DCHP-3

question period

DCHP-2 (Jun 2013)

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Question Period

n. — Politics

a period during every day the House of Commons is sitting when the opposition may ask questions of the prime minister or cabinet ministers.

Type: 5. Frequency — Question period is formally known as "Oral Questions", and takes place every day in the House of Commons when parliament is in session. Question period lasts 45 minutes and the first question is generally reserved for the leader of the official opposition (see Parliament of Canada reference). In the UK, New Zealand and Australia, similar proceedings are known as as question time (see OED-3, s.v. "question time"). Internet searches indicate that question period, when referencing a government activity, is most prevalent in Canada (see Chart 1).
See also COD-2, s.v. "question period", which is marked "Cdn", ITP-Nelson, s.v. "question period" (2), which is marked "Canadian", and OED-3, s.v. "question period", which is marked "spec. (Canad.)".

Quotations

1919
During the question period, Dr. Clark went on record as favoring the taxation of land values.
1921
Ireland was again to the forefront during the question period in the House of Commons today, Mr. Lloyd George and Sir Hamar Greenwood, the Chief Scretary, being bombarded with inquiries regarding recent events there.
1928
During the question period, the minister of marine, replying to Mr. Smith, in respect to the bunkering of Canadian government ships said: "It is the stated policy of the government to use Canadian coal for the bunkering of Canadian ships wherever possible." He expressed surprise to learn that such a course was not being followed in Halifax.
1947
During the question period Mr. St. Laurent dealt with the difficulties of food deliveries to Europe because of the higher dollar costs; South African racial discrimination; partition of Palestine; the Pan-American Union and the Indonesian question.
1957
Almost all are 'politicians' wives. Many of these women, living with their husbands in Ottawa during the session, make it a practice - no matter what's on their agenda - to stop by to listen to the question period that begins each day's sitting.
1977
Mr. Clark did not raise the matter during the Commons question period, but later he told the House he hadn't learned that disclosure of his own tax file had been verified until 11:15 a.m., more than an hour after the radio program was broadcast.
1988
MPs tangled over free trade during the first question period in the post-election session of Parliament following a 156-106 vote that gave the government the right to reintroduce legislation today to enact the deal with the United States.
1999
The new status means the Liberals sit directly across from the government leader and get to ask the first two questions of question period.
2013
The opposition parties have been trying for months to highlight the links between the Conservative Party and members of Montreal's embattled political class. During Monday's Question Period, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said that "the entire Conservative network has been tarnished by the arrest of one of their star candidates."
2016
In question period in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Trudeau brushed off a query from interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose on whether he would approve Energy East and Trans Mountain if they are given the go-ahead by the NEB.

References

Images

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 5 Oct. 2012

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 5 Oct. 2012