Chapter 10 - Debate
Reply
A senator who has
moved a substantive motion may speak in reply, and this reply closes the debate
(SO 192).
There is no right of reply in relation to a procedural motion or in relation to
an amendment.
Motions which are open to debate but regarded as procedural in
character and therefore not subject to the right of reply include motions for
the suspension of standing orders, for an instruction to a committee of the
whole and for the recommittal of a bill (ruling of President Gould, SD,
1/10/1909, p. 4021). Two of
the elements of the composite motion under standing order 113(2) are regarded
as procedural (see Chapter 12, Legislation, under Initiation).
Where two or more senators are joint movers of a motion, any one of
them, but only one of them, may exercise the right of reply by speaking for a
second time.
The chair will not call a senator to speak in reply if there is any
other senator who has not spoken and who seeks the call to speak.
While the purpose of the reply is to respond to matters raised in
debate, a senator speaking in reply can introduce relevant matter which has not
been referred to in debate (ruling of President Baker, SD, 2/6/1904, p. 1854).
A senator who speaks in reply on behalf of another senator does not
close the debate (ruling of President Brown, SD, 11/4/1946, p. 1358). A senator who moves a motion on behalf
of another, however, may also speak in reply, and the mover of a motion may
reply where another senator has moved the motion on the mover’s behalf. Thus a
speech by the minister in charge of a bill in response to the debate on the
second reading is regarded as closing the debate, even though another minister
moved the motion for the second reading. In this circumstance, it is the
minister who moves the motion who acts on behalf of another.
Where motions are moved together, or items of business are taken
together, by leave or by special order, each of the movers of motions so
amalgamated may speak in reply (14/4/1988, J.628; 23/11/1988, J.1143-4; 27/11/2000, J.3584-6).
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