Government motion 5

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

Motion moved by Todd Smith on September 13, 2018

That for the duration of the 42nd Parliament the Standing Orders be amended as follows: That Standing Order 6(b) be amended by deleting the word “eight” and replacing it with the word “twelve”; and That Standing Order 35(e) be amended by adding the words “and one independent member may comment for up to five minutes.”; and That Standing Order 43(a)(v) be amended by adding the words “or any other day that Routine Proceedings is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.”; and That Standing Order 43(d) be amended by deleting the word “Monday” and replacing it with the words “Monday or any other day that Routine Proceedings is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.”; and That Standing Order 47(b) be amended by adding the words “A motion to adjourn the House may not be moved during this debate, except upon unanimous consent of the House.”; and That Standing Order 98(e) be deleted.

Amendment moved by France Gélinas on September 19, 2018 and lost on division on October 17, 2018

That the motion be amended by deleting everything after “That” in the first paragraph and replacing with: “a Select Committee on Modernizing the Standing Orders be appointed to consider and report to the House its observations and recommendations with respect to proposed changes to the Standing Orders that would better serve the democratic interests of the people of Ontario. That in developing its strategy and recommendations, the Committee shall focus on the following: • Measures that reflect the Government’s right to carry out its agenda and opposition parties’ responsibility to hold the Government to account That the Committee shall have the authority to call for persons, papers and things, and generally shall have such duties and powers as are required to carry out its mandate; That the Committee be composed of five members from the Government, one of which shall be the Chair, two members of the Official Opposition, one Liberal Independent member and one Green Independent; and That the Committee shall report back to the House by no later than February 28, 2019.”

Amendment to amendment moved by Nathalie Des Rosiers on September 19, 2018 and lost on division on October 17, 2018

That the amendment to the motion be amended by adding at the end: “That, pending the work of the Select Committee on Modernizing the Standing Orders, Standing Order 24(b) is deleted and the following substituted: 24(b) Notwithstanding clause (a), at the commencement of any debate set out in this Standing Order, the first speaker for any recognized Party in the House may speak for not more than 60 minutes, an Independent Liberal Member may speak for 30 minutes and a Green Independent member may speak for 5 minutes: (i) debate on Second Reading of a government bill; (ii) debate on Third Reading of a government bill; (iii) debate on the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne; (iv) debate on the Budget motion; (v) debate on any other substantive government motion. Standing Order 24(d) is amended by adding after the word “Party”, “and any Liberal Independent member may divide his or her time among any other of the Liberal Independent members.” Standing Order 24 is amended by adding the following clause: (f) In conducting any debate under this Standing Order, the Speaker shall have regard to the rotation recommendation set out in section 1 of the Schedule to the Standing Orders. Standing Order 31(c) is deleted and the following substituted: 31(c) One Liberal Independent Member shall be entitled to make one Members’ Statement each day, except that once every 8 sessional days, such statement shall instead be allotted to the Green Independent Member. Standing Order 33(c) is amended by adding at the end of the first line “and to each Independent member”. Standing Order 37(i) is deleted and the following substituted: 37(i) The Speaker has the discretion to permit an independent member to participate in Oral Questions. In exercising this discretion, the Speaker shall have regard to the rotation recommendation set out in section 2 of the Schedule to the Standing Orders. Standing Order 43(a)(iii) and (iv) are deleted and the following substituted: (iii) shall be distributed such that the Official Opposition is entitled to designate 4 days, and the Liberal Independents may designate 1 day; (iv) shall be taken up upon the commencement of Orders of the Day in the afternoon on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, as the case may be, the time available being apportioned such that the Independent members shall have 20% of the available time, to be divided among them at their discretion, with the remaining time apportioned equally among the recognized Parties in the House; the time for a reply by the mover of the motion shall be included in the time apportioned to the Party of which the mover is a member, or to the Independent members, as the case may be; Standing Order 44(a) is deleted and the following substituted: 44(a) In any Session, upon proper notice, the Official Opposition is entitled to not more than three motions of want of confidence in the government; the recognized Party having the third largest membership in the House is entitled to not more than two such motions, any other recognized Party to one, and the Independent Liberals to one. Standing Order 47(b) is amended by deleting the words “apportioned equally among the recognized parties” and substituting “apportioned such that the Independent members shall have 20% of the available time, to be divided among them at their discretion, with the remaining time apportioned equally among the recognized Parties in the House”. Standing Order 54 is amended by adding after the word “Parties”, “and to each Independent member”. Standing Order 63(d) is amended by deleting the words “apportioned equally among the recognized parties” and substituting “apportioned such that the Independent members shall have 20% of the available time, to be divided among them at their discretion, with the remaining time apportioned equally among the recognized Parties in the House”. Standing Order 64 is amended by deleting the words “apportioned equally among the recognized parties” and substituting “apportioned such that the Independent members shall have 20% of the available time, to be divided among them at their discretion, with the remaining time apportioned equally among the recognized Parties in the House”. Standing Order 67(b) is amended by deleting the words “apportioned equally among the recognized parties” and substituting “apportioned such that the Independent members shall have 20% of the available time, to be divided among them at their discretion, with the remaining time apportioned equally among the recognized Parties in the House”. Standing Order 77(a) is amended by adding “and to all Independent members”. Standing Order 98(a) is amended by adding the following sub-clause: (ii.1) A period of 8 minutes allotted to the Liberal Independent members, and a period of 4 minutes allotted to the Green Independent member. Standing Order 98(a)(iv) is deleted. Standing Order 113 is amended by adding the following clause: 113(e.1) A Liberal Independent Member on any committee may provide written notification to the Clerk of the Committee, before or within the first 30 minutes of a Committee meeting being called to order, that another Liberal Independent member will be temporarily substituting for all or part of a committee meeting. Standing Order 125 is deleted and the following substituted: 125. Following the election of a Chair and Vice-Chair at its first meeting in each Session, a Standing Committee shall appoint a Sub-committee on Committee Business, consisting of the Chair of the Standing Committee as Chair, one member from each of the recognized Parties on the Committee and for those committees whose membership includes an Independent Liberal, that member, to meet from time to time at the call of the Chair or at the request of any member thereof and to report to the Committee on the business of the Committee. The following Schedule to the Standing Orders is added: SCHEDULE 1. Recommended rotation during debates under Standing Order 24 Government; Official Opposition; Liberal Independent member; Government; Official Opposition; Green Independent member (“bankable” in accordance with the Speaker’s statement given on July 19, 2018), then repeat the rotation. 2. Recommended rotation during Oral Questions Official Opposition - 1 question and 2 supplementary questions Official Opposition - 1 question and 2 supplementary questions Liberal Independent member - 1 question and 1 supplementary question Independent member - 1 question and 1 supplementary question Followed by a repeated rotation of: Official Opposition - 1 question and 1 supplementary question Government - 1 question and 1 supplementary question Official Opposition - 1 question and 1 supplementary question Government - 1 question and 1 supplementary question Any one Independent Member - 1 question and 1 supplementary question.”

Amendment moved by David Piccini on October 17, 2018 and carried on October 22, 2018

That Government Order Number 4 be amended by striking out the sixth paragraph that begins “That Standing Order 47(b) be amended...”.