The House of Commons speaker's traditionally laissez faire policy on policing the political back-and-forth during the daily question period could soon be replaced with a markedly more hands-on approach.
The New Democratic Party is ready to put forward an opposition day motion that would explicitly authorize Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer to crack down on irrelevant or repetitious replies.
Under the proposed rule change, Scheer would be empowered to call out ministers or parliamentary secretaries for off-topic replies — like, for instance, those provided by Paul Calandra in response to NDP Leader Tom Mulcair's queries on the status of Canada's military operations in Iraq.
He would also be permitted to cut them off if they persist in not answering a particular question, and those who failed to to heed his warning, could find themselves named, shamed and reported to the House.
The move comes just days after a flare-up in the Commons over Calandra's non-answers to Mulcair led the NDP leader to request that Scheer enforce the 'relevancy' rule, which is already on the books for House debate, but has traditionally not been used in question period.
When Scheer declined to do so, Mulcair questioned his neutrality, which resulted in Scheer cutting off the rest of his questions.
In a brief statement to the House the following day, Scheer reminded MPs that ultimately, it's up to the House of Commons, as a whole, to set the parameters of the speaker's power to intervene.
It appears that the NDP took him at his word, and is willing to put that question to the House.
"Canadians want question period to include answers," NDP House Leader Peter Julian told CBC News.
"The Speaker has told MPs a number of times that he needs an invitation from Parliament to clean up the conduct of QP. We felt it was time to take up that challenge."
The motion could be debated as early as Monday.
If passed, it would come into effect immediately.
The full text of the motion:
That Standing Order 11(2) be replaced with the following: The Speaker or the Chair of Committees of the Whole, after having called the attention of the House, or of the Committee, to the conduct of a Member who persists in irrelevance, or repetition, including during responses to oral questions, may direct the Member to discontinue his or her intervention, and if then the Member still continues to speak, the Speaker shall name the Member or, if in Committee of the Whole, the Chair shall report the Member to the House.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
NDP to launch bid to boost House Speaker's powers
Dengan url
http://politikduniabarat.blogspot.com/2014/09/ndp-to-launch-bid-to-boost-house.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
NDP to launch bid to boost House Speaker's powers
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
NDP to launch bid to boost House Speaker's powers
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar