Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order, notice of which I gave the Chair this morning.
This point of order concerns the government's disregard of Standing Order 109, under which it is required within 150 days of the presentation of a report from a standing or special committee to table a comprehensive response.
On June 20, 1995 the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development presented its fifth report concerning its review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act in the House of Commons. According to Standing Order 109 the deadline for the government to table its response to this report was yesterday, Monday, November 20, 1995. As of today, Tuesday, November 21, 1995 the government has not tabled its response and has given no indication of when it might do so.
Mr. Speaker, on April 19, 1993 your predecessor ruled on two questions of privilege raised by the members for Scarborough-Rouge River and Winnipeg South Centre relating to the issue of the late tabling of documents. In his ruling the former Speaker had this to say:
I find the situation particularly disheartening-There are people in departments who are supposed to know these rules and are supposed to ensure that they are carried out.
In both of these cases the government failed to do so until after the matter was brought to the attention of this House-
As members are well aware, the tabling of documents constitutes a fundamental procedure of this House.
It is part of our rules and ensures that members have access to the information necessary to effectively deal with the issues before Parliament.
Your predecessor ruled that the Standing Committee on House Management should examine the issue of late tabling and the House agreed to such a motion moved by the member for Scarborough-Rouge River.
Consequently, the committee tabled its report on this matter on June 17, 1993.
The committee report stated:
The Speaker's ruling clearly sets out the issues involved.
There are provisions in the Standing Orders of the House as well as many statutes passed by the House that require documents to be tabled in the House within certain time periods.
Non-compliance with a deadline set out in a statute or the standing orders is a serious matter. It constitutes a breach of law, or a rule of the House.
The committee believes that the statutory and procedural time limits must be complied with.
I continue to quote from the committee's report:
If a document cannot be tabled within the prescribed time, the responsible minister should advise the House accordingly before the deadline; it is not acceptable that the deadline be ignored.
It may be that the time periods set out in the Standing Orders and certain statutes need to be reviewed and, where necessary, amended.
Until this is done, however, it is essential that the deadlines be respected.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that, as the committee that studied this matter recommended, until these time limits can be reviewed, you rule that the government should immediately table its response to the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, as required by Standing Order 109.