Budget Speech: Whenever the
Government wants to make a
Budget presentation, a
Minister rises in the
House, usually during the
Question Period, to request that an
Order of the Day be designated (that is, be put on the
Order Paper) for this purpose. The
Minister will also specify the date and time of the presentation. The announcement is deemed to be a request that the
House sit later than usual on the designated day, if required.
At the specified time on the designated day, the
Minister of Finance rises to move a
Ways and Means motion, “That this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the Government” and to deliver the
Budget Speech.
The
Budget Speech is usually given in late afternoon, after the
financial markets have closed.
In order that
Members of Parliament and the news media be capable of responding in a timely fashion to the contents of the
Budget Speech, a
closed-door information “lock-up” is usually provided for M
embers of Parliament and the news media several hours before the actual
Budget presentation in the
House.
During the
Budget Speech, the
Minister may also table notices of
Ways and Means motions setting out the various taxation and other financial measures that will be needed to implement the
Budget provisions.
Concurrence in any of these motions, or in any other
Ways and Means motions tabled during the session, may not be proposed until the
Ways and Means proceeding on the Budget itself (i.e., the
Minister of Finance’s motion) is completed.
Following the
Minister’s speech, a
Member of the Official Opposition, usually the finance critic, is recognized. After a brief
speech, he or she moves the
adjournment of the debate.
