Motion to Limit Quewtions in House 'Anti-Democratif

[scribblet]

Even the NDP voted for this, but no surprise I guess they are self serving too

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/s...97-0d9cb843535b

Motion to limit questions in House 'anti-democratic,' Green leader says

Proposing the motion in the procedure and House affairs committee, Bloc Quebecois whip Michel Guimond complained that Ms. Thibault is getting to ask more questions now than when she was a member of the Bloc caucus.

Even though no Green party member has ever been elected to the Commons, MPs debated the effect the motion could have on Ms. May should she and one or two other Green candidates win Commons seats.

Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski said the motion was worded to exclude the Green party from the restrictions on independent MPs should the Greens win more than one seat.

The motion, which still must be adopted by the Commons, introduces the term "Independent MP" for the first time in the authoritative Commons standing orders and would, in effect, prohibit the Speaker from allowing more than one question a week from all independent MPs combined.

whoops, my fingers did the walking before I finished the title....

[geoffrey]

If the Greens don't have offical party status, they shouldn't be recognized in the house and should sit as independants until they do so.

The Alberta Alliance in Alberta sits as an independant since there is only one.

Liz May should not be able to ask questions or sit on a committee or have a budget unless she can manage to elect the 5 (I think it's 5) MP's needed.

It's a pretty low standard, 1.6% of the seats to have a voice. It keeps the Greens from calling all Christians Nazi's awaiting the rapture at least.

[Michael Bluth]

If the Greens don't have offical party status, they shouldn't be recognized in the house and should sit as independants until they do so.

The Alberta Alliance in Alberta sits as an independant since there is only one.

Liz May should not be able to ask questions or sit on a committee or have a budget unless she can manage to elect the 5 (I think it's 5) MP's needed.

It's a pretty low standard, 1.6% of the seats to have a voice. It keeps the Greens from calling all Christians Nazi's awaiting the rapture at least.

IIRC the standard for party status is 12 seats. Still not even 4% of the seats in the house.

[geoffrey]

IIRC the standard for party status is 12 seats. Still not even 4% of the seats in the house.

Maybe it's 5 in Alberta?!? Who knows.

12 sounds good to me too. I don't want irrelevant protestors tying up our well paid MP's doing real work. Get the support or get out.

[Remiel]

The motion, which still must be adopted by the Commons, introduces the term "Independent MP" for the first time in the authoritative Commons standing orders and would, in effect, prohibit the Speaker from allowing more than one question a week from all independent MPs combined.

What the hell kind of crap do they think they are trying to pull here? What if there were twenty Independant MPs? How the hell are they supposed to determine which one is going to get to ask a question? At the very least, all MPs sitting as Independants should count as a single bloc for the purposes of determining how many questions they have between them.

[scribblet]

I was thinking that too, if there are 12 of them, then they should be able to form the Independant Bloc and get questions. I just thought that the NDP and their so called social-democratic policy would have been well - you know - more progressive about this

[jbg]

Excuse my ignorance about Canada. Is party status required to ask questions in Parliament?

And what about 1993-7, when the PCPC kept party status with two (2) ridings?