RULINGS OF THE SPEAKER OF THE SENATE 39th Parliament 2006-2008 April 2016 Prepared by the Chamber Operations and Procedure Office Introduction Ever since Confederation, the Speaker of the Senate has been appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Constitution does not, however, assign specific responsibilities to the incumbent. These are found in the Rules of the Senate, and they have evolved over time. Originally, the Speaker of the Senate was not given any broad power to enforce the Rules, emphasizing the equality of senators and the fact that the institution is largely self-governing. This evolved over time, with the Senate granting the Speaker broader powers. However, most of these powers have remained subject to appeal to the Senate. As of the Rules revisions of 2012, the Speaker’s primary roles are to preside over proceedings, to rule on certain procedural matters (points of order, the prima facie merits of questions of privilege and requests for emergency debates), and to preserve order and decorum during the sitting. Because of the Senate’s appointed nature and members’ long terms of service, there are times when the government – which is based on the party that has the confidence of the House of Commons – does not have a majority – or even a plurality – of seats in the Senate. These transitional periods can be especially challenging for the Speaker, who has to assist the Senate in functioning smoothly and fulfilling its major role as a complementary legislative chamber of sober second thought. The rulings of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, P.C., for the 39th Parliament are contained in this book, and represent such a transitional period. Speaker Kinsella was named to the chair on the recommendation of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2006. He then continued in that position until his resignation from the Senate in 2014, becoming the second-longest serving Speaker since Confederation. Over his almost nine years in office there were well over one hundred rulings of points or order and questions of privilege, as well as statements from the chair. It is a testimony to the respect in which Speaker Kinsella was held by all his colleagues that only one of his rulings was appealed to the Senate. The rulings in this collection provide clarification about the operation of Senate procedure and demonstrate how the Speaker seeks to balance the various principles that underlie Canada’s system of parliamentary government. As such, these decisions will be invaluable to senators, their staff, the Senate administration, and anyone interested in better understanding Senate proceedings. Charles Robert Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments i TABLE OF CONTENTS First session, Thirty-Ninth Parliament (April 3, 2006-September 17, 2007) Senate Chamber — Electronic disturbances ............................................................................. 3 Question Period — Conduct ..................................................................................................... 3 Bill — Requirement for Royal Recommendation ..................................................................... 4 Senate Chamber — Interference with Sound System ............................................................... 6 Question of Privilege — Alleged Misleading Statements ........................................................ 8 Debate — Use of a Third Language ......................................................................................... 9 Content of Notice for Question of Privilege ........................................................................... 11 Bill — Debate When Subject-Matter Referred to Committee ................................................ 11 Content of Notice for Question of Privilege ........................................................................... 12 Committee Report — Procedural Significance of Observations ............................................ 15 Question Period — Questions to Ministers............................................................................. 15 Message from Commons ........................................................................................................ 17 Debate — Adjourning in Name of Absent Senator (Ruling given by the Speaker pro tempore) ..................................................................................................................... 17 Motion — Senate’s Congratulations to Speaker (Ruling given by the Speaker pro tempore) ........................................................................................................................... 19 Bill — Requirement for Royal Recommendation ................................................................... 21 Question Period — Questions to Committee Chairs .............................................................. 23 Debate — Extension of Time for a Determined Period .......................................................... 25 Senate Chamber — Decorum ................................................................................................. 27 Motion — Resolution of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly ................................................ 28 Motion — Action by a Foreign Government .......................................................................... 30 Bill — Message from Commons ............................................................................................ 31 Senate Chamber — Electronic Disturbances .......................................................................... 31 Committees — Membership Changes .................................................................................... 32 Question Period — Duration .................................................................................................. 34 Senators’ Statements — Anticipating an Order of the Day .................................................... 34 Question of Privilege — Participation in Committee Work ................................................... 35 Debate — Question Before Senate ......................................................................................... 37 Second Session, Thirty-Ninth Parliament (October 16, 2007-September 7, 2008) Committee of Selection — Nomination of Members of Committees (Ruling given by the Speaker pro tempore) ....................................................................................................... 41 Report from Past Session — Motion to Adopt ....................................................................... 41 Motion — Receivability of Subamendment ........................................................................... 44 Motion — Not Yet Moved by Sponsor ................................................................................... 44 Message from Commons — Content ...................................................................................... 45 Motion — To Send Message to the Commons ....................................................................... 45 Written Questions — Printing on Order Paper and Notice Paper ......................................... 45 Bill — Requirement for Royal Consent .................................................................................. 46 Question Period — Duration .................................................................................................. 47 Question Period — Reference to Vote in Commons .............................................................. 47 Debate — References to a Previous Ruling ............................................................................ 49 Senators’ Statements — Content ............................................................................................ 50 iii Adjournment of Debate — Other Business ............................................................................ 52 Bill — Financial Initiative of the Crown ................................................................................ 52 Question Period — Authority of the Speaker to Maintain Order ........................................... 53 Bill — Requirement for Royal Recommendation ................................................................... 53 Question of Privilege — Official Languages .......................................................................... 56 Question of Privilege — Official Languages .......................................................................... 56 Index ............................................................................................................................................. 59 iv First Session, Thirty-Ninth Parliament April 3, 2006 – September 17, 2007 Speaker: The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella Speaker pro tempore: The Honourable Rose-Marie Losier-Cool Senate Chamber — Electronic disturbances April 5, 2006 Journals, p. 24 I thank Honourable Senator Carstairs for raising this matter at our session this afternoon, and I want to draw all honourable senators’ attention to page 19 of our rule book, rule 19(4). It reads as follows: No person, nor any Senator, shall bring any electronic device which produces any sound, whether for personal communication or other use, into the Senate Chamber, whether on the floor, inside the Bar, outside the Bar, or in the galleries. Honourable senators, the reading of the rule is crystal clear, and I would encourage all honourable senators to act accordingly. Question Period — Conduct May 10, 2006 Journals, pp. 134-135 Last Wednesday, May 3, a point of order was raised by