Government Motions

These are routine motions moved by cabinet ministers. Some take care of the Assembly's daily business, such as setting the adjournment date of a session or establishing a committee of the Assembly or giving the Committee of Supply the go-ahead to deal with the annual budget estimates. Others raise policy matters. For example, a government motion may ask the federal government to take action on an issue within federal jurisdiction. Still others ask the Legislative Assembly to endorse a government policy.

A government motion to set up a select special committee of the Assembly: Be it resolved that a select special committee on parliamentary reform of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta be established to consider...(Hansard, May 26, 1992, p. 1119.)

The motion went on to outline the committee's purpose, its membership, how it would be financed, and who could be hired to help it get the job done. This committee could not go to work unless the Assembly passed the motion to set it up.