Third Conference of Canadian Parliamentary Committee Clerks.

• Author: Laplante, Anik

After Ottawa in 1999 and Ontario in 2003, it was Quebec's turn to host the Conference of Canadian Parliamentary Committee Clerks, from September 12 to 15, 2007. The conference provides an occasion to bring together Canadian committee clerks who rarely have the opportunity to meet and exchange views on their respective professional practices. This article looks at the topics discussed during the Conference.

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The Conference began with a joint presentation by the committee clerks of the House of Commons (Pierre Rodrigue and Christine Lafrance) and of the Senate (Heather Lank and Shaila Anwar), who discussed the issues they have faced since the election of a minority government in Ottawa. The importance given to parliamentary procedure has increased, as it serves as the foundation for the development of new jurisprudence.

Within the context of a minority government, clerks are increasingly called upon as new procedural questions arise and increase in number. Exchanges between clerks in this regard are more frequent. The experience is thus most rewarding, both fostering closer relations among clerks and renewed enthusiasm regarding work.

Francois Arsenault completed this presentation by describing the situation prevailing at the National Assembly of Quebec, which has experienced, since March 26, 2007, the first minority government in its modern history. Three parliamentary groups now share the Assembly seats. The Standing Orders, of which certain provisions had obviously become inapplicable owing to their having been essentially established for two parliamentary groups and a majority government, were replaced by temporary rules for the current legislature.

For example, the composition of the standing committees henceforth reflects the size of the parliamentary groups (even if one member of the Second Opposition Group does not have the right to vote), while previously the parliamentary group forming the Government prevailed. For another example, the distribution of vice-chairmanships has been specified, as the Standing Orders are rather vague in this regard. In spite of everything, certain problems, such as the distribution of speaking time within the framework of certain mandates, have not been resolved by the temporary rules, the committees thereupon basing their decisions on the rulings rendered in the House by the President of the Assembly.

Nancy Ford, also from the National Assembly of Quebec, gave an overview of the history of the...