Parliamentary helper
What do you want to do?
Describe it, or pick a kind of motion. Each card tells you what to say, whether it needs a second, whether it can be debated or amended, and the vote required.
Adjourn the session
Privileged · #1“I move that we adjourn.”
- Needs a second
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- Majority vote
Raise a comfort or process concern (heat, noise, audibility)
Privileged · #2“I rise to a question of privilege.”
- No second needed
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- No vote — chair rules
No vote — the chair rules.
Call for the scheduled agenda item
Privileged · #3“I call for the orders of the day.”
- No second needed
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- No vote — chair rules
No vote — the chair rules.
Set the current motion aside
Subsidiary · #4“I move to table the motion.”
- Needs a second
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- Majority vote
End debate and vote now
Subsidiary · #5“I move the previous question.”
- Needs a second
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- Two-thirds vote
Send it to a committee for study
Subsidiary · #6“I move to refer the matter to committee.”
- Needs a second
- Debatable
- Amendable
- Majority vote
Change the wording of the motion on the floor
Subsidiary · #7“I move to amend by [describe].”
- Needs a second
- Debatable
- Amendable
- Majority vote
Introduce new business
Main · #8“I move that…”
- Needs a second
- Debatable
- Amendable
- Majority vote
Adopt a report
Main“I move that the report be adopted.”
- Needs a second
- Debatable
- Not amendable
- Majority vote
Vote on parts of a motion separately
Incidental“I move to divide the question to consider [specify] separately.”
- Needs a second
- Not debatable
- Amendable
- Majority vote
Revisit a completed vote
Bring back“I move to reconsider the vote on [specify].”
- Needs a second
- Debatable
- Not amendable
- Majority vote
Debatable only if the motion being reconsidered was debatable.
Resume a tabled matter
Bring back“I move to take from the table [specify].”
- Needs a second
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- Majority vote
Object to a breach of the rules
Incidental“I rise to a point of order.”
- No second needed
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- No vote — chair rules
No vote — the chair rules.
Ask how the rules apply
Incidental“Parliamentary inquiry.”
- No second needed
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- No vote — chair rules
No vote — the chair responds.
Request information
Incidental“Point of information.”
- No second needed
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- No vote — chair rules
No vote — the chair responds.
Set a rule aside temporarily
Incidental“I move to suspend the rules so that [specify].”
- Needs a second
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- Two-thirds vote
Withdraw your own motion
Incidental“I withdraw my motion.”
- No second needed
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- Majority vote
Challenge the chair's ruling
Incidental“I appeal from the decision of the chair.”
- Needs a second
- Not debatable
- Not amendable
- Majority vote
Order of precedence
When more than one motion is pending, a motion higher on this ladder can be made while a lower one is on the floor — not the other way around. (Non-ranking motions aren’t on the ladder; they’re handled when they arise.)
- 1 Adjourn the session
- 2 Raise a comfort or process concern (heat, noise, audibility)
- 3 Call for the scheduled agenda item
- 4 Set the current motion aside
- 5 End debate and vote now
- 6 Send it to a committee for study
- 7 Change the wording of the motion on the floor
- 8 Introduce new business
Add to the guide
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