About
The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage studies matters referred to it by the House of Commons and topics that the Committee itself chooses to examine. It holds public meetings and considers evidence from witnesses. At the end of a study, the Committee usually reports on its findings and makes recommendations, and may ask the government to respond to those recommendations.
Since then, there have been a couple of government changes that have affected the Committee’s mandate. In 2003, the responsibility for national parks was transferred from the Department of Canadian Heritage to Environment Canada. Fiscal Year 2015–2016 saw the transfer of the Multiculturalism Program from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to the Department of Canadian Heritage.
In the execution of its functions, each committee is normally assisted by a committee clerk, one or more analysts and a committee assistant. Occasional assistance is also provided by legislative clerks and lawyers from the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel. These individuals are non-partisan and serve all members of the committee and representatives of all parties equally.
Committee Clerk
The clerk performs their duties and responsibilities under the direction of the committee and its Chair. As an expert in the rules of the House of Commons, the clerk may be requested to give advice to the Chair and members of the committee should a question of procedure arise. The clerk is the coordinator, organizer and liaison officer for the committee, and as such, will be in frequent contact with members’ staff. They are also responsible for inviting witnesses and dealing with all the details regarding their appearance before the committee.
Committee Assistant
The committee assistant provides a wide range of specialized administrative services for the organization of committee meetings and the publishing of documents on the committee’s Website. The committee assistant works with the clerk to meet the needs of the committee.
Committee Analyst
The Library of Parliament’s analysts, who are subject-matter experts, provide authoritative, substantive, and timely research, analysis and information to all members of the committee. They are part of the committee’s institutional memory and are a unique resource for parliamentarians. Supported by research librarians, the analysts work individually or in multidisciplinary teams.
Analysts can prepare: briefing notes on the subjects being examined; detailed study plans; lists of proposed witnesses; analyses of an issue with a list of suggested questions; background papers; draft reports; news releases; and/or formal correspondence. Analysts with legal training can assist the committee regarding any substantive issues that may arise during the consideration of bills.
OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE AS REQUIRED
Parliamentary Counsel
Within the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, parliamentary counsel (Legislation) are available to assist members who are not in Cabinet with the preparation of private members’ bills or of amendments to government bills or others.
At various stages of the legislative process, members may propose amendments to bills. Amendments may first be proposed at the committee stage, during a committee’s clause-by-clause review of a bill. Amendments may also be proposed at the report stage, once a bill returns to the House.
Once a bill is sent to committee, the clerk of the committee provides the name of the parliamentary counsel (Legislation) responsible for the drafting of the amendments for a particular bill to the members.
Legislative Clerk
The legislative clerk serves all members of the committee as a specialist of the process by which a bill becomes law. They are available to give, upon request from members and their staff, advice on the admissibility of amendments when bills are referred to committee. The legislative clerk organizes the amendments into packages for committee stage, reviews all the committee amendments for procedural admissibility and prepares draft rulings for the Chair. During clause-by-clause consideration of bills in committee, a legislative clerk is in attendance to assist the committee with any procedural issues that may arise. The legislative clerk can also provide members with advice regarding the procedural admissibility of report stage amendments. When a bill is sent to committee, the clerk of the committee provides to the members the name of the legislative clerk assigned to the bill.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO)
The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) is an officer of Parliament created by the Parliament of Canada Act who supports Parliament by providing analysis, including analysis of macroeconomic and fiscal policy, for the purposes of raising the quality of parliamentary debate and promoting greater budget transparency and accountability.
The Parliament of Canada Act also provides the PBO with a mandate to, if requested by a committee, estimate the financial cost of any proposal over which Parliament has jurisdiction. Certain committees can also request research and analyses of the nation’s finances or economy, or of the estimates.
Further information on the PBO may be found at: http://www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca/en/.
The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage undertook a number of studies during the 42nd Parliament. The Committee’s reports covered a range of subjects, including:
- Local media and communities;
- The National Anthem;
- Women and girls in sport;
- Systemic racism and religious discrimination in Canada;
- Canada’s museum sector;
- Remuneration models for artists and creative industries and Canada’s copyright regime; and
- Remuneration models for artists and creative industries and Canada’s copyright regime; and
During the 43rd Parliament, the Committee undertook a study on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts, culture, heritage and sport sectors. The final report was tabled in the House of Commons on April 27, 2021.
During this session, the Committee also considered the following bills by Order of Reference:
- Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) – This government bill creates a holiday called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The report was presented to the House without amendment on November 25, 2020.
- Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts – This government bill amends the Broadcasting Act to make online undertakings that offer audio and/or audio-visual content subject to the Broadcasting Act. It also modifies broadcasting and regulatory policy to ensure that a diversity of Canadians—for example, from official language minority, Indigenous and racialized communities—are represented. The report was presented to the House on Monday, June 14, 2021, with the Committee’s proposed amendments to the bill.
In addition, the Committee has reviewed the Votes in the Estimates of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Portfolio agencies on a recurring basis over the past two Parliaments.