Standing Committees

1
Chapter 7

• Standing Committees
• The Speaker of the House

2

• Standing Committees - deal with specific policy
  areas and with procedural areas
• Bills go to Standing Committees after second
  reading.
• Sometimes bills can be sent to Standing
  Committees directly after first reading.

3

• There are more than 19 Standing Committees in the
  House of Commons
• agriculture
• foreign affairs
• national defence
• Striking Committee - a selection committee to
  decide on membership of all other committees

4

• Joint Standing Committees - are a procedural
  device enabling the entire membership of the
  House of Commons and the Senate to discuss issues
• Official Languages committee
• Regulations and other statutory instruments
• Library of Parliament committee
• Legislative committee - examine bill after second
  reading

5

• Committee of the whole
• all MPs in one large committee chaired by Deputy
  Speaker or Deputy Chair of Committees
• use committee rules, not House rules
• mainly discusses money bills

6

• The ways and means committee - is a committee of
  the whole
• it considers resolutions that contain the
  proposals of the Minister of Finance
• these resolutions go into one or more bills, eg
  the Income Tax Act

7

• Functions of Committees
• Examine in detail bills sent to them
• Review government spending
• investigative policy areas and the way public
  policy is currently administered

8

• Parliamentary committees are supposed to
• reduce partisanship
• focus attention on the issues at hand
• pressure government to alter a decision
• committees help MPs/MLAs develop expertise in
  various areas
• lets govt backbenchers have a say

9

• The Speaker of the House of Commons
• official arbiter elected by whole House
• not permitted to vote in the House except for
  casting the deciding vote in event of tie
• elected by secret ballot/bilingual
• rules on Parliamentary privilege
• Peter Milliken was elected in 2001
• in charge of administration of House, oversees
  staff jointly responsible for economic management
  of House, annual estimates

10

• House of Commons - approx.250M to run
• The Senate - over 60 M to run
• The Clerk of the House - ensures relevant
  documents are printed and circulated
• House Leader - the leader of each party in the
  House designates an MP.
• responsible for obtaining agreement among the
  parties in setting the timetable for the House

11

• Whips - enforce party discipline
• House Leader for each party is assisted by a
  chief Whip and assistant Whips
• Whips are MPs who maintain cohesion, keep in
  touch with members
• Opposition - represents the concerns of those who
  do not identify with elected majority
• ensures their rights and interests are protected