I am now ready to rule on the point of order raised on May 25, 2026, by the member for Mirabel concerning the application of Standing Order 69.1 to Bill C-31, a second act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025.
In the member's view, part 4, division 17 of the bill should be the subject of a separate vote at second reading and be referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities for study, as it lacks a sufficiently close connection to the rest of the bill and could stand as a distinct legislative proposal. In support of this position, the member argued that these provisions, which introduce amendments to the Canada Transportation Act, relate primarily to the handling of air travel complaints and were not announced in the budget. Citing my predecessor's ruling of January 30, 2024, the member maintained that the inclusion of measures in a budget implementation bill does not automatically constitute a sufficient and common theme and that Standing Order 69.1 exists to protect members' right to vote separately on distinct legislative matters.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons also intervened on the matter, contending that provisions contained in part 4, division 17, were in fact announced in the 2025 budget, even if the connection was not immediately obvious, and that the provisions should therefore be voted on together with the rest of the bill. Citing a ruling delivered by Speaker Regan on November 6, 2018, the parliamentary secretary argued that broad and sometimes vague policy commitments in a budget document may become detailed and lengthy legislative proposals. He referred to two passages in the 2025 budget document in support of his position: first, to references concerning proposed investments in airports and ports; and second, to a proposed review of administrative monetary penalties and fines, including related to passenger rights. Additionally, the parliamentary secretary noted that Standing Order 69.1 does not apply to dividing bills for referral to committee.
Standing Order 69.1(1) gives the Speaker the authority to divide, for voting purposes, the questions at second and third reading of a government bill if that bill touches on more than one act and where there is not a common element connecting the various provisions. There is, however, an exception for budget implementation acts. Standing Order 69.1(2) reads as follows:
The present standing order shall not apply if the bill has as its main purpose the implementation of a budget and contains only provisions that were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents tabled during the budget presentation.
Therefore, the Chair must first determine whether these measures were announced in the November 2025 budget presentation or in the documents tabled with it. If they were not, the exception in Standing Order 69.1(2) does not apply, and the Chair may then consider whether the question should be divided for voting purposes. In this case, the Chair is satisfied that Bill C‑31 has as its main purpose the implementation of a budget.
The Chair has reviewed the passages in the 2025 budget document brought to the House's attention by the parliamentary secretary. Page 100 of the 2025 budget indicates the government's plan to stimulate investment in airports and ports. While investment in airports may well have some effect on air travel complaints, the Chair is of the view that an air travel complaints regime, as proposed in part 4, division 17, is a new matter unrelated to this section of the budget document.
Page 218 of the document describes administrative monetary penalties and fines for violations of certain legislation or regulations and mentions air passenger rights as one such example. In effect, part 4, division 17, of Bill C-31, in clauses 351 to 353, amends sections of the Canada Transportation Act that appear under the heading “administrative monetary penalties”. The Chair agrees with the parliamentary secretary that there is, to this extent, a connection between the budget document and some clauses in this division of the bill.
The Chair has two reservations about considering this a sufficient connection, however. First, the policy announcement on page 218 of the budget document concerns the review of fines and penalties, the result of which is to be announced in budget 2026. Second, and more significant, in the Chair's view, part 4, division 17, is broader in substance, introducing new mechanisms for the management of air travel complaints and changes to the related regulatory regime not substantially related to the contents of the budget document. Moreover, as the parliamentary secretary noted, these more detailed proposals were subsequently announced in the 2026 spring economic update.
As my predecessor observed in a ruling on January 30, 2024, at pages 20323 and 20324 of the Debates, the budget presentation and economic statements are related but distinct concepts. The exception in Standard Order 69.1(2) is limited to budget implementation bills where the provisions were announced in the budget presentation and related documents. The exception, therefore, does not apply to measures newly announced in an economic statement.
Accordingly, the absence of these measures from the budget presentation or its related documents allows the Chair to now consider whether the question can be divided for the purpose of voting. In analyzing the relevant parts of the bill, the Chair finds that the provisions of Bill C‑31 amending the Canada Transportation Act do indeed constitute a distinct legislative proposal. However, while the Standing Orders authorize the Chair to divide the question for voting purposes, they do not authorize the Chair to refer different parts of the bill to different standing committees, as the member for Mirabel requested.
Consequently, as a reasoned amendment has been moved, three votes will be held at second reading for Bill C-31. The first will deal with the reasoned amendment. If it is negatived, a second vote will deal with part 4, division 17 or clauses 339 to 364, and a third vote will deal with all remaining provisions of the bill. The adopted measures will be referred to the Standing Committee on Finance unless the House orders otherwise.
I thank all members for their attention.