Rules of the Legislative Assembly
NOTICES OF MOTION
49 Notices of Motion
Two sitting days’ notice shall be given of a motion.
50 Notice not required
Notwithstanding Rule 49, notice is not required for the following motions:
a) to continue a sitting beyond the normal hour of daily adjournment to continue consideration of a specified item of business;
b) to amend a bill or a motion introduced in Committee of the Whole;
c) to suspend a Member from the Assembly;
d) to order the withdrawal of strangers;
e) to adjourn the Assembly or the debate;
f) to deal with a question of privilege;
g) relating to bills after their introduction;
h) to set aside the ordinary business of the House to discuss a matter of urgent public importance, provided that one hour’s notice has been given to the Speaker;
i) to move a Minister’s Statement into Committee of the Whole on the same day it is presented;
j) to amend another motion;
k) relating to the introduction of appropriation bills ordered by the Assembly under Rule 81(4);
l) to report progress in Committee of the Whole; or
m) to elect a Speaker.
51 (1) Member giving notice
A Member giving notice shall:
a) specify the day on which the motion is to be moved;
b) read the full text of the resolution portion of the motion; and
c) deliver to the Table a written copy of the motion.
(2) Notice in Hansard
The notice referred to in Rule 51(1) shall be printed in Hansard.
52 Notice limit
No Member shall give more than two notices of motion in one day.
MOTION TO ADJOURN
53 Motion to adjourn
A motion to adjourn either the Assembly or a debate is always in order, but no second motion to adjourn may be made until an intermediate proceeding has taken place.
MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS
54 (1) Motions
A motion is used to propose that the Assembly:
a) do something;
b) order something to be done; or
c) express an opinion on a matter.
(2) Order or resolution
An adopted motion becomes either an order or resolution of the Assembly. It becomes an order when the Assembly requires its Committees, its Members or its officers to do something. It becomes a resolution when it declares the opinion of the Assembly or affirms a fact or a principle.
(3) Timing of response
A motion adopted by the House and requesting a response from the Government will require the Government to table such a response within 120 days, or at the earliest opportunity subsequent to the passage of 120 days.
55 Motions in writing
All motions shall be in writing, and shall be read by the mover and seconded before being considered.
56 Non-debatable motions
All motions are debatable except those:
a) to continue a sitting beyond the hour of daily adjournment;
b) to suspend a Member from the Assembly;
c) to order the withdrawal of strangers;
d) to give first reading to a bill;
e) to adjourn the Committee of the Whole or the Assembly;
f) to remove the Speaker, Deputy Speaker or a Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole;
g) to concur with the report of the Committee of the Whole;
h) to move a Minister’s Statement into Committee of the Whole;
i) to defer a motion or item under discussion; or
j) to elect a Speaker.
57 (1) Right to speak once
Every Member has the right to speak once to a motion.
(2) Mover's right to close debate
The mover of the motion also has the right to the last reply. The Speaker shall inform the Assembly that the reply of the mover of the original motion closes the debate.
(3) No right to last reply
Notwithstanding Rule 57(2), the mover of an amendment to a motion has no right to the last reply.
58 Motions during debate
When a motion is under debate no other motion shall be received except:
a) to amend the motion;
b) to postpone the motion to a specific day;
c) to adjourn the debate;
d) to defer the motion;
e) to refer the motion to Committee of the Whole or to a Standing or Special Committee;
f) to extend sitting hours;
g) to report progress when in Committee of the Whole; or
h) to adjourn the Assembly.
59 (1) Amendments
A motion to amend the motion may be proposed to:
a) delete certain words;
b) delete certain words in order to insert or add other words; or
c) insert or add words.
(2)
An amendment is required to be relevant to the subject matter of the original motion.
(3)
An amendment to the amendment may be proposed, but no motion to amend further shall be permitted until the consideration of the sub- amendment is concluded. A sub-amendment may propose to modify the amendment but shall not enlarge the scope of the amendment or substitute an entirely new proposal.
(4)
Notice is not required to move an amendment, but all amendments shall be in writing before being proposed.
60 Motion to refer
A motion to refer a bill or another motion to Committee of the Whole or to a Standing or Special Committee shall take precedence over amendments to the bill or the original motion.
61 Withdraw motion
A Member who has made a motion may withdraw it with the consent of the seconder provided debate has not begun.
62 Motion out of order
Whenever the Speaker is of the opinion that a motion offered to the Assembly is contrary to the Rules and privileges of the Assembly, the Speaker shall inform the Assembly immediately, quoting the applicable Rules or authority, and shall not put the motion before the Assembly.
63 (1) Motion dropped
A motion that has been twice called by the Speaker and not proceeded with shall be dropped, but it may be restored to the Order Paper after due notice.
(2) Motion withdrawn from Order Paper
If a restored motion is again called by the Speaker and not proceeded with, it shall be dropped from the Order Paper, and may not be introduced again during the same Session.
64 Motion defeated; motion rescinded
A formal motion that has been defeated in the Assembly cannot be introduced again in the same Session. A motion that has been carried may be rescinded by a new motion.
65 Motion defeated in Committee of the Whole
A motion defeated in Committee of the Whole may only be introduced again by a formal motion at the same Session.