Committees are at the core of the Senate’s work. They are recognized for their major contributions to legislation and public policy. Committees were called “the heart and soul of the Senate” by Senator Muriel McQueen Fergusson, the first female Speaker of the Senate, because of their focus on social, economic, and political issues.
Senate committees have three basic functions:
- Detailed study of proposed legislation, or bills;
- Investigation of policy matters on issues that affect Canadians in their daily lives; and
- Examination of the Government's spending proposals, the Estimates.
Detailed Study of Bills
Most bills are referred to a committee after they have passed first and second reading in the Senate (see the Fact Sheet entitled “The Senate and Legislation”). It is at the committee stage of the legislative process that parliamentarians examine bills in detail.
The committee stage is a three-step process:
- The committee holds public hearings to gather facts related to the issue at hand. It will invite Cabinet ministers, public servants, experts, organizations, and individuals to present their views and answer questions from senators. A committee will sometimes hold public hearings outside of Ottawa to seek the advice of Canadians especially affected by the legislation under study.
The Senate has an interest in ensuring that regional and minority concerns are addressed in the study of bills. Senate committees thus often invite witnesses who may not otherwise have had an opportunity to be heard.
- The committee studies the bill clause by clause, taking into consideration the views and testimony presented by witnesses during the hearings. In the course of this process, members of the committee may propose that certain clauses be amended or deleted from the bill in order to improve it.
- The committee reports on the bill to the full Senate. The report will recommend that the bill be accepted without amendment, that it be accepted with amendments, or that it be rejected. The report may also include observations, comments that highlight issues raised by the committee’s study of the bill.
Senators come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, including business, law, education, public service, and journalism. Committees benefit from their specialized knowledge and experience when examining legislation.
Investigation of Policy Matters
Senate committees also conduct in-depth studies on topics related to their mandates. By investigating such issues, committees help turn the spotlight on important social, economic, and political concerns. These studies provide senators with a unique opportunity to hear from Government officials, interest-group representatives, academic experts, and the general public.
Important public concerns such as poverty, post-secondary education, assisted suicide, illegal drugs, mental health, Arctic sovereignty, Aboriginal affairs, international trade, and human rights have been the subject of special policy studies. The resulting investigative reports include analyses and recommendations that have often influenced proposed legislation and Government policy.
Examination of the Estimates
The Senate entrusts the in-depth study of the Government’s supply agenda to the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance. This committee examines all the Estimates, or Government spending proposals (save those of the Library of Parliament, which are reviewed by the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament). Like other committees, it calls witnesses in order to gather information and conducts its own analysis. The scrutiny of Government spending is a key function of Parliament, and the National Finance Committee reports regularly on this topic to the Senate.
Types of Committees
There are four main types of Senate committee:
- Standing committees are permanent committees that correspond broadly to fields of
public policy, such as agriculture, banking, fisheries, foreign affairs, energy, Aboriginal affairs,
and technology.
- Special committees are mandated by the Senate to conduct studies on areas of special interest, from public policies to high-priority legislative measures. They are temporary committees that last for a specified time period or until the work assigned to them is done.
- Joint committees (special or standing) include both senators and members of the House of Commons. These committees are established to examine issues of mutual interest to both Houses of Parliament.
- Committee of the Whole is a committee composed of all senators. It typically meets in the Senate Chamber to consider items not included the usual agenda, such as an appearance by a newly appointed officer of Parliament or urgent consideration of a bill.
Committee Membership
Generally, committees are composed of nine to fifteen senators.
At the beginning of each session of Parliament, committee members are appointed by the Senate on the recommendation of a selection committee, usually chaired by the Government Whip (see the Fact Sheet entitled “Key Roles in the Senate Chamber”). On average, senators serve on two committees at a time. Each committee meets about twice a week, and may meet, if the occasion demands it, during periods when the Senate is adjourned. Under normal circumstances, committees do not meet during Senate sittings.
The chair of a committee is elected by its members. The chair is responsible for calling and presiding over meetings, maintaining order, overseeing the budget, and speaking publicly on behalf of the committee.
To learn more about the Senate’s committees and their work, please visit www.sen.parl.gc.ca or follow the Senate on Twitter: @SenateCA.
