Chapter 31 - Conduct of Senators and rules of debate

190  Personal explanations

By leave of the Senate, a senator may explain matters of a personal nature, although there is no question before the Senate, but such matters may not be debated.

Amendment history

Adopted: 19 August 1903 as SO 399 but renumbered as SO 394 for the first printed edition

1989 revision: Old SO 408 renumbered as SO 190; “indulgence” replaced with the more accurate term “leave”; minor streamlining of expression

Commentary

A personal explanation may relate to matters that occur outside the chamber or outside the proceedings of parliament and therefore leave is required to introduce such matters onto the record of the Senate. They may not be debated. This standing order is in contrast to SO 191 which gives senators a right to explain a misrepresentation that occurs in debate.