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House of Representatives                                Ch 9                                                 p 298

Question proposed—motion in possession of House

Standing order 117 provides that once a motion has been moved and seconded (if necessary), the Speaker shall propose the question to the House. Once the question has been proposed by the Chair the motion is deemed to be in possession of the House and, with the exception of those motions which under standing order 78 may not be debated, open to debate. The House must dispose of the motion in one way or another before it can proceed with any other business. It cannot be withdrawn without the leave of the House or altered, even to correct an error, except by leave of the House or by amendment. ¹

The normal position is that the mover of a motion, with the exceptions in standing order 1 and subject to any determination by the Selection Committee, may speak for a maximum of 20 minutes and any other Member for 15 minutes. When speaking in reply the mover may speak for 15 minutes only.

If the terms of a motion do not appear on the Notice Paper or have not been previously circulated in the Chamber, the Chair usually proposes the question in the full terms of the motion, otherwise the simple form ‘That the motion be agreed to’ may suffice. If the terms of a question or matter under discussion have not been circulated among Members, a Member, at any time, except when another Member is addressing the House, may request the Speaker to state the question or matter under discussion. ²

H.R. Deb. (11.11.13) 3008-9.

S.O. 67. H.R. Deb. (10.6.99) 6655-6. The Speaker has directed the Clerk to read the terms of a matter under discussion, H.R. Deb. (7.12.04) 8016.