1997 Legislative Session: 2nd Session, 36th Parliament
Ten o'clock a.m.
Prayers by Mr. Weisgerber.
The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."
The Hon. J. MacPhail advised that the House will sit Wednesday, pursuant to Standing Order 2 (2).
Order for Committee of Supply called.
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of Supply (estimates of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing).
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section B of Committee of Supply (estimates of the Ministry of Health and Ministry Responsible for Seniors).
(In Committee--Section B)
Section B of Committee of Supply reported progress.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
(In Committee--Section A)
Section A of Committee of Supply reported progress.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
And then the House adjourned at 11.57 a.m.
Tuesday, May 27, 1997
Two o'clock p.m.
Order called for "Oral Questions by Members."
The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."
Order for Committee of Supply called.
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of Supply (estimates of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing).
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section B of Committee of Supply (estimates of the Ministry of Health and Ministry Responsible for Seniors).
(In Committee--Section B)
Section B of Committee of Supply reported progress.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
(In Committee--Section A)
Section A of Committee of Supply reported progress.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
The Speaker made the following statement:
Honourable Members:
Following Question Period today I returned to my office and reviewed the Blues for today's Question Period, as well as those for yesterday.
An examination of the questions directed to the Minister of Small Business, Tourism and Culture discloses that, for the most part, the questions failed to deal with actions of the Minister for which she is responsible to Parliament in the ministerial sense. Accordingly, they are out of order.
It is true there may be circumstances in which a Minister wishes to provide an answer to an otherwise disorderly question, and as a matter of practice in this House that has been left to the discretion of the Chair.
It must be noted, however, that the willingness of a Minister to answer a disorderly question does not thereby make the question orderly. And it must also be noted that the discretion to rule the question out of order and not to permit an answer thereto always remains with the Chair. (Here I would refer Members to page 109 of the third edition of Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia.)
Members, it seems to me that we, and I, ignore our rules at our peril.
In that spirit, let me remind Members that the pivotal requirement for questions to Ministers is that such questions must deal with an action of a Minister for which that Minister is responsible to Parliament.
Stated another way, the question must deal with the administrative responsibility of the Minister. (Here I would refer Honourable Members to the 20th edition of Erskine May's Parliamentary Practice at page 341 and to the 6th edition of Beauchesne's at page 125.)
I would ask all Honourable Members to read and to be guided by the authorities I have quoted.
Dale Lovick, Speaker
And then the House adjourned at 5.54 p.m.
DALE LOVICK, Speaker
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