The releases and information posted in this section showcase the legislative work that Ron is undertaking in the House of Commons. Because Ron is not a member of Cabinet his legislative contributions are classified as Private Members' Business. There are two types of Private Members' Business: bills and motions.

Private Members' Bills (PMBs) are laws that are proposed by any Member of Parliament, not the Government. If passed, PMBs have the same force and effect as the other laws of Canada. There are restrictions however. PMBs cannot raise or lower taxes. Taxation bills can only be introduced by a cabinet minister. As well, if a bill proposes an expenditure of funds it requires a 'Royal Recommendation', which is an authorization from the Governor General for the expenditure of funds. A Royal Recommendation can only be obtained by a cabinet minister. PMBs requiring funds are virtually never granted a Royal Recommendation since the Government usually determines its planning and priorities through the Budget. Therefore the vast majority of PMBs are concerned with regulations or introducing or amending existing laws.

Private Member's Motions (PMMs) are opinions that are proposed by Members of Parliament for endorsement by the House of Commons. A motion is not binding on the Government and therefore does not require the Government to take action.

Private Members' business is allocated 5 hours of a week of consideration by the House of Commons. Government bills are granted the majority of the time in the week for consideration, usually 25 hours in a week. For information, including legislative summaries and the progress of Private Members' business or other government legislation click here to go to LEGISINFO, the Library of Parliament's legislation information page.

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HouseBills/BillsGovernment.aspx? Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1#C21