Royal Assent
Sitting Suspended to Await Written Declaration
March 22, 2024
Honourable senators, pursuant to Rule 16-1 (8) and the order adopted on March 20, 2024, I wish to advise the Senate that a message from the Crown concerning Royal Assent is expected later today.
Honourable senators, Rule 16-1(8) provides that after the Leader or Deputy Leader of the Government has made such an announcement:
. . . no motion to adjourn the Senate shall be received and the rules regarding the ordinary time of adjournment or suspension, or any prior order regarding adjournment shall be suspended until the message has been received or either the Leader or Deputy Leader of the Government indicates the message is no longer expected. If the Senate completes the business for the day before the message is received, the sitting shall be suspended to the call of the Speaker with the bells to ring for five minutes before the sitting resumes.
Your Honour, is it customary to call us back on a suspension on a five‑minute bell? That’s an awfully short bell. If that’s customary, fine —
Is that what you are moving, Senator Plett?
I’m raising the question. I thought it would be a 15-minute bell. To get here in five minutes from almost anywhere seems very difficult.
The rule says five minutes, Senator Plett.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to be here.
Honourable senators, pursuant to rule 16-1(8) and the order adopted on March 20, 2024, the Senate is only to deal with government business today. The sitting is suspended to await the announcement of Royal Assent, to reassemble at the call of a five-minute bell.
