How are study subjects chosen?
Current affairs in agriculture and the challenges faced
by farmers greatly influence the choice of subjects for study by the Committee.
Members of Parliament who sit on the Committee discuss subjects that were
submitted to them by groups, associations, individuals, or subjects that
the MPs themselves consider important. The subjects may be examined by
the full Committee or by the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. The
Committee then decides on the relevance and priority of the issues submitted,
and asks the Committee staff – the Clerk and analyst(s) – to draft the Committee’s
agenda.
Some subjects, such as the review of the Main Estimates and expenditures
of the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food and organizations that are
part of the Agriculture and Agri-Food portfolio, are recurring, automatically
coming back before the Committee from year to year.
Who may appear as a witness?
Witnesses invited to appear before the Committee may be
private citizens, experts, representatives of groups or organizations, lobbyists,
public servants, or ministers. The Committee invites witnesses to appear
so that it may gather information related to the subject under review. The
Committee chooses witnesses based on a number of criteria, including the kind
of study being undertaken and the time it can commit to it. When the Committee
is unable to hear the testimony of all witnesses who wish to intervene, it
may ask them to submit a brief instead of an oral presentation.
How do I become a witness?
With respect to a study or consideration of an issue, members
of the Committee suggest appropriate witnesses. The research staff may add
to the list by providing additional choices to the Committee for its approval.
Furthermore, an organization, group, or private citizen that wishes to appear
to speak on a subject selected for study by the Committee can contact the
Clerk of the Committee at
AGRI@parl.gc.ca.
How can I follow the Committee’s deliberations?
The Committee publishes minutes of proceedings, which record
its work and the presentations (reports) given at public meetings; these minutes
are available on the Committee’s Web site. When meetings are televised, they
may be viewed on the
PARLVU
Internet system.
Can the Committee help me get an agricultural
subsidy or make me eligible for an agricultural program?
No. The Committee is a public forum that examines agricultural
programs and policies and makes recommendations to the government in order
to improve or adjust programs to meet the needs of Canadian farmers. Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada and the provincial departments of agriculture are responsible
for administering programs and awarding subsidies.
What is the relationship between the
Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food?
The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food is
independent of the department. Committee members decide upon the agenda.
The department may certainly suggest that the Committee study certain topics,
but the decision to accept or reject these suggestions rests with the Committee.
Who are the Committee’s employees?
Many people help to keep the Committee functioning smoothly. The Committee’s
staff is primarily made up of the Clerk and research staff. Together, they
are the Committee’s “institutional memory.” The Clerk of the Committee
is the advisor on procedure and administrative officer for the Committee
Chair. The Clerk does his or her work in constant consultation with the
Chair. As a non-partisan employee who is independent of the Committee,
the Clerk serves all Committee members and party representatives impartially.
The Library of Parliament’s Parliamentary Information and
Research Service assigns one or more analysts to each committee. Their tasks,
which vary based on the committee’s needs, may include the following, singly
or in combination:
- Assist in developing an action plan and calendar for
committee hearings;
- Draft a provisional list of witnesses, often with
information on each person or group;
- Prepare documents and briefing notes for committee
hearings, biographies of witnesses, summaries of briefs, suggested questions,
oral communications with the committee, consultations and advice to members,
issue papers on specific topics, compilations and analyses of evidence,
information kits, draft reports, press releases, and information sessions
on reports prior to their publication.
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