Profile of Individual Committees

Committee on Aboriginal Peoples

Mandate The Committee was first created in December 1989 and has a mandate to examine legislation and matters relating to the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada (Rule 86(1)(q)).

Recent Reports and Legislation

• The Aboriginal Soldier after the Wars, March 1995
• Bill C-55, Surface rights in Yukon Territory, December 1994
• Bill C-16, Act to approve the Sahtu Dene and Métis Land Claim Settlement Agreement, June 1994
• Bill C-33, Yukon First Nations Land Claim Settlement, June 1994
• Bill C-34, Yukon First Nations Self-Government Act, June 1994
• Bill C-132, Nunavut Act, June 1993
• Bill C-133, Act respecting an Agreement between the Inuit of the Nunavut Settlement Area and Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, June 1993
• Bill C-103, Land Titles Repeal Act, June 1993

Recent Committee Chairpersons

• The Honourable Len Marchand P.C. (1989-1993)
• The Honourable Raynell Andreychuk (1994-1996)
• The Honourable Len Marchand P.C. (1996-97)
• The Honourable Landon Pearson (1997)
• The Honourable Charlie Watt (1997-)

Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

Mandate In 1983 the Committee on Agriculture became the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. In May of 1986, the Committee was divided into two standing committees, one on Fisheries and another on Agriculture and Forestry. The mandate of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry is to examine legislation and matters relating to agriculture and forestry generally, and the Canadian Wheat Board (Rule 86(1)(n)).

Recent Reports and Legislation

• New Realities and Tough Choices: From Agriculture to Agri-Food, December 1994 (interim report on the future of agriculture in Canada)
• Farm Stress: Its Economic Dimension, Its Human Consequences, June 1993 (interim report on farm safety)
• Bill C-60, an Act to establish the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, March 1997
• Bill C-95, Act to continue the Farm Credit Corporation, April 1993
• Bill S-16, Act to restructure United Grain Growers, Limited, December 1992
• Bill C-54, Act to amend the Farm Products Marketing Agencies Act, June 1992
• Bill C-23, Act to amend the Canadian Wheat Board Act, October 1991
• Bill C-98, Farm Income Protection Act, April 1991
• Bill C-15, Act respecting plant breeders' rights, June 1990

Recent Committee Chairpersons

• The Honourable Hazen Argue (1973-79)
• The Honourable Herbert O. Sparrow (1980-84)
• The Honourable Jack Marshall (1984-86)
• The Honourable Daniel Hays (1986-88)
• The Honourable E.W. Barootes (1989-93)
• The Honourable Eric Bernston (1993)
• The Honourable Daniel Hays (1994-96)
• The Honourable Len Gustafson (1996-)

Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce

Mandate The Committee dates back to 1867 and has a history of reviewing legislation on financial institutions and budgetary and commercial matters. It was among the first committees to pre-study bills, now recognized as a distinct feature of Senate Committee work. The mandate of the Committee is to examine legislation and matters relating to finance and business, including:

1) banking, insurance, trust and loan companies, credit societies, "caisses populaires" and small loan companies;

2) customs and excise;

3) taxation legislation;

4) patents and royalties;

5) corporate affairs; and

6) bankruptcy (Rule 86(1)(l)).

Recent reports and legislation

• Summary of concerns regarding the harmonized Sales Tax, April 1997
• Joint and Several Liability and Professional Defendants, December 1996
• 1997 Financial Institution Reform: Lowering the Barriers to Foreign Banks, October 1996
• Corporate Governance, August 1996
• Crown Financial Institutions, April 1996
• Regulations and Consumer Protection in the Federally - Regulated Financial Services Industry: Striking a Balance, November 1994.
• Regulations proposed to the Export Development Act, March 1994.
• Regulations on the Use of Personal Information Supplied to the Financial Institutions by its Customers, June 1993
• Monitoring and Protection of Clients of Financial Institutions, June 1993
• Bill C-70, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (Harmonized GST), March 1997
• Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and the Income Tax Act, February 1997
• Bill C-102, An Act to amend the Customs Act and the Customs Tariff Act, November 1995
• Bill C-103, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Income Tax Act, December 1995
• Bill C-11, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act, the Customs Act and the Tobacco Sales to young people, October 1994
• Bill C-12, An Act to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act, June 1994
• Bill C-27, An Act to amend the Income Tax, the Income Tax Application Rules, The Canada Pension Plan, the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, June 1994

Recent Committee Chairpersons

• The Honourable Salter A. Hayden (1951-83)
• The Honourable A.I. Barrow (1983-84)
• The Honourable Lowell Murray (1984-86)
• The Honourable Ian Sinclair (1986-88)
• The Honourable Sidney L. Buckwold (1989-91)
• The Honourable Jean-Marie Poitras (1991-93)
• The Honourable C. William Doody, P.C. (1993)
• The Honourable Michael Kirby (1994-)

Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources

Mandate The Committee first met in January 1984 under the name of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Its name was changed to the present one in January 1991. From 1946 to 1968 there existed a Committee on Natural Resources. The mandate of the Committee is to examine legislation and matters relating to energy, the environment and natural resources generally, including:

1) mines and natural resources, other than fisheries and forestry;

2) pipelines, transmission lines and energy transportation;

3) environmental affairs; and

4) other energy-related matters (Rule 86(1)(p)).

Recent Reports and Legislation

• Protecting Places and People: Conserving Canada’s Natural Heritage, February 1996
• Pull Up! Pull Up! An Interim Report on the Safety Implications of Automated Weather Observation Systems, July 1995
• The Energy Emissions Crisis: A Viable Alternative, January 1993
• Scotia Synfuels: A Project for the 1990's, June 1992
• Bill C-29, An Act to regulate interprovincial trade in and the importation for commercial purposes of certain mangenese-based substances, March 1997
• Bill C-23, An Act to establish the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, March 1997
• Bill C-25, An Act to amend the Canada Petroleum Resources Act, October 1994
• Bill C-23, An Act to implement a Convention for the protection of migratory birds in Canada and the United States, June 1994
• Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Canada Wildlife Act, June 1994
• Bill C-6, An Act to amend the Canada Oil and Gas operations Act, the Petroleum Resources Act and the National Energy Board, May 1994
• Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, December 1994

Recent Committee Chairpersons

• The Honourable Earl A. Hastings (1983-88)
• The Honourable Daniel Hays (1989-93)
• The Honourable Pat Carney (1994-96)
• The Honourable Ron Ghitter (1996-)

Committee on Fisheries

Mandate The Committee was created in May 1986 with a mandate to examine legislation and matters relating to fisheries (Rule 86(1)(o)). Until that time fisheries had been part of the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Recent Reports

• The Atlantic Groundfish Fishery: Its Future, December 1995
• The Atlantic Commercial Inshore Fisheries, June 1993
• Canadian Lobster - A Marketing Challenge, March 1991
• Bill C-26, An Act respecting the Oceans of Canada, December 1996

Recent Committee Chairpersons

• The Honourable Jack Marshall (1986-89)
• The Honourable Brenda Robertson (1990-91)
• The Honourable Eileen Rossiter (1992-1996)
• The Honourable Gérald J. Comeau (1996-)

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Mandate The Committee was first established in March 1938 under the name of Committee on External Relations. Its name was subsequently changed to International relations and in 1968 to Foreign Affairs. The mandate of the Committee is to examine legislation and matters relating to foreign and commonwealth relations, including:

1. treaties and international agreements;
2. external trade;
3. foreign aid;
4. defence; and
5. territorial and offshore matters (Rule 86(1)(h)).

Recent Reports and Legislation

• The Importance of the Asia Pacific Region for Canada (Interim Report), June 1997
• European Integration: The Implications for Canada, July 1996
• Free Trade in the Americas (Interim Report), August 1995
• Macroeconomic Impact of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement, February 1993
• Meeting New Challenges: Canada's Response to a New Generation of Peacekeeping, February 1993 (study of Subcommittee on Security and National Defence)
• Monitoring the Implementation of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement First Report, March 1990 Second Report, November 1990
• Bill C-87, An Act to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, June 1995
• Bill C-57, An Act to implement the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, December 1994
• Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Crown Liability and proceedings Act, May 1994
• Bill C-115, Act to Implement the NAFTA, June 1993

Recent Committee Chairpersons

• The Honourable George C. van Roggen (1976-86)
• The Honourable John B. Stewart (1986-)

Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

Mandate The Committee has a mandate to consider all matters of a financial or administrative nature relating to the internal management of the Senate. It reviews and authorizes the budget applications of committees and sets guidelines and policies on items such as Senators' travel and research expenditures. It should be noted the Committee is authorized to carry out its mandate on its own initiative rather than being dependent on an order of reference from the Senate (Rule 86(1)(g)).

Recent Committee Chairpersons

• The Honourable Keith Laird (1976-79)
• The Honourable Rhéal Bélisle (1979)
• The Honourable B. Alasdair Graham (1980-84)
• The Honourable Guy Charbonneau (1984-88)
• The Honourable Roméo Leblanc (1989-91)
• The Honourable Thérèse Lavoie-Roux (1991-93)
• The Honourable Earl A. Hastings (1994-95)
• The Honourable Colin Kenny (1995-1997)
• The Honourable William Rompkey (1997-)

Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Mandate The Committee has a mandate to examine legislation and matters relating to legal and constitutional matters generally, including:

1) federal-provincial relations;

2) administration of justice, law reform and all related matters;

3) the judiciary;

4) all essentially juridical matters; and

5) private bills not otherwise specifically assigned to another committee, including those related to marriage and divorce (Rule 86(1)(k)).

Recent Report and Legislation

• Regulations pursuant to Section 118 of the Firearms Act, February 1997
• The resolution to amend the Constitution of Canada, Term 17 of the Terms of Union of Newfoundland with Canada, July 1996
• Bill C-71, an Act to regulate the manufacture, sale, labelling and promotion of tobacco products, April 1997
• Bill C-63, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act, the Parliament of Canada Act and the Referendum Act, December 1996
• Bill C-45, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (judicial review of parole ineligibility), December 1996
• Bill C-42, An Act to amend the Judges Act, October 1996
• Bill C-8, An Act respecting the control of certain drugs, their precursors and other substances and to amend certain other Acts and repeal the Narcotic Control Act, June 1996
• Bill C-68, An Act respecting firearms and other weapons, November 1995
• Bill C-37, An Act to amend the Young Offenders Act and the Criminal Code, June 1995
• Bill C-22, An Act respecting certain agreements concerning the redevelopment and operation of Terminals 1 and 2 at the Lester B. Pearson International Airport, July 1994
• Bill C-18, An Act to suspend the operation of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, May 1994
• Bill S-15, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (sexual orientation), June 1993
• Bill C-49, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (Sexual assault), June 1992
• Bill C-43, an Act respecting Abortion, January 1991

Appointment of Privacy Commissioner, April 1991

Recent Committee Chairpersons

• The Honourable H. Carl Goldenberg (1973-79)
• The Honourable Richard A. Donahue (1979)
• The Honourable Joan B. Neiman (1980-84), (1986-88)
• The Honourable P. Derek Lewis (1984-86)
• The Honourable Nathan Nurgitz (1989-93)
• The Honourable Gérald-A. Beaudoin (1993-96)
• The Honourable Sharon Carstairs (1996-97)
• The Honourable Lorna Milne (1997-)

Committee on National Finance

Mandate The Committee was first created in May 1919 under the name of Committee on Finance, and in 1968 it became the Committee on National Finance. The Committee's field of interest is government spending, either directly through the Estimates or indirectly through bills that provide borrowing authority or bear upon the spending proposals identified in the Estimates. The Committee also has a mandate to examine the report of the Auditor General (Rule 86(1)(i)).

Recent Reports

• Main Estimates 1995-96 (Consideration of the Canada health and Social Transfer (CHST)), February 1997
• Public Service 2000: The Renewal of the Public Service of Canada, December 1992
• The Program Evaluation System in the Government of Canada, January 1991
• The Form and Use of Royal Recommendation, February 1990

Recent Chairpersons of the Committee

• The Honourable Douglas Everett (1970-83)
• The Honourable C. William Doody, P.C. (1983-84)
• The Honourable Fernand-E. Leblanc (1984-92)
• The Honourable Roch Bolduc (1992)
• The Honourable H.A. (Bud) Olson (1993)
• The Honourable C. William Doody, P.C. (1994-96)
• The Honourable David Tkachuk (1996-1997))
• The Honourable Terrence R. Stratton (1997-)

Committee on Privileges, Standing Rules and Orders

Mandate The Committee was first established in 1968 under the name of Committee on Standing Rules and Orders and in 1991 received its present name. The Committee has a mandate:

1) on its own initiative to propose, from time to time, amendments to the rules for consideration by the Senate;

2) upon reference from the Senate, to examine and, if required, report on any question of privilege; and

3) to consider the orders and customs of the Senate and privileges of Parliament (Rule 86(1)(f)).

Recent Reports

• Fifth Report, Third Session, 34^th Parliament - Consideration of Question of Privilege raised in the Senate by the Honourable Senator Carney, P.C., May 1993
• First Report, Third Session, 33rd Parliament - Substantive changes to the Senate Rules in the following areas: votes on adjournment motions; question period and time limits for debates, June 1991

Chairpersons of the Committee

• The Honourable Hartland de M. Molson (1973-83)
• The Honourable Gildas L. Molgat (1983-91)
• The Honourable Brenda M. Robertson (1991-97)
• The Honourable Shirley Maheu (1997-)

Committee of Selection

Mandate At the commencement of each session, nine Senators are appointed to the Committee which has a mandate to nominate:

1) a Senator to preside as Speaker pro tempore; and

2) the Senators to serve on the select committees (Rule 86(1)).

Recent Chairpersons of Committee

• The Honourable William J. Petten (1974-79)(1980-84)
• The Honourable John M. Macdonald (1979)
• The Honourable Orville H. Phillips (1984-92)
• The Honourable William M. Kelly (Acting) (1992-93)
• The Honourable Jacques Hébert (1994-)

Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

Mandate This Committee traces its origins back to 1908 when a Committee on Public Health and Inspection of Food was first established. It received its present name in 1983 and has a mandate to examine legislation and matters relating to social affairs, science and technology generally, including:

1) veterans affairs;

2) Indian and Inuit affairs

3) cultural affairs and the arts;

4) social and labour matters;

5) health and welfare;

6) pensions;

7) housing;

8) fitness and amateur sport;

9) employment and immigration;

10) consumer affairs; and

11) youth affairs (Rule 86(1)(m)).

Since 1984 the Committee has in each session established a Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs to examine matters pertaining specifically to Canadian veterans.

Recent Reports

• Steadying the Course (Report of the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs), April 1997
• Interim Report of the Subcommittee on Post-Secondary Education, April 1997
• Keeping Faith: Into the Future (Study by Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs), October 1994
• The Valour and the Horror, January 1993 (Study by Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs)
• Canadian Citizenship: Sharing the Responsibility, May 1993
• Children in Poverty, January 1991
• Accessibility to Hospital Services - Is There a Crisis?, June 1990
• Bill C-300, An Act respecting the establishment and award of a Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal for Canadians who have served with an international peacekeeping mission, April 1997
• Bill C-66, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (Part I) and the Corporations and Labour Unions Returns Act, April 1997
• Bill C-41, An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act, the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act and the Canada Shipping Act, February 1997
• Bill C-12, An Act respecting employment insurance in Canada, June 1996
• Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (nuclear undertakings), May 1996
• Bill C-80, Act to amend the Income Tax Act, to enact the Children's Special Allowances Act, to amend certain other Acts in consequence thereof and to repeal the Family Allowances Act, October 1992
• Bill C-86, Act to amend the Immigration Act, Pre-study report, September 1992; Report on Bill, December 1992

Recent Chairpersons of Committee

• The Honourable Maurice Lamontagne (1973-74)
• The Honourable Chesley W. Carter (1974-76)
• The Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell(1976-79)(1980-83)
• The Honourable Jack Marshall (1979)
• The Honourable Arthur Tremblay (1984-88)
• The Honourable Lorna Marsden (1989-91)
• The Honourable Paul David (1991-92)
• The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella (Acting) (1992-93)
• The Honourable B. Alasdair Graham (1993-95)
• The Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell (1995-96)
• The Honourable Mabel DeWare (1996-97)
• The Honourable Lowell Murray (1997-)

Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs

• The Honourable Jack Marshall (1984-1994)
• The Honourable Orville H. Phillips (1994-)

Committee on Transport and Communications

Mandate The mandate of the Committee is to examine legislation and matters relating to transport and communications generally, including:

1) transport and communications by land, air, water and space;

2) tourist traffic;

3) common carriers; and

4) navigation, shipping and navigable waters (Rule 86(1)(j)).

Recent Reports

• Wired to Win (interim report on Canada’s International Competitive Position in Communications), April 1997
• Governor in Council Direction Orders to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, June 1995
• The Mandate and Funding of Radio Canada International, June 1994
• Decision of Canadian National Railways to Sell the Main Railway Line Between Truro and Sydney, Nova Scotia, June 1992
• Bill C-32, An Act to amend the Copyright Act, April 1997
• Bill C-57, An Act to amend the Bell Canada Act, February 1997
• Bill C-20, An Act respecting the commercialization of civil air navigation services, June 1996
• Bill C-14, An Act to continue the National Transportation Agency as the Canadian Transportation Agency, May 1996
• Bill C-89, An Act to provide for the continuance of the CNR, June 1995
• Subject Matter of Bill C-62, Act Respecting the Telecommunications Act, June 1992

Recent Chairpersons of the Committee

• The Honourable J. Campbell Haig (1970-77)
• The Honourable George I. Smith (1977-79)
• The Honourable Léopold Langlois (1980-88)
• The Honourable Finlay MacDonald (1989-92)
• The Honourable Donald H. Oliver (1992-96)
• The Honourable Lise Bacon (1996-)

Subcommittee on Communications Chairperson

• The Honourable Marie-P. Poulin (1996-)

Subcommittee on Transportation Safety Chairperson

• The Honourable J. Michael Forrestall (1996-)

Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament

Mandate The Joint Committee has a mandate to act in an advisory or consultative role to the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons who direct and control the Library of Parliament.

Recent Joint Chairperson from the Senate

• The Honourable Maurice Riel, P.C. (1994-97)
• The Honourable Philippe D. Gigantès (1997-)

Joint Committee on Official Languages

Mandate Section 88 of the Official Languages Act gives the Committee the authority to review the implementation of the Act and the reports submitted by the Commissioner of Official Languages, the President of the Treasury Board and Secretary of State, now the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Recent Reports

• Study concerning the implementation of Part VII of the Official Languages Act, June 1996
• Study concerning the Application of he Official languages Act in the National Capital Region, April 1997

Recent Joint Chairpersons from the Senate

• The Honourable Lowell Murray, P.C. (1980-84)
• The Honourable Dalia Wood (1984-91)
• The Honourable Gerald Ottenheimer (1994)
• The Honourable Gérald J. Comeau (1995-96)
• The Honourable Jean-Louis Roux (1996)
• The Honourable Maurice Riel, P.C. (1996-97)
• The Honourable Rose-Marie Losier-Cool (1997-)

Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations

Mandate The Joint Committee's mandate is defined by the Statutory Instruments Act which authorizes it to review and scrutinize statutory instruments made after January 1, 1972. In addition to its statutory order of reference, since 1980 the Senate and the House of Commons have renewed an order of reference at the beginning of each session authorizing the Joint Committee to study the means by which Parliament can better oversee and control the government regulatory process. Therefore, taken together, the statutory and sessional references of the Committee provide it with a broad jurisdiction to enquire into and report on most aspects of the federal regulatory process.

Recent Reports

• Report on the Notice of Application for Treatment Regulations, March 1997
• Report on The Public Lands Mineral Regulations, C.R.C., c.1325, October 1996
• Report on Canada Business Corporation Regulations (SOR/91-567), May 1996
• Proposed revocation of subsection 8(2) and section 10.1 of the Public Works Nuisances Regulations, C.R.C. 1978, c. 1365, as enacted by SOR/90-199, November 1992
• Proposed revocation of the Agricultural Exhibition Loans Order, C.R.C. 1978, c 318, October 1991
• Proposed revocation of sections 8, 13, 14 and 15 of the Indian Health Regulations, C.R.C. 1978, c. 955, November 1991

Recent Committee Joint Chairpersons from Senate

• The Honourable Eugene Forsey (1973-79)
• The Honourable John M. Godfrey (1979-84)
• The Honourable Nathan Nurgitz (1984-88)
• The Honourable Michel Cogger (1988-91)
• The Honourable Normand Grimard (1991-93)
• The Honourable P. Derek Lewis (1994-97)
• The Honourable Céline Hervieux-Payette (1997-)