Daily Business

The business that is before the House each day is set out on an agenda called the Order Paper. The Clerk prepares the order paper and circulates it to all members on each sitting day. The order paper consists of two classes of business, namely, those items that constitute the Daily Routine and the remaining items of business.

The Daily Routine

The House Rules require that those items of business that make up the daily routine must be called every day before any other item of business. The daily routine consists of the following items of business:

  • presenting and reading petitions
  • presenting reports of committees
  • tabling reports, regulations, and other papers
  • statements by ministers
  • government notices of motion
  • introduction of bills
  • notices of motion

Question Period

Question Period, which appears on the Order Paper as Oral Questions Put by Members, immediately follows the daily routine on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. It must be called on those days immediately after the daily routine. Question Period lasts no longer than fifty minutes.

Order Papers