Update on the End of the Sitting
As an update to my earlier blogpost, "Next Steps in the Current Election Scare":
This means that the votes to watch will both occur on Friday, unless the Prime Minister takes up the Liberal Leader on his other to extend the sitting, presumably to the last day of the Supply Period, which is specified as June 23 (i.e., next Tuesday).
- Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has asked the Prime Minister to respond to four further questions he believed were left unanswered in the budget progress report, and
- Ignatieff indicated in response to reporters' questions that were he to find those answers ultimately unsatisfactory, the Liberals would move to bring down the government by voting against the Estimates, rather than doing so on a confidence motion of their own.
Supply bills are considered on the last allotted day [i.e., the last Opposition Day] in each Supply period, at the end of proceedings on the opposition motion or the Main Estimates, as the case may be. At that time, the House must proceed through all the motions related to the Estimates, the Interim Supply and the Supply bills without further debate or amendments.The last allotted day is the day allotted for the Liberal Opposition Day motion, which is currently Friday, June 19. Thus, after the vote on the Liberal Opposition Day motion all remaining votes to dispose of the budget will be put.
This means that the votes to watch will both occur on Friday, unless the Prime Minister takes up the Liberal Leader on his other to extend the sitting, presumably to the last day of the Supply Period, which is specified as June 23 (i.e., next Tuesday).
Labels: Election Timing
posted by The Pundits' Guide at
9:17 AM
6 Comments:
Not sure if you can help, but Tom Clarke brought up an interesting question today on Pwer Play. He said that if the estimates are voted down on Friday, then in effect the entire budget is voted down, and so none of the stimulus money will flow. Ignatieff said that his understanding was that the money would still flow through Government Warrants, etc.
Do you have any thoughts on who might be correct ?
Hi jad, and thanks for the comment.
Because I got things wrong the first time and had to print a correction, I'm delighted to run down the details now courtesy of the online Compendium of Parliamentary Procedure, notably the section describing "Business of Supply":
* From the beginning of the fiscal year on April 1 until the time the Estimates have been reviewed by the House, the government proceeds on the basis of an "Interim Supply" motion. This provides the first quarter of the funding for the year's proposed expenditures, while the House considers the detailed Estimates.
* Interim Supply ends on June 23, when the Main Estimates have to be voted on.
* On June 23, the Supply motion will either be voted up or down, to coin and phrase.
* If Supply is not approved, then under the Financial Administration Act, the cabinet can ask the Governor-General to issue a Special Warrant under the following conditions:
--> if Parliament is dissolved,
--> if the Minister can make the case that the expenditure is "urgently required for the public good", and
--> if the Treasury Board president confirms that there is no appropriation for the payment; and
--> they can only be issued when Parliament is dissolved (not prorogued), and last until 60 days after the returns of writs after a general election.
--> they CANNOT be issued during a prorogation, and
--> they must be published in the Canada Gazette within 30 days of issue
Does that help?
That's great, and thanks for the good work. But given we are looking at a $50 billion deficit, does the amount make a difference ? It's not exactly your regular operating expenses.
I there any limit, or can the Governor-General approve unlimited funds ?
Well, I did not see a limit referred to in the Compendium, and I was looking for that kind of thing. I doubt there's one in the Financial Administration Act, but there might be in its regulations. I believe there are limits in some provinces. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to research the answer to that question fully tonight, however. A few other pressing demands are just getting in the way. Sorry, jad, but thanks for reading and commenting.
it was reported on the nightly news last night that Ignatieff and harper had made a deal to create some sort of EI panel so it appears an election during july has been avoided , one wasn't that likely anyways and canadians didn't want one so hopefully this compromise works out during the summer .
Hi Anon, I don't know about other Canadians, but this way it gives me the summer to do some more work on the Pundits' Guide, so that works for me anyways. I appreciate your taking the time to read and comment.
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