The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

The Hon. the Speaker: We have two minutes, Senator Lankin, would you like to wait until the matter is called again or venture into the two-minute territory?

The Hon. the Speaker: Actually, Senator Mercer, if you move the adjournment right now, it will preclude Senator Lankin from asking her question to Senator Omidvar when it’s called again. May I suggest that we just leave the matter as it is and when it’s recalled, Senator Omidvar will have the balance of her time and that will give Senator Lankin an opportunity to ask her question.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, the time for Question Period has expired.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the second time?

(On motion of Senator Carignan, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading two days hence.)

(1430)

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker: Thank you kindly, Senator Mercer.

(At 4 p.m., pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate earlier this day, the Senate adjourned until 2 p.m., tomorrow.)

Appendix—Senators List

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, on November 23, 2021, the Senate adopted an order that “the position of Speaker pro tempore be filled by means of a secret ballot by all senators to be held at the earliest opportunity, using the process established by the Speaker for the election of the Speaker pro tempore in the Second Session of the Forty-third Parliament, with timelines adjusted for the current session at the Speaker’s discretion”.

The process established last session was that the election of the Speaker pro tempore be by ranked ballot.

For the current session, a senator who wishes to be a candidate will have to communicate his or her interest by email to the Clerk of the Senate by noon on Monday, December 6, 2021.

At the start of the sitting after Monday, December 6, I will announce the names of the senators who are candidates. Instead of proceeding to Senators’ Statements, we will then hear from the candidates for a maximum of three minutes each, irrespective of the total time required. If there are fewer than six candidates, any balance of time can be used for regular statements.

The voting will start shortly after we have heard from the candidates. Details about the confidential system will follow shortly before voting is to start. Only the Clerk will have access to information about the vote. He will not reveal any of this information to anyone.

Senators will be able to vote until 6 p.m. on the day after voting starts. That deadline could be extended, if required, for technical reasons. When they vote, senators will rank as many candidates as they wish, with one being their first choice, two their second, and so on. If, however, there are only two candidates, senators will only be asked to select one candidate.

After the voting, the Clerk will count the votes in private. After the initial count, the candidate, or candidates, with the fewest votes will be dropped and those votes redistributed to the next active preference on the ballot, if one is indicated. The process will continue with successive rounds until a candidate has a majority of votes that are still active. If, after all possible distributions, two or more candidates have the same number of votes, a run-off election will be held.

The name of the chosen candidate will be announced at the start of the sitting following completion of counting. A motion to name that senator as Speaker pro tempore will then be deemed moved, seconded, and adopted, without debate, amendment, or further vote. No further details will be provided, and the Clerk will keep all information related to the vote confidential.