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History of the Office: Pre-1900

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ PRE-1900

THE STANDING​ ORDERS ESTABLISHED AFTER CONFEDERATION PROHIBIT MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FROM VOTING ON QUESTIONS IN WHICH THEY HAVE A DIRECT PECUNIARY INTEREST. ​​

​​​​​ ​20 December​

18​67

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The R​​u​les, Orders and Forms of Proceeding of the Legislature Assembly of Canada, a report of a committee that assisted the Speaker in forming the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, is concurred in by the House and becomes the rules under which the House operates. Standing Order 16 (later Standing Order 21) states: “​No Member is entitled to vote upon any questions in which he or she has a direct pecuniary interest, and the vote of any Member so interested will be disallowed.” (In 2004, this Standing Order is​ repealed and replaced by the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons, an appendix of the Standing Orders.)​
​​​​3 May​

1886

​​​ In the House​ of Commons, a Member’s vote is questioned for reasons of pecuniary interest. The practice is to accept the Member’s word. (See p. 1011 of the Debates.)


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