84(2) each caucus may make up to two membership substitutions per meeting.

101 The Committee’s Chairperson shall be a Member of the Official Opposition and shall be elected by the Committee Members at their first meeting after the commencement of a new Legislature.

102 The Vice-Chairperson shall be a Member of the Government Party and shall be elected by the Members at their first meeting after the commencement of a new Legislature. The Minister of Finance is ineligible for the position of Vice-Chairperson of the PAC.

103 Any MLA may participate in the PAC’s deliberations, but such Members may not vote, move motions or be part of any quorum.

Role of Chairperson

104 The Chair shall play a lead role in all aspects of Committee work and shall be the spokesperson for the Committee. The Chair

(a) shall preside over all meetings;

(b) may propose procedures that will facilitate the operation of the PAC;

(d) shall maintain decorum;

(e) may participate in the questioning of witnesses and in other Committee deliberations; and

(f) shall ensure that political partisanship is minimal.

Role of Vice-Chairperson

105 The Vice-Chairperson shall assume the Chair in the absence of the Chairperson and shall exercise all the rights and privileges of the Chairperson in that person’s absence.

106 The Vice-Chairperson shall assist the Chairperson in the performance of duties.

Steering Committee and Meetings

107(1) At the start of a new Legislature, a Steering Committee consisting of the PAC Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Auditor General, Committee Clerk and Research Officer must be established.

107(2) The Steering Committee will meet in camera at the call of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson to: set meeting agendas, propose witnesses to be called, review sensitive documents, monitor the progress of the Committee’s work and other responsibilities as deemed necessary.

107(3) Once a meeting agenda has been set and jointly agreed to by the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson, the Chairperson, or Vice-Chairperson if the Chairperson is absent, shall give notice of a meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

107(4) A minimum of nine PAC meetings shall be called per year.

108 The PAC may meet when the Legislative Assembly is in session, recessed or prorogued but shall not schedule any meetings during hours when the House is sitting.

109 The Committee may decide to meet outside the Legislative Building on a motion of the House or at the Government House Leader’s discretion.

110 The Auditor General should be in attendance at all PAC meetings to provide advice and opinions and answer questions on matters of accounting, administration and reports issued by the Auditor General, except where the Committee feels the circumstances do not require such attendance.

111 In the spirit of a non-partisan approach, Committee Members should strive to reach a consensus in their deliberations.

In camera meetings and hearings

112 Notwithstanding Rule 113, all meetings of the PAC are open to the public.

113 In camera meetings may be held.

114 The Auditor General shall at the discretion of the Committee, attend all meetings of the Committee that are held in camera.

Minister and Deputy Minister may be called as witnesses

115(1) If an Auditor General's report relates to a government department or agency, the PAC may call as a witness the minister currently responsible for that department or agency.

115(2) If an Auditor General's report makes a recommendation relating to a government department, the PAC may call as an additional witness the current deputy minister for that department, to appear with the minister. The deputy minister may be questioned on matters related to the Auditor General's report recommendations and related matters of administration within the department. Questions of policy must be directed to the minister.

115(3) If an Auditor General's report makes a recommendation relating to a Crown corporation whose annual report stands permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations, the PAC may call as an additional witness the chief executive officer of the corporation, to appear with the minister responsible for the corporation. The officer may be questioned on matters related to the Auditor General's report recommendations and related matters of administration within the corporation. Questions of policy must be directed to the minister.

115(4) Despite sub-rule (1), if the report makes recommendations affecting more than one government department or agency, the chair and vice-chair, on the advice of PAC, may designate the current minister responsible for any of the affected department or agency as the lead minister. If there are areas not yet addressed by the lead minister or deputy minister, the chair and vice-chair, on the advice of PAC, may call as witnesses, to deal with matters not yet addressed,

(a) the minister of any other department affected by the recommendations and, under sub-rule (2), the deputy minister of that department; or

(b) in the case of a Crown corporation referred to in sub-rule (3), the minister responsible for the corporation and, under that sub-rule, the chief executive officer of the corporation.

115(5) The minister and deputy minister may bring to the PAC one or more members of their staff, selected by the minister or deputy minister, to provide advice to the minister or deputy minister on questions posed by committee members.

115(6) The minister responsible for a Crown corporation referred to in sub-rule (3) and the chief executive officer of the corporation may bring to the PAC one or more members of the minister's or corporation's staff, selected by the minister or the officer, as the case may be, to provide advice to the minister or the officer on questions posed by committee members.

Requesting documents

116 The PAC shall have the ability to access all financial information and other documents as it determines necessary for its reviews and evaluations according to The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Requests for review by the Auditor General

117 The PAC may request the Auditor General to perform specific reviews or tasks.

118 Requests to the Auditor General for reviews or special tasks shall be passed as a motion by the whole Committee and terms of reference should be provided to the Auditor General in writing.

Reports to the Legislative Assembly

119 Names of individuals shall not be included in the Committee’s report unless the Committee agrees that the circumstances warrant it.

120 The Committee may refer to any reviews of confidential evidence which it has conducted but shall not include the content of such evidence in its report.

121 The Chairperson shall table reports in the House.

122 The Chairperson may make a short statement on the report to the House, using wording approved by the Committee, when the report is tabled.

123 The report of the PAC may, on motion, be the subject of debate in the House after it is tabled.

124 The Clerk of the PAC shall, on the Committee’s request, send copies of its report to

(a) Members of the Legislative Assembly;

(b) the administrative head of each entity that was the subject of a review by the Committee;

(d) the Auditor General of Manitoba; and

(e) such other persons or organizations as the Committee deems appropriate.

Follow-up on recommendations

125 The PAC may systematically review Government actions and responses to the Committee’s recommendations, in order to complete the accountability cycle.

126 The PAC may keep the House informed on the status of its recommendations through its reports to the House.

Professional development

127 Meetings of the Committee may be held from time to time for professional development purposes at the call of the Government House Leader.

Resources

128 The Committee may endeavour to obtain all necessary resources, including research support to efficiently fulfill its mandate in an effective manner.

CHAPTER XI

PETITIONS

Petition filed with Clerk

129(1) A Member wishing to present a petition to the House must file it with the Clerk at least 24 hours before presenting it.

Form of petition

129(2) A petition must be in the form set out in Appendix A and must be signed by at least 15 petitioners. The names and addresses of 15 petitioners must be legible. If more than one page is required for the signature of petitions, the subject matter of the petition must be indicated on each page. The reverse side of petitions can be used for signatures, provided that the action the Legislative Assembly is being asked to take or not take appears on the top of the reverse side of the page. The signature of the Member must also appear at the top of the original petition. Check marks, ditto marks or similar wording are acceptable for address designations.

Petition for expenditure not admissible

129(3) A petition is not in order if it requests an expenditure, grant or charge on the public revenue, whether out of the Consolidated Fund or out of money provided by the Assembly.

Petition to be examined

129(4) The Clerk must examine each petition filed by a Member to ensure that it complies with these Rules and conforms to the practices and privileges of the House.

If the Clerk is satisfied that it does, the Member’s name is to be printed on the next day’s Order Paper under “Petitions”. If the Clerk is not satisfied, the petition is to be returned to the Member.

Presenting petitions

129(5) When the Speaker calls “Petitions” during Routine Proceedings, any Member whose name appears on the Order Paper under “Petitions” may present their petition. The Member must read the full text of the petition, and may read the names of the first three petitioners.

Petition received

129(6) When the Member reads the petition, it is deemed to be received by the House.

No debate on petition

129(7) There is to be no debate on a petition.

Only one petition per day

129(8) A Member may present only one petition each day to the House.

Only Member may present petition

129(9) A person wishing to have a petition presented to the House must do so through a Member.

CHAPTER XII

PROCEEDINGS ON PUBLIC BILLS

Application of Chapter

130 Except where a provision of Chapter XV is inconsistent with a provision of this Chapter, this Chapter applies to all Bills, whether Public or Private.

Motion for First Reading

131 Every Bill is to be introduced by a motion that specifies the title of the Bill. The motion must be decided without amendment or debate, but the mover may give a brief explanation of the purpose of the Bill.

Bills validating letters patent, by-laws and agreements

132 Where a Bill for validating, ratifying or confirming any letters patent, by-law or agreement is presented to the House, a certified copy of the letters patent, by-law or agreement shall be attached to it.

Second Reading after printing

133(1) Unless otherwise specially ordered or allowed by the House, each Bill shall be printed and distributed in the House before Second Reading.

Bills must be distributed before Second Reading

133(2) A Bill must be printed and distributed in the House at least one day before Second Reading.

Bills amended in Committee may be reprinted

133(3) Where a Bill has been amended in a Committee or at Report Stage, it may be reprinted as amended in the discretion of the Committee or the House, and when the Bill has been sent to be reprinted, it shall be marked on the Orders of the Day “Reprinting Pending” and shall not be further proceeded with until that mark has been removed and the word “Reprinted” substituted, signifying that a Bill has been reprinted and distributed.

Reprinted Bills to be indicated

133(4) Where a Bill is sent to be reprinted, the word “REPRINTED” shall be printed in large type on the face of the reprinted version.

Government Bills Question Period

133(5) Following the Minister’s opening speech on the Second Reading of a Government Bill, a question period of up to 15 minutes on the Bill may occur.

During this question period:

(a) one question at a time may be addressed to the Minister by any Member in the following sequence:

(i) first question asked by the Official Opposition critic or designate,

(ii) subsequent questions asked by critic(s) or designate(s) from other Recognized Opposition Parties,

(iii) subsequent questions asked by each Independent Member,

(iv) remaining questions asked by any opposition Members;

(b) no question or answer shall exceed 45 seconds.

Three readings before passing

134(1) Every Bill, other than a Supply Bill, shall receive three separate readings on different days before being passed.

Urgent cases

134(2) By leave of the House, a Bill may be read twice or thrice, or advanced two or more stages in one day.

Two readings before committal

134(3) Every Bill shall be read twice in the House before being referred to a Committee or amended.

Committal to Committee

134(4) Every Bill, after having been read a second time, shall stand referred to a committee.

Order of consideration of a Bill

135(1) In considering a Bill in any Committee of the House, whether Standing, Special or of the Whole House, consideration of the title, the preamble and the first clause, if it contains only a short title, shall be postponed and after every other clause is considered by the Committee in its proper order, the first clause, if it contains only a short title, the preamble and the title shall be considered last.

Chairperson to sign Bill

135(2) The Chairperson of a Committee to which a Bill is referred, shall sign with their full signature the House copy of each Bill reported by the Committee on which the amendments and corrections to the Bill, if any, are fairly inserted and shall also initial the several amendments or corrections made and the clauses added by Committee.

Report on Bills

135(3) All amendments made to a Bill in any Committee shall be reported to the House on the sitting day following the conclusion of the Bill’s review by the committee, and every Bill reported from any Committee, whether amended or not, shall be received by the House on report thereof.

Report Stage

135(4) The Report Stage of a Bill reported from a Standing or Special Committee must not begin until the second sitting day after the Bill is reported, unless the House orders otherwise.

Report from Committee of the Whole

135(5) Notwithstanding sub-rules (3) and (4), a Bill reported from a Committee of the Whole House shall be received and forthwith disposed of, without amendment.

Notice of Report Stage Amendment

135(6) To amend a Bill at Report Stage, notice of the motion to amend must be filed with the Clerk before the House adjourns or before the usual adjournment hour, whichever is later, on the day the Bill is reported to the House by the Committee that considered it. Copies of the motion must be distributed in the House on the next sitting day.

Amendment without notice

135(7) 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 beyond the provisions of the clause or clauses to be amended.

NOTE: The purpose of this sub-rule 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.

Restrictions on amendments

135(8)(a) No motion to amend a Report Stage Amendment shall be accepted except by unanimous consent.

(b) No amendment to a Bill moved in committee may be moved as a Report Stage Amendment.

Limitation on debate

135(9) Members are limited to 10 minute speeches during Report Stage, except for Leaders of Recognized Parties who may speak for 30 minutes.

Grouping amendments

135(10) Upon receipt of a written request from an amendment’s sponsor, the Speaker shall select and group amendments for consideration at Report Stage based on their content and their position in the Bill, in accordance with the following criteria:

(a) amendments which could form the subject of a single debate are grouped according to content if, once adopted, they would have the same effect in different parts of the Bill or if they relate to the same provision or similar provisions of the Bill;

(b) amendments are combined according to the location at which they are to be inserted in the Bill when they relate to the same clause or clauses.

Amendments so grouped will then be moved consecutively, be the subject of a single debate, and have the questions put and decided collectively.

Deferring recorded division

135(11) 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 “ayes” and “nays” until any or all subsequent amendments proposed to that Bill have been considered. A recorded division may not be so deferred from sitting to sitting.

Concurrence and Third Reading

135(12) If the Clerk does not receive notice under sub-rule (6) of a Report Stage Amendment, the Bill must be listed for Concurrence and Third Reading on the Order Paper for the second sitting day after the Bill is reported to the House.

135(13) A Concurrence and Third Reading motion for a Bill may not be put until

(a) in the case of a Bill reported from a Committee of the Whole, the day it is reported;

(b) in any other case,

(i) the Report Stage proceedings for the Bill have been concluded, or

(ii) the day the Bill is listed for Concurrence and Third Reading on the Order Paper.

Moving motion not considered as debate

135(14) The mover of a Concurrence and Third Reading motion is not considered to have spoken in debate, and may speak immediately or at the end of the debate.

Recommittal

136 Where the Order of the Day for the Concurrence and Third Reading of a Bill is read, any Member desiring to recommit the Bill shall move to discharge the Order and to recommit the Bill; and upon such a motion being resolved in the affirmative, the Member shall give notice of the instructions to be given, but those instructions shall not be taken into consideration before the next sitting of the House.

CHAPTER XIII

OFFER OF MONEY TO MEMBERS

BRIBERY IN ELECTIONS

Offering money or advantages to Members

137 The offer of any money, or other advantages, to any Member of the Assembly for the promotion of any matter depending, or to be transacted in the House, is an offence against the privileges of the House and every Member thereof.

NOTE: See Section 40 of The Legislative Assembly Act and Section 119 of the Criminal Code (Canada).

Proceedings in case of bribery

138 Where it appears that any person has been elected and returned a Member of the Assembly, or has endeavoured so to be, by bribery or other corrupt practices, the House shall proceed with the utmost severity against the Member and all such other persons as have been wilfully concerned in the bribery or other corrupt practices.

CHAPTER XIV

OFFICERS OF THE ASSEMBLY

Officers

139 The Officers of the Assembly are

(a) the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, who may also be known and called the Clerk of the House;

(b) the Deputy Clerk;

(d) the Law Officer of the Legislative Assembly;

(e) the Deputy Law Officer of the Legislative Assembly; and

(f) the Sergeant-at-Arms.

CLERK

Duties of the Clerk

140 Subject to the direction of the Speaker, or the House, the Clerk shall

(a) be responsible for the safekeeping of the records and documents of the House;

(b) have direction over the Deputy Clerk, Assistant Clerks, Hansard, Chamber Branch, and other staff that may be employed in connection with the House;

(d) assign a Clerk to each Standing and Special Committee;

(e) prepare, and cause to be printed, the Votes and Proceedings and the Order Paper;

(f) at the conclusion of each session of the Legislature, cause the Votes and Proceedings to be indexed and bound and published as the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba;

(g) at all reasonable times, make available the Sessional Papers for inspection;

(h) perform such routine duties as are assigned by the Speaker; and

(i) on the expiry of the time for filing petitions for Private Bills, report to the House whether the Rules relating to such petitions have been complied with.

Certifying of Bills

141 When a Bill is read in the House, the Clerk shall certify upon it the readings and dates thereof.

DEPUTY CLERK

Deputy Clerk

142(1) The Deputy Clerk may be present at the Table in the Legislative Chamber during the sittings of the House and shall assist the Clerk in their duties.

Absence of Clerk

142(2) In the absence of the Clerk, the Deputy Clerk, or in their absence, such person as is appointed by the Speaker, shall perform the duties of the Clerk.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

Sergeant-at-Arms

143 The Sergeant-at-Arms attending the House is responsible for the safekeeping of the Mace, furniture and fittings of the Assembly, and for the conduct of the messengers and attendants of the House, subject to the orders that the Sergeant-at-Arms may, from time to time, receive from the Speaker, or from the House.

LAW OFFICER

Law Officers

144(1) The Officers of the Department of the Attorney-General who are appointed as Legislative Counsel and Deputy Legislative Counsel are the Law Officer and the Deputy Law Officer respectively; and shall have charge of all the Bills.

Duties of Law Officer

144(2) The Law Officer shall

(a) advise upon legislation and prepare and draft Bills as required by the Executive Council or a Member thereof;

(b) render to the Private Members such assistance in the preparation of Bills as the time at his or her disposal permits;

(c) revise and put notes on all Bills, including Private Bills, and cause them to be published and, where necessary, republished in paper and electronic form, and be responsible for the correctness of the Bills in their various stages;

(d) report to the Executive Council, or a Member thereof, any provisions in Bills that are deserving of special attention or that appear to affect the public interest prejudicially or that require amendment;

(e) as may be instructed by the Speaker, be present at the sittings of Committees at which Bills are being considered;

(f) prepare the resolutions required in connection with measures to which Rule 67 applies;

(g) prepare and deliver to the King’s Printer the copy for the volume of the statutes, including a Table of Contents and a comprehensive index, as soon after the closure of each session of the Legislature as is practicable.

CHAPTER XV

PRIVATE BILLS

Deposit on filing petition for Private Act

145(1) At the time of filing a petition for a Private Act, the petitioner shall deposit with the Clerk in cash or by cheque, draft, money order or other remittance, payable to the Minister of Finance of Manitoba, the sum of $250.00 plus an additional sum of $10.00 for every 450 words or fraction thereof contained in the Bill in excess of 4,500 words.

Fees respecting Private Acts of incorporation

145(2) Before a Private Bill for incorporating a joint stock company with proposed authorized capital of more than $100,000.00 or for increasing the authorized capital of a joint stock company, is reported by the Committee to which it is referred, the petitioner shall deposit with the Clerk additional fees of $25.00 for each $100,000.00 or part thereof by which the authorized capital exceeds $100,000.00 or is increased, as the case may be.

Remittance for special petitioners

146(1) Where the petitioner is an institution, organization or association with charitable, religious or benevolent purposes, and is not carrying on, or intending to carry on, business for gain, the deposit may, subject to sub-rules (2) and (3), be remitted to the petitioner.

Limitation of remittance

146(2) No remittance of any deposit or fees paid in connection with a Private Bill shall be made

(a) except upon the recommendation of the Committee to which the Bill has been referred; or

(b) if the Assembly, by resolution, orders that no remittance be made to the petitioner.

Maximum remittance

146(3) The remittance of any deposit or fees paid in accordance with this Rule shall not exceed the amount of the deposit or fees, less the actual cost of preparing the Bill in both hard copies and electronically.

Publication of notice by Clerk

147 The Clerk shall publish in the first issue of each month of the Manitoba Gazette a notice setting out sub-rule 148(1).

Notice of Application for Private Bill

148(1) Every petitioner for a Private Bill shall publish, within twelve months prior to the presentation of the petition for the Private Bill

(a) in one issue of the Manitoba Gazette; and

(b) at least once in each of two weeks during the twelve month period aforementioned in an issue of a newspaper having a general circulation in the area of the province in which the persons or a majority of the persons, who would be interested in or affected by the Private Bill reside;

a notice in English and French in the form set out in Appendix A-1, signed by or on behalf of the petitioner and clearly and distinctly specifying the nature and object of the petition and any exceptional provision proposed to be inserted in the Bill.

Where a Private Bill left on Order Paper at end of session

148(2) Where a Private Bill remains on the Order Paper for First or Second Reading when the House is prorogued or dissolved, it may be introduced at the next session of the Legislature without publication of further notice under sub-rule (1).

Proof of publication

148(3) Prior to the presentation of a petition in the House, the petitioner shall file with the Clerk a statutory declaration proving to the satisfaction of the Clerk, the due publication of the notices mentioned in sub-rule (1).

Report by Law Officer

149(1) Before any Private Bill is considered by the Committee to which it is referred, a report shall first be submitted to the Committee by the Law Officer or the Deputy Law Officer stating that they have examined the Bill, and has noted by section in the report any exceptional powers sought and any other provision of the Bill requiring special consideration.

Bill for incorporation

149(2) Every Private Bill for an Act of incorporation or an amendment of any such Act shall be in a form approved by the Law Officer.

Reference to applicable general Acts

149(3) Every Private Bill for incorporating a corporation shall be so framed as to make any general Act relating to the details of the corporation applicable to the corporation except as provided in the Private Bill and special grounds shall be established for any proposed departure from the provisions of any general Act or for the introduction of other provisions respecting those details.

Notice of sitting of Committee

150 Notice of any meeting for the consideration of a Private Bill by a Committee shall be published in the Notice Paper and posted at least two days before the meeting on the notice board for the House.

Appearance of interested parties

151(1) Every person whose interest or property may be affected by any Private Bill may and, when required to do so by the Committee shall, appear before the Standing Committee to which the Bill has been referred touching that person’s consent or opposition to the Bill or may send consent in writing, proof of which may be demanded by the Committee.

Where no consent of interested parties

151(2) Where the consent of a person whose interest or property may be affected by a Private Bill is not produced to the Committee, the Committee may require the petitioner for the Private Bill to serve a copy of the proposed Bill on the person and notify the person of the time and place where the Committee will again consider the Private Bill.

Proof of age

151(3) The Committee to which a Private Bill incorporating a company has been referred may require proof that the persons whose names appear in the Bill as composing the company are of the full age of majority and in a position to effect the objects contemplated and have consented to becoming incorporated.

APPENDIX A

MODEL PETITION

TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA:

These are the reasons for this petition: (or: The background to this petition is as follows:)

(Briefly summarize the problem or grievance and any necessary background information)

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(Set out the action the Legislative Assembly is being asked to take or not take)

Name (Please print)	Address	Signature

_____________________	_____________________	_____________________
_____________________	_____________________	_____________________
_____________________	_____________________	_____________________
_____________________	_____________________	_____________________
_____________________	_____________________	_____________________

NOTE: A minimum of fifteen signatures is required for the completion of the petition.

APPENDIX A-1 – NOTICE OF A PETITION FOR A PRIVATE BILL

This is notice to the public that ______________________________________________

(name of the petitioner)

will present a petition for a private Bill to the Legislative Assembly at this or the next session of the Legislature.

The private Bill will do the following: (in the space below, describe the Bill, state what it is intended to do and specify any exceptional provisions that the petitioner proposes to include in the Bill)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________ _________________________

Date Signature of the Petitioner

(or petitioner’s lawyer)

_________________________

Address of the Petitioner

(or petitioner’s lawyer)

APPENDIX B

NOTICE OF A VACANCY IN THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

To the Lieutenant Governor in Council:

1. In accordance with section 25 of The Legislative Assembly Act, this is notice of a vacancy in the electoral division of ___________________________________

(name of electoral division).

2. The Member who is vacating the seat is _______________________________________.

3. The reason for the vacancy is: ______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________.

4. We ask you to pass an Order-in-Council to fill the vacancy.

The two Members of the Legislative Assembly giving this notice are:

___________________________________ _____________________________

Signature of Member Signature of Member

NOTE: Section 25 of The Legislative Assembly Act states:

Notice of vacancy caused in any other way than by resignation

25. In the case of a vacancy in the representation of an electoral division created in any other way than by resignation, any two members of the Legislative Assembly may give notice of the vacancy to the Lieutenant Governor in Council and request the passing of an order in council for the filling of the vacancy under The Elections Act.

APPENDIX C

RESIGNATION OF A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

To the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly:

I, __________________________________________ (name of Member) intend to resign my seat in the Legislative Assembly for the electoral division of ________________________

___________________________ (name of electoral division).

________________________________ ____________________________

Date Signature of Member

Two witnesses are needed:

_________________________________ ___________________________

Signature of first witness Signature of second witness

Note: Section 22 of The Legislative Assembly Act states:

Resignation of Member

22. Any Member of the Legislative Assembly may resign his seat,

(a) by giving, in his place in the assembly, notice of his intention to resign, in which case, after the notice has been entered by the Clerk of the Assembly in the Journals, the seat of the Member thereupon becomes vacant; or

(b) by addressing and causing to be delivered to the Speaker a declaration of his intention to resign, made in writing under his hand before two witnesses, which declaration may be so made and delivered either before or during a session of the Legislature, or in the interval between two sessions, and upon receipt thereof by the Speaker the seat of the Member thereupon becomes vacant.

APPENDIX D

FINANCIAL PROCEDURE GUIDE

BUDGET DAY PROCEDURE

1. Finance Minister (without notice or leave) moves Budget Motion.

2. Page picks up motion and delivers it to the Speaker.

3. Speaker proposes motion to the House.

4. Finance Minister presents Budget Address.

5. Leader of the Official Opposition adjourns debate.

6. Finance Minister advises the Speaker that there is a message from the Lieutenant Governor.

7. Sergeant-at-Arms picks up message and delivers it to the Speaker.

8. Speaker reads message. (all Members in the Chamber stand)

9. Sergeant-at-Arms delivers message (when read) to the Clerk.

10. Government House Leader moves adjournment of the House.

INTERIM SUPPLY PROCEDURE

(WHEN INTERIM SUPPLY FOLLOWS THE BUDGET)

1. Speaker announces that the House will resolve into Committee of Supply.

2. Committee of Supply considers resolutions respecting interim supply. (debatable)

3. Chairperson of Committee of Supply presents the report of the Committee to the House and moves that it be received. (non-debatable)

4. The House considers and adopts the motion regarding interim supply. (notice not required)

5. Finance Minister moves First Reading of the Interim Supply Bill. (may not be debated, amended or adjourned)

6. House staff distributes copies of Interim Supply Bill immediately after adoption of First Reading.

7. Finance Minister moves Second Reading of Interim Supply Bill and referral to Committee of the Whole. (debatable - may be agreed to without debate or adjourned)

8. Speaker announces that the House will resolve into Committee of the Whole to consider and report on Interim Supply Bill for Concurrence and Third Reading.

9. Committee of the Whole considers Interim Supply Bill. (debatable)

10. Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole presents report of the Committee to the House and moves that it be received. (non-debatable)

11. Government House Leader moves the Concurrence and Third Reading Motion. (debatable - may be agreed to without debate or adjourned)

12. Lieutenant Governor grants Royal Assent to Interim Supply Bill.

MAIN SUPPLY PROCEDURE

1. Government House Leader moves Concurrence Motion and Committee of Supply considers it (debatable motion - 100 hour time limit does not apply).

2. Chairperson of the Committee of Supply presents the report of the Committee to the House and moves that it be received (not debatable).

3. Government House Leader moves Concurrence Motion in the House (cannot be debated, amended or adjourned).

4. House considers and adopts motion regarding The Appropriation Act (no notice required).

5. Finance Minister moves First Reading of The Appropriation Act (may not be debated, amended or adjourned).

6. House staff distributes copies of The Appropriation Act immediately after adoption of the First Reading Motion.

7. Finance Minister moves Second Reading of The Appropriation Act, and referral to a Committee of this House (debatable motion – may be agreed to without debate or adjourned).

8. Speaker announces that the House will resolve into Committee of the Whole to consider and report on The Appropriation Act for Concurrence and Third Reading.

9. Committee of the Whole considers The Appropriation Act (debatable matter, but no debate if 100 hour time limit has expired).

10. Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole House presents report of the Committee to the House and moves that it be received (not debatable).

11. Finance Minister moves Concurrence and Third Reading of The Appropriation Act (debatable motion – may be agreed to without debate or adjourned).

12. Lieutenant Governor gives Royal Assent to The Appropriation Act.

APPENDIX E

SPEAKING TIMES

Rule	Debate	Speaking Time	Notes
35(8) 35(9)	Budget Debate	20 minutes	§ Unlimited speaking time for: o Leader of Recognized Parties (may be transferred) o Minister moving the Budget motion
51(2)	Closure Motion – after adoption of motion	30 minutes	§ No Member shall speak more than once in any adjourned debate
77(1)	Committee of Supply	5 minutes	§ Member may speak more than once
77(2)	Committee of Supply – Opening Statement	10 minutes	§ Minister and Critics
75(2)	Committee of the Whole	5 minutes	§ Member may speak more than once
44(1) 44(2) 44(5) 135(14)	Concurrence and Third Reading – Government Bills	30 minutes	§ Unlimited speaking time for: o Leaders of Recognized Parties (may be transferred) o Minister moving the Concurrence and Third Reading motion (may speak first or at the end of the debate) § Member may divide speaking time equally with another Member of same party
2(22)	Concurrence and Third Reading – Government Designated Bills (Completion Date)	10 minutes	§ Minister, Critics and each Independent Member
2(16)	Concurrence and Third Reading – Government Specified Bills (Completion Date)	10 minutes	§ Minister, Critics and each Independent Member
62(3)	Condolence Motion	-	§ Speaking time limits do not apply
30(2)	Grievances	10 minutes	§ Member may raise only one grievance per session
39(4)	Matters of Urgent Public Importance – Debate of	10 minutes	§ If debate proceeds all Members have 10 minutes. § Total debate shall not exceed two hours.
39(2)	Matters of Urgent Public Importance – Explanation of	10 minutes	§ Member has 10 minutes to explain why debate should proceed. § One Member from each recognized party may respond for 10 minutes.
28(1)	Member’s Statements	2 minutes	§ Up to five Members each sitting day
27(3)	Ministerial Statements	-	§ No time limit for Minister § Replies must not exceed Minister’s time
44(1) 44(2) 44(5) 60(1)	Motions or Resolutions – Government	30 minutes	§ Unlimited speaking time for: o Leader of Recognized Parties (may be transferred) o Minister moving a motion o Member making a “no confidence in the government” motion o Minister replying to the “no confidence in the government” motion § Member may divide speaking time equally with another Member of same party § Right of reply for Minister who moved a substantive motion.
31(8)	Opposition Day Motion	10 minutes	§ Up to three sitting days in each session § Only one designated during any week
29(3)	Oral Questions	60 seconds 45 seconds	§ Questions & answers for Leader of Recognized Parties § Questions & answers for other Member & Minister § Oral Questions shall not exceed 40 minutes
44(3)	Private Member’s Business – Bills, Resolutions, Motions	10 minutes	§ May be considered during Government Business time § Considered on Tuesdays and Thursdays mornings
24(9)	Private Members’ Bills – Question Period	45 seconds	§ For all questions & answers § Question period shall not exceed 10 minutes § Only one question for each Independent Member § Only applicable at Second Reading
34(6)	Private Members’ Resolutions – Question Period	45 seconds	§ For all questions & answers § Only one question for each Independent Member § Question period shall not exceed 10 minutes and does count as part of the three hours of debate time.
135(9)	Report Stage Amendments	10 minutes	§ 30 minutes for: o Premier o Leader of Recognized Parties
44(1) 44(2) 44(5) 60(1)	Second Reading – Government Bills	30 minutes	§ Unlimited speaking time for: o Leader of Recognized Parties (may be transferred) o Minister moving the Second Reading motion § Member may divide speaking time equally with another Member of same party § Right of reply for Minister who moved Second Reading motion
133(5)	Second Reading – Government Bills – Question Period	45 seconds	§ For all questions & answers § Question period shall not exceed 15 minutes
2(19)	Second Reading – Government Designated Bills (Completion Date)	10 minutes	§ Minister, Critics and each Independent Member § Question period shall not exceed 15 minutes
2(12)	Second Reading – Government Specified Bills (Completion Date)	10 minutes	§ Minister, Critics and each Independent Member § Question period shall not exceed 15 minutes
86(2) 91(3)	Standing & Special Committees	10 minutes	§ Member may speak more than once § Presenters get 10 minutes to make their presentation § Questions from Member shall not exceed 30 seconds
47(4) 47(5)	Throne Speech Debate	20 minutes	§ Unlimited speaking time for: o Leader of Recognized Parties (may be transferred)
50(2)	Time Allocation on Government Bills or Government Motions	10 minutes	Restrictions on who can speak: § Government House Leader § Minister moving the motion § One Member from each Recognized Opposition Party may respond