How to read an Order Paper
Order of business
The House always attends to general business first, followed by orders of the day. General business includes:
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the Clerk announcing lists of petitions, papers, and select committee reports presented, and bills introduced
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questions for oral answer.
Tuesdays and Thursdays
Government orders of the day take precedence over other business on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Government decides the order in which Government orders of the day are arranged, subject to Standing Order requirements.
Wednesdays
General business on Wednesdays expands to include a general debate in addition to the standard list of general business items.
On alternate Wednesdays, private and local, and members’ orders of the day usually take precedence over Government orders of the day. Standing Orders determine the priority attached to private and local, and members’ orders of the day.
Business before the House
This part of an Order Paper sets out individual orders of the day in more detail. The details include:
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the full name of each order of the day
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the name of the member in charge
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the stage the order has reached in the House
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the time available for debate.
Orders of the day are listed in priority order. The number before each item indicates its priority status.
Some items do not have a number. These items are not available for the House to consider until a time constraint set by the Standing Orders has been met. For example, a bill only becomes available for first reading on the third sitting day after it is introduced.
Notices of motion
Notices of motion are listed at the end of an Order Paper. They give the House advance notice of a member’s intention to move a motion.
Government notices of motion are those in the name of a Minister. Whether Government notices of motion are debated depends on the priority given to them by the Government on the Order Paper.
The House seldom reaches members’ notices of motion. Members’ notices of motion lapse if not dealt with within 1 week of their first appearance on the Order Paper.
