Section 40 - Address the Mayor
Any Member desiring to speak shall signify their desire to speak in such a manner as the Mayor may direct, and upon being recognized by the Mayor, shall address the Mayor.
Section 41 - Order of Speaking
- Subject to Subsection (2), when two or more Members signify a desire to speak, the Mayor shall recognize the Member who, in the opinion of the Mayor, so signified first and next recognize in order the other Members.
- Where an electronic means of signifying a desire to speak is in place, recognition of Members to speak shall, subject to the other provisions of this by-law, be in accordance with such electronic means.
Section 42 - Conduct of Members in Council
- No Member shall:
- speak disrespectfully of the Reigning Sovereign, or of any Member of the Royal Family, or of the Governor General or the Lieutenant-Governor of any province, or of a fellow Member of Council or staff;
- use offensive words or unparliamentary language;
- speak on any subject other than the subject in debate;
- where a matter has been discussed in camera, and where the matter remains confidential, disclose the content of the matter or the substance of the deliberations of the in camera meeting; or
- disobey the Rules of Procedure, or a decision of the Mayor or of the Council on questions of order or practice or upon the interpretation of the Rules of Procedure.
- Where a Member has been called to order by the Mayor for failing to observe the provisions of Subsection (1) and the Member persists in any such conduct, the Mayor may forthwith put the question, no amendment, adjournment or debate being allowed, “that Councillor [Name of Member] be ordered to leave their seat for the duration of the meeting of the Council”, but if the Member apologizes, the Member may, by vote of Council, be permitted to retake their seat.
Section 43 - Privilege
- Where a Member considers that the Member’s rights, immunities or integrity or the rights, immunities or integrity of the Council as a whole has been impugned, the Member may, as a matter of privilege, rise at any time, with the consent of the Mayor, for the purpose of drawing the attention of the Council to the matter.
- Upon being recognized by the Mayor, the Member shall state the question of privilege.
- The Mayor shall:
- determine the question; or
- require that the question be seconded and permit a debate and a vote to be held on the question.
Section 44 - Points of Order
- The Mayor shall preserve order and decide points of order.
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- When a Member desires to address a point of order, the Member shall ask leave of the Mayor to raise a point of order and, after leave is granted, the Member shall state the point of order to the Mayor and the point of order shall be forthwith decided by the Mayor.
- Thereafter, a Member shall only address the Mayor for the purpose of appealing the Mayor's decision to the Council.
- If no Member appeals, the decision of the Mayor shall be final.
- The Council, if appealed to shall call a vote, without debate on the following question; “Shall the Mayor be sustained?”, the Mayor shall be sustained on a tie vote and the decision of Council shall be final.
Section 45 - Member Speaking
When a Member is speaking no other Member shall pass between the Member and the Mayor or interrupt the Member except to raise a point of order.
Section 46 - Question Read
Any Member may require the question or motion under discussion to be read at any time during the debate but not so as to interrupt a Member while speaking.
Section 47 - Speak Once - Reply
No Member shall speak more than once to the same question without leave of the Council, except that a Member who has presented a substantive motion, rather than an amendment, may reply.
Section 48 - Time Limited
No Member shall be permitted to ask questions and / or speak to a motion, for more than five minutes, excluding staff response time.
Section 49 - Question Put - No Further Debate
After any question is put by the Mayor, no Member shall speak to the question, nor shall any other motion be made until after the result is declared, and the decision of the Mayor as to whether the question has been put, shall be conclusive.
Section 50 - Questions
- A Member may ask a question of the Mayor for the purpose of obtaining information relating only to the matter under discussion and such questions must be stated succinctly.
- When questions are called for on the agenda or a specific item is under discussion, inquiries may be made of the Mayor, or through the Mayor to any Member of Council, the City Manager, or any General Manager, concerning any matter connected with the business of the City, but no argument or opinion is to be offered, or facts to be stated, except so far as may be necessary to explain the same. In answering or putting any such question a Member is not to debate the matter to which the question refers.
Section 51 - Unprovided Cases
In all unprovided cases in the proceedings of Council or in the Committee of the Whole, the matter shall be decided by the Mayor, subject to an appeal to the Council.