Elie Beauregard (Speaker of the Senate)
Liberal
Mr. Speaker:
Perhaps the house will permit me to present the first report of the committee which was appointed to consider the procedure of the house. I might say that the committee has come to an agreement on a recommendation to be made to the house with respect to the hours of sitting. The recommendation is that the hours of sitting should be from 2.30 to six o'clock in the afternoon and from eight to ten at night, from Monday to Friday inclusive, with the usual recess on Wednesday nights.
It is also recommended that the hour for private and public bills should be from five to six o'clock on Tuesdays and Fridays. In making these two recommendations it is suggested that the standing orders be changed to that effect. There is a further recommendation, and in this case it is not suggested that the standing order should be changed, that if the debate on the speech from the throne is not concluded after approximately the end of the first week of the session, the house should consider having morning sittings until the debate on the speech from the throne is finished.
I should also say that the committee has not given up hope entirely of reaching agreement on other matters which it has considered, and accordingly the committee recommends that it be reappointed at the next session. Under the circumstances probably it will not be necessary for me to read the report.
