Government motion 73

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

Motion moved by Paul Calandra on November 27, 2019

That the Order of the House dated October 22, 2018 amending the Standing Orders be rescinded, and that the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly be amended as follows: The following new Standing Order is added: 1.1 The Speaker may alter the application of any Standing or special Order or practice of the House, other than those that deal with number of times or duration of time a member may speak, the timing of proceedings or the time allotted to proceedings, in order to permit the full participation in the proceedings of the House of any member with a disability. Standing Order 2 is amended by adding the following: “Board of Internal Economy” means the Board of Internal Economy established by the Legislative Assembly Act. “Orders and Notices Paper” means the paper printed and distributed on any one Sessional day. Standing Orders 6 (a) and (b) are deleted and the following substituted: 6. (a) During a Parliament, the House shall meet: (i) In a Spring meeting period from the Tuesday following Family Day to the first Thursday in June; and (ii) In a Fall meeting period from the Monday following Labour Day to the second Thursday in December. (b) During these meeting periods, the House shall not meet during the following Constituency Weeks: (i) The week prescribed by the regulations made under the Education Act for the school holiday in March; (ii) The week in which Easter Monday falls; (iii) The week in which Victoria Day falls; (iv) The week in which Thanksgiving Day falls; (v) The week in which Remembrance Day falls, except that if Remembrance Day falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the House shall instead not meet the week preceding Remembrance Day, nor on the Monday immediately following Remembrance Day. (b.1) With notice, the Government House Leader may propose a motion to extend the hours of meeting during the last 18 Sessional days in the Fall and Spring sessional periods provided for in clause (a), and during any extension thereof. Standing Order 6 is amended by adding the following clause: (c.1) At any time prior to the commencement of an evening meeting scheduled pursuant to this Standing Order, the Government House Leader may indicate to the House that the evening meeting is no longer required, and it shall thereupon be cancelled. Standing Order 8 (a) is deleted and the following substituted: 8. (a) The weekly meeting schedule for the House when it is in session shall be: DAY TIME PROCEEDING Monday 10:15 a.m. Morning Routine: Members’ Statements Introduction of Visitors Question Period Deferred Votes Following Morning Routine Recess 1:00 p.m. Afternoon Routine: Introduction of Visitors Reports by Committees Introduction of Bills Statements by the Ministry and Responses Motions Petitions Following Afternoon Routine Orders of the Day 6:00 p.m. Adjournment Tuesday 9:00 a.m. Orders of the Day 10:15 a.m. Morning Routine: Members’ Statements Introduction of Visitors Question Period Deferred Votes Following Morning Routine Recess 3:00 p.m. Afternoon Routine: Introduction of Visitors Reports by Committees Introduction of Bills Statements by the Ministry and Responses Motions Petitions Following Afternoon Routine Orders of the Day 6:00 p.m. Adjournment Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Orders of the Day 10:15 a.m. Morning Routine: Members’ Statements Introduction of Visitors Question Period Deferred Votes Following Morning Routine Recess 3:00 p.m. Afternoon Routine: Introduction of Visitors Reports by Committees Introduction of Bills Statements by the Ministry and Responses Motions Petitions Following Afternoon Routine Orders of the Day 6:00 p.m. Adjournment Thursday 9:00 a.m. Orders of the Day 10:15 a.m. Morning Routine: Members’ Statements Introduction of Visitors Question Period Deferred Votes Following Morning Routine Recess 1:00 p.m. Afternoon Routine: Introduction of Visitors Reports by Committees Introduction of Bills Statements by the Ministry and Responses Motions Petitions Following Afternoon Routine Private Members’ Public Business Following Private Members’ Public Business Orders of the Day 6:00 p.m. Adjournment Standing Order 8 (b) is amended by deleting “and at 10:25 a.m. every day”. Standing Order 8 is amended by adding the following clause: (c.1) Following Prayers on the first sitting Monday of each month, the Canadian National Anthem and the Royal Anthem shall be sung in the Chamber. Standing Order 8 (d) is deleted and the following substituted: (d) When the Speaker calls Orders of the Day the Government House Leader may indicate that no business, or no further business, as the case may be, is to be called, whereupon the Speaker shall recess the House to the next daily proceeding, or adjourn the House to the next sessional day, as the case may be. Standing Order 8 (e) is amended by deleting “3:15” and substituting “4:00” and by deleting “10:30” and substituting “10:15”. Standing Order 9 (c) is amended by deleting the words “the House or”. The following new Standing Order is added: 20.1 The use of laptops, tablets and smartphones is permitted in the Chamber and committee rooms provided they are operated silently, do not impair decorum and are not used as a telephone, recording device, camera or prop. Standing Order 25 is amended by deleting the first paragraph and substituting the following: 25. Following the speech of each member, 10 minutes will be allotted for members to ask questions on matters relevant to the speech. A member may ask a question for up to 1 minute and the member originally speaking will then have up to 1 minute to reply, in the following circumstances: Standing Orders 25 (a), (b), (c) and (d) are amended by deleting the words “and comments” in each clause. Standing Order 28 (i) is amended by deleting the words “for closure” and substituting “subject to Standing Order 9 (c), for closure”. The heading of Section VIII. is renamed “DAILY ROUTINE”. Standing Order 30 is deleted and the following substituted: (a) The proceedings in the Morning and Afternoon Routine shall be conducted at the times and in the order set out in Standing Order 8 (a). (b) The time allotted for the Afternoon Routine each day shall not exceed 90 minutes. At the end of that time the Speaker shall interrupt and shall put every question necessary to dispose of the proceeding currently occupying the House, and thereafter immediately call Orders of the Day. Standing Order 33 (c) is amended by deleting the second line. Standing Order 36 is deleted and the following substituted: 36. Up to five minutes shall be allotted during both the Morning and Afternoon Routine for members to recognize guests. Members may introduce visitors by stating only their name, title, organization and/or riding. No member shall seek to introduce a visitor at any time by way of a point of order. Standing Orders 37 (e) through (i) are deleted and the following substituted: (e) Any member of the Executive Council or any Parliamentary Assistant may respond to any question during Question Period and may, in their discretion, decline to answer any question. (f) Parliamentary assistants may direct questions only to ministers other than their own. (g) The Speaker has the discretion to permit an independent member to place a question and one supplementary question during Question Period. In exercising his or her discretion, the Speaker shall have regard to the opportunities that members of recognized Parties, other than the Leaders of Opposition Parties or members who place questions instead of the Leaders, have to place such questions. The following new Standing Order is added: 38.1 Any divisions deferred under Standing Orders 9 (c) or 28 (h) shall be disposed of consecutively during this time and the bells shall be rung for 5 minutes prior to each division. Standing Order 40 (b) is amended by adding at the end, “and such distribution may be done electronically”. Standing Order 42(a) is deleted and the following substituted: (a) There shall be 12 hours allotted to the debate on the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne and any amendments thereto, at the end of which time the Speaker shall without further debate or amendment put every question necessary to dispose of the motion. (a.1) The debate on the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne shall be completed before the presentation of the Budget. Standing Order 46(a) is amended by deleting all the words following “interrupt the bell,” and substituting “deem the debate to be adjourned and call the next proceeding pursuant to Standing Order 8 (a).” Standing Order 47 (c) is deleted and the following substituted: (c) A time allocation motion may not be moved until second reading debate has been completed or 6 ½ hours of debate have taken place on second reading consideration of any government bill or on a substantive government motion. Upon completion of 6 ½ hours of debate, the Speaker shall deem the debate to be adjourned unless the Government House Leader directs the debate to continue. Standing Order 47 (d) deleted and the following substituted: (d) A bill, and a time allocation motion applying to that same bill, may not be considered on the same calendar day. Standing Order 48 is amended by adding at the end, “Except as provided by Standing Order 9 (c), the vote on a motion for closure shall not be deferred.” Standing Order 54 is amended by deleting the word “Government”. Standing Orders 60 (a), (b) and (c) are deleted and the following substituted: 60. (a) The Standing Committee on Estimates shall select for consideration the Estimates of not fewer than six and not more than 12 ministries and offices. (b) (i) The Estimates of the ministries and offices to be considered by the Committee shall be selected by members of the Committee such that the members of the Party forming the Official Opposition shall select first, followed by the members of the other recognized Parties in order of their representation in the House, and the members of the Party forming the government shall select last. (ii) With each turn, the members of each Party may choose the Estimates of one or two ministries or offices to be considered. (iii) If, when their turn to select occurs, the members of one Party decline to make a selection, the selection passes to the members of the next party in the rotation as provided in (i). (c) The Estimates of the ministries and offices shall be considered in the order in which they were selected. Standing Order 60 (d) is amended by deleting the word “round” and substituting the word “turn” in each instance. Standing Order 69 is amended by deleting the words “up to one member from each of the recognized Parties, and by any independent member” and substituting “up to four private members of the House”. Standing Order 71 (a) is amended by deleting the words “and distributed and marked PRINTED on the Orders and Notices Paper”. Standing Order 71 (b) is amended by deleting “12:00 noon” and substituting “8:30 a.m.” in each instance. Standing Order 79 (b) is amended by deleting the words “and marked REPRINTED on the Orders and Notices Paper”. Standing Order 81 (c) is deleted. Standing Order 98 (a) is amended by deleting the first line and the substituting the following: Three items of Private Members’ Public Business shall be considered each Thursday, and the time provided for each shall be allotted as follows: Standing Order 98 (e) is deleted. Standing Order 136 is deleted. Standing Order 137 (a) is amended by deleting the words “placed on the Speaker’s Table and on the desk of each member a copy of” and substituting “published”. The following new Standing Order is added: 146. For greater certainty, the proceedings of the Board of Internal Economy are proceedings in Parliament. And that for the duration of the 42nd Parliament the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly be amended as follows: Standing Order 35 (e) is amended by adding at the end “and an independent member or members may comment for up to a total of 5 minutes.” Standing Order 43 (a)(iv) is deleted and the following substituted: (a)(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 equally among the recognized Parties in the House, after first allotting time to the independent member(s) of the House, if any; 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; (iv.1) the time allotted to independent members referred to in (iv) shall be 3 minutes per independent member up to a maximum of 12 minutes, which may be shared among the independent members; Standing Order 47(b) is deleted and the following substituted: 47 (b) Two hours shall be allotted to the debate, apportioned equally among the recognized Parties, after first allotting time to the independent member(s) of the House, if any. At the end of this time the Speaker shall without further debate or amendment put every question necessary to dispose of the motion. If a recorded vote is requested by five members, the division bells shall be limited to 10 minutes. (b.1) The time allotted to independent members referred to in (b) shall be 3 minutes per independent member up to a maximum of 12 minutes which may be shared among the independent members. Standing Order 66 (a) is deleted and the following substituted: 66 (a) On the first Item of the first Vote of each set of Estimates, a representative of each recognized Party may speak for not more than 30 minutes and the minister or person answerable for the Estimates is allowed not more than 30 minutes for a right of reply. Thereafter, the Chair of the Standing Committee on Estimates shall ensure that the members adhere strictly to the Vote and Item under consideration and shall apportion the remaining time among the recognized Parties after first allotting time to the independent member(s) on the Committee, if any. 66 (a.1) the time allotted to independent member(s) referred to in (a) shall be 15 minutes. Standing Order 113 (e) is amended by adding the following at the end: In the case of independent members, the notification must be signed by the independent permanent member and the independent substituting member. If a committee meeting is divided into morning and afternoon segments on the same sitting day, this clause applies to each segment individually. And, that the Clerk is authorized to re-number Standing Orders 30 to 39 and to order them as the daily routine proceedings are set out in Standing Order 8 (a), and to make such other consequential, editorial or other minor changes as may be required to ensure a consistent form of expression throughout the Standing Orders; and That in exercising his discretion under Standing Orders 31 (c), 37 (i) and 98 (a)(iv) the Speaker shall recognize independent members for the duration of the 42nd Parliament as follows: • During Members’ Statements: one per day • During Oral Questions: two questions per day, each followed by one supplementary • During Private Members’ Public Business: 5 minutes for each item of business, which may be shared.

Amendment moved by Mike Harris on November 27, 2019 and carried on division on November 27, 2019

That the motion be amended by adding the following at the end:- And that the terms of this motion shall come into force at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2020.

Amendment moved by Gilles Bisson on November 28, 2019

That the motion be amended by deleting everything after the first “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; and 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; and 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; and 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 member; and That the Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair; and That the Committee shall report back to the House by no later than February 28, 2020; and That in exercising his discretion under Standing Orders 31(c), 37(i) and 98(a)(iv) the Speaker shall recognize Independent members for the duration of the 42nd Parliament as follows: • During Members’ Statements: one per day • During Oral Questions: two questions per day, each followed by one supplementary • During Private Members’ Public Business: 5 minutes for each item of business, which may be shared.”

Amendment to amendment moved by Sara Singh on December 2, 2019 and closure carried on division on December 4, 2019

That the amendment be amended by adding the following paragraph after the words “February 28, 2020; and”: “That, for the duration of the 42nd Parliament, the Speaker may alter the application of any Standing or special Order or practice of the House, other than those that deal with number of times or duration of time a member may speak, the timing of proceedings or the time allotted to proceedings, in order to permit the full participation in the proceedings of the House of any member with a disability; and”.