Parliament

Question Period

The right to seek information and the right to hold the Government accountable are recognized as fundamental to our system of parliamentary government. One of the principal ways by which Members exercise these rights is by asking questions in the House. Questions may be asked orally without notice during Question Period, or they may be submitted in writing with sufficient notice.

A Member who is not satisfied with the answer to an oral question may pursue the matter at greater length during the Adjournment Proceedings, a short question and answer period held at the end of each sitting day, except Fridays. The matter of a written question that has not received a response from the Government within 45 days is automatically referred to a standing committee, unless a Member elects to raise it during Adjournment Proceedings.

Conduct of Question Period

During each sitting day at no later than 2:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m. on Friday), the 45-minute Question Period begins. At this time, the Speaker recognizes the Leader of the Opposition, or the lead questioner for the Official Opposition, who then asks a question. This lead question is usually followed by two others, called "supplementary questions".

Each of the lead questioners of the other officially-recognized opposition parties is permitted an initial question and one supplementary question. Throughout the rest of Question Period, other Members representing parties in opposition to the Government continue the questioning.

Members representing the governing party, Members of political parties not officially recognized in the House and independent Members are also recognized to ask questions, though not as often as Members of officially-recognized opposition parties.

Participation in Question Period is managed to a large extent by the various caucuses and their Whips, and can be the subject of negotiations among the parties. The recognition pattern of questioners varies depending on party representation in the House and the number of Members in each party. As well, the parties may negotiate a maximum time limit for each question and answer. Currently this limit is 35 seconds for each.

Each party decides daily which of its Members will participate in Question Period and provides the Speaker with a list of their names and the suggested order of recognition. However, the ultimate authority to recognize Members rests with the Speaker.

Members must be in their own seats to pose questions and may be recognized more than once during the same Question Period.

Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries do not ask questions.

The Speaker’s Role

The Speaker ensures that Question Period is conducted in a civil manner, that questions and answers do not lead to debate, and that both questioners and respondents are able to make their comments heard.

The Speaker does not ask or respond to oral questions.

The guidelines that govern the form and content of oral questions are based on convention, usage and tradition. While there are no written rules for questions in the Standing Orders, a set of principles and guidelines has evolved based on practice, precedents and statements made by various Speakers over time.

The Speaker has the discretion and the authority to rule out of order any question posed during Question Period if he or she is satisfied that it is in contravention of House guidelines. The Chair may suggest that a question be rephrased or may simply recognize another Member to ask the next question.

Generally, points of order or questions of privilege are not entertained during Question Period, but are deferred until its conclusion. If a situation arises during Question Period that the Speaker believes to be sufficiently serious to require immediate consideration, for example, unparliamentary language, then he or she will address the matter at that time.

Government Replies to Oral Questions

There are no explicit rules governing the form or content of replies to oral questions. According to practice, replies are to be as brief as possible, to deal with the subject matter raised and to be phrased in language that does not provoke disorder in the House.

Ministers may:

• answer questions;
• defer their answers;
• make short explanations as to why they cannot furnish an answer at that time; or
• say nothing.

Questions, although customarily addressed to specific Ministers, are directed to the Ministry as a whole. It is up to the Government to designate which Minister responds to which question. The Prime Minister (or a Minister acting on behalf of the Prime Minister) can respond to any or all questions posed during Question Period. Only one Minister may respond to each question, and it need not be the one to whom the question is addressed.

If a question is asked pertaining to the portfolio of a Minister who is absent from the House, it may be answered by the Prime Minister, by another Minister or by a Parliamentary Secretary.

A Member cannot insist on an answer, nor may a Member insist that a specific Minister respond to his or her question. The Speaker has no authority to compel a particular Minister to respond to a question. A Minister's refusal to answer a question cannot be questioned or treated as the subject of a point of order or of a question of privilege.

The Speaker ensures that replies adhere to the dictates of order, decorum and parliamentary language. The Speaker, however, is not responsible for the quality or the content of replies to questions.