Date Published:
March 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Closure

Closure, the term applied to the new rules adopted by the Canadian House of Commons on April 23, 1913, with the object of preventing obstruction. These rules abolished the right of members to speak as often as they liked in committee; they authorized any minister of the Crown to move the closure of debate after twenty-four hours' notice, with the consequence that debate was to be limited to one twenty minute speech for each private member; they abolished the right to move amendments on going into supply two days a week; and they prohibited debate on a number of motions hitherto open. The first application of the closure was moved on May 7, 1913, by the prime minister, R. L. Borden, in the debate on the Naval bill.

Source : W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 411p., p. 85.