Mr. Speaker, the hon. House leader for the official opposition has made a plea that the situation of Bill C-247 was, in his view, substantially similar to that of Bill C-234 and therefore the judgment of the Speaker on Bill C-244 applies equally to Bill C-247.
The issues are not at all the same. In the case of the other bill that the hon. member referred to, it had to do with the House exercising its authority over one of its committees. In this case, the situation is totally different. This does not take away from the merits of the bill in question and so on. I am not pronouncing myself on that. This is a procedural argument as to whether or not what was used in the case of one applies to the other. I submit to your honour that it does not.
The hon. member also referred to 67(1)(p) of the Standing Orders. Standing Order 67(1)(p) refers to:
such other motion, made upon Routine Proceedings, as may be required for the observance of the proprieties of the House,—
It is not of the Senate. That is not covered by that particular item. The order goes on to say:
—the maintenance of its authority, the appointment or conduct of its officers, the management of its business—
“Its authority” means the authority of the House. “Its officers” means officers of the House not the Senate. “Its business” is the House's business, and so on and so forth.
In reference to the Senate, there are only two applications under the standing order where it applies. This has to do with a conference of the Senate which only applies in the case where a bill has been passed by the House, refused by the Senate, sent back to the House, the House has disagreed with the Senate and then a conference is necessary in order to re-establish how to deal with the matter. That is the only place where it applies to the Senate. It has to do do with a conference stage of the bill which is about three steps away from what we have now, in any case, a very long time from the period that we have in question.
The standing order in question applies only to the House.
There is only one minor exception where it could apply and that is Standing Order 67(1)(g) when we are considering Senate amendment to a House of Commons bill. Again, that proposition is not before us. Although the hon. member may have made an interesting point, I do not believe that the reference to motions as being applicable for this particular case works at all. I am convinced that it does not.