Mr. Speaker, my point of order today concerns Bill S-3, an act to amend the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Act.
To begin, I would point out that the official opposition supports the principle of this bill but it is not the principle of the bill which concerns us. What concerns us is the introduction of public bills in the Senate and in particular the breach of the constitutional principle that money bills must be introduced in the House of Commons.
Ethically there are many reasons why the Senate should not be introducing the legislation. Constitutionally there is only one. Section 53 of the Constitution Act 1867 provides that bills for appropriating any part of the public revenue or for imposing any tax or impost shall originate in the House of Commons.
While this seems to be a clear and well understood principle, the application—