Private-bill Rule and Returning Officers Notice

Summary#

This is a short parliamentary notice recording two routine publications. It says that the House of Commons published Standing Order 130 (about notices for intended private-bill applications) in the Canada Gazette on May 24, 2025, and that the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer’s list of returning officers under the Canada Elections Act was published as Extra Vol. 160, No. 1 on January 19, 2026.

What it does#

• Confirms the prior publication of Standing Order 130 about notices for intended private bills (published May 24, 2025).
• Notes that the Canada Elections Act list of returning officers was published as Extra Vol. 160, No. 1 (published January 19, 2026).
• Gives a contact for more information about private-bill notices: the Private Members’ Business Office (contact details were included in the original notice).

Who's affected#

• People or organizations thinking of applying for a private bill, because Standing Order 130 governs how those notices are handled.
• Election stakeholders (candidates, political parties, local election staff) who use the list of returning officers to find who runs elections in each area.
• Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff who deal with private members’ business.
• If it’s unclear who exactly will need which documents, the notice points to the offices named for more details.

Why it matters#

• These are routine transparency steps: they tell the public where the rules (for private bills) and the official list of returning officers were published.
• If you plan to submit a private-bill application or are involved in running or standing in an election, the publications identify the rules and the local election officials you may need to contact.