Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage

Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is a committee of the House of Commons of Canada responsible for parliamentary study and oversight related to cultural policy, Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and matters connected to national identity. It scrutinizes legislation, examines departmental estimates, and conducts studies that inform ministers such as the Minister of Canadian Heritage and institutions including the Library and Archives Canada and the National Film Board of Canada. The committee engages with civil society actors like Canadian Museum of History, Canadian Olympic Committee, and Unisong to shape policy and recommend reforms.

Mandate and Functions

The committee’s mandate is outlined in the Standing Orders of the House of Commons of Canada and covers arts and cultural industries such as the Canada Council for the Arts, heritage institutions such as the Canadian Museum of History and Canadian War Museum, broadcasting bodies including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, sport organizations like the Canadian Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Canada, and matters of official languages addressed by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. It examines bills introduced in the House that affect the Broadcasting Act, the Copyright Act, and statutes governing the National Film Board of Canada and Parks Canada, reviews departmental reports from the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Heritage Portfolio, and studies public policy issues raised by groups such as the Association of Canadian Publishers and the Canadian Actors' Equity Association.

Membership and Leadership

Membership is drawn from Members of Parliament appointed by party whips, reflecting party proportions in the House of Commons of Canada, including MPs from parties such as the Liberal Party of Canada, the Conservative Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party, the Bloc Québécois, and the Green Party of Canada. Chairpersons have included MPs with backgrounds in cultural policy, arts administration, and parliamentary procedure; chairs work with vice-chairs and committee clerks drawn from the House of Commons of Canada administration. Witnesses frequently include officials from the Canada Council for the Arts, executives from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, leaders from the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists, and representatives from provincial bodies such as Ontario Arts Council and Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

Meeting Process and Procedures

Meetings follow rules in the Standing Orders and are scheduled in committee rooms of the Parliament of Canada; the committee may sit in public hearings, in camera sessions, or hold committee panels with delegates from institutions like Library and Archives Canada, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Canadian Heritage Information Network. Procedures cover witness lists, written briefs from groups such as the Canadian Museums Association and the Writers' Union of Canada, and the preparation of minutes and evidence managed by the Clerk of the House of Commons. The committee can issue summonses under privilege for certain witnesses, adopt study plans, and vote to produce reports that the chair tables in the House. Subcommittees, for example on agenda and procedure, coordinate travel for fact-finding missions to places such as Vancouver Art Gallery, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and Place des Arts.

Reports and Legislative Work

The committee studies legislation including amendments to the Broadcasting Act and the Copyright Act, examines estimates and supplementary estimates for the Department of Canadian Heritage, and produces reports recommending actions to the House and to ministers such as the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Reports have addressed funding for organizations like the Canada Council for the Arts, governance at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, preservation at Library and Archives Canada, and policy frameworks for events such as the Pan American Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Committee testimony has influenced regulatory processes at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and fiscal decisions affecting institutions such as the National Arts Centre and the National Film Board of Canada.

History and Notable Inquiries

Since its establishment, the committee has conducted high-profile studies and inquiries into matters such as funding for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, controversies involving the CBC Ombudsman and programming decisions, copyright enforcement impacting organizations like Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, and language preservation initiatives connected to the Official Languages Act and the Commissioner of Official Languages. It has examined the legacy of major national events including the Centennial of Confederation commemorations and inquiries related to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada where cultural heritage intersections were discussed alongside institutions like Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre. The committee has also investigated matters concerning digital transformation affecting cultural industries represented by the Music Canada and the Canadian Media Producers Association.

Category:Parliament of Canada Category:House of Commons committees