Standing Committees

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The National Assembly is assisted in its functions by 11 standing committees which are descend from it. A standing committee is composed of 10 Members of the National Assembly and carry on, on behalf of the National Assembly, a part of it's functions of control and legislation.

Commission de l'Assemblée nationale (Committee on the National Assembly)
Membership and Orders of reference
Duties

Commission de l'Assemblée nationale (Committee on the National Assembly)

The Commission de l'Assemblée nationale is the most important of the standing committees, because, it's role is to coordinate the works of all the standing committees. It consists of the President of the National Assembly, the three Vice-Presidents, the House Leaders and Whips of the parliamentary groups, and the chairpersons of the standing committees, for a total of 20 members.

Membership and Orders of reference

Each of the ten standing committees is composed of approximately 10 Members, including the chairman and vice-chairman, who must belong to different political parties. The Minister who proposes a bill becomes a member of the committee that studies it. The composition of each committee reflects the presence of all political parties and independent Members in the House. Thus, during the 38^th legislature, the standing committees were composed as follows:

Parti libéral du Québec: 5 seats
Action démocratique du Québec: 4 seats
Parti québécois: 3 seats (including 1 non-voting seat)
Total: 12 seats (including 1 non-voting seat)

The members of a committee are appointed by the National Assembly for a period of two years, on the proposal of the political parties.

The standing committees are mandated by the National Assembly to examine bills, budget estimates and any other matter refered by the National Assembly. They may also initiate examination of delegated legislation (regulations and draft regulations), the objectives, activities and management of public agencies, financial commitments and orders of initiative (on any matter of public interest). However, mandates of the National Assembly takes precedence on orders of initiative.

Duties

Duties of the standing committees:

Commission de l'administration publique (Committee on Public Administration)

Chair: Mr. Gilles Taillon, MNA for Chauveau (ADQ)
Vice-Chair: Mr. Vincent Auclair, MNA for Vimont (LIB)

Responsibilities: examination of the financial commitments of the ministries and certain public agencies; hearing, once a year, with the Vérificateur général du Québec (Auditor-General of Quebec) in regard to his annual report; hearing, at least once a year, with every minister who deems it expedient to be so heard and each deputy minister on the chief executive officer of every public agency, as the case may be, in order to discuss the management and such other administrative matters falling within the terms of reference of these ministries or agencies as noted in a report from the auditor general or the Protecteur du citoyen (ombudsman), pursuant to An act respecting the accountability of deputy ministers and chief executive officers of public bodies.

Commission des affaires sociales (Committee on Social Affairs)

Chair: Mr. Geoffrey Kelley, MNA for Jacques-Cartier (LIB)
Vice-Chair: Mr. Rosaire Bertrand, MNA for Charlevoix (PQ)

This standing committee works on family, health, social and community services, status of women and security of income.

Commission de l'agriculture, des pêcheries et de l'alimentation (Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food)

Chair: Mr. Pierre Paradis, MNA for Brome-Missisquoi (LIB)
Vice-Chair: Mr. Janvier Grondin, MNA for Beauce-Nord (ADQ)

As its name indicates, this standing committee works on agriculture, fisheries and food.

Commission de l'aménagement du territoire (Committee on Planning and the Public Domain)

Chair: Mr. Claude L'Écuyer, MNA for Saint-Hyacinthe (ADQ)
Vice-Chair: Ms. Charlotte L'Écuyer, MNA for Pontiac (LIB)

This standing committee works on local communities, municipal planing, housing and recreation.

Commission de la culture (Committee on Culture)

Chair: Mr. Sylvain Simard, MNA for Richelieu (PQ)
Vice-Chair: Mr. Emmanuel Dubourg, MNA for Viau (LIB)

This standing committee works on culture, communications, cultural communities and immigration, and relations with the citizenry.

Commission de l'économie et du travail (Committee on Economy and Labour)

Chair: Ms. Catherine Morissette, MNA for Charlesbourg (ADQ)
Vice-Chair: Mr. Gerry Sklavounos, MNA for Laurier-Dorion (LIB)

This standing committee works on industry, trade, tourism, labour, science, technology, research, energy and resources and manpower.

Commission de l'éducation (Committee on Education)

Chair: Ms. Louise Harel, MNA for Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (PQ)
Vice-Chair: Mr. Pierre Arcand, MNA for Mont-Royal (LIB)

This standing committee works on education, vocational training and consumer protection.

Commission des finances publiques (Committee on Public Finance)

Chair: Mr. Alain Paquet, MNA for Laval-des-Rapides (LIB)
Vice-Chair: Ms. Linda Lapointe, MNA for Groulx (ADQ)

This standing committee works on finance, the budget, public acounts, public administration, the public service and supply and services.

Commission des institutions (Committee on Institutions)

Chair: Ms. Lise Thériault, MNA for Anjou (LIB)
Vice-Chair: Mr. Christian Lévesque, MNA for Lévis (ADQ)
Vice-Chair: Ms. Rita Dionne-Marsolais, MNA for Rosemont (PQ)

This standing committee works on the presidency of the Executive Council, justice, public security, intergovernmental relations and the Constitution.

Commission des Transports et de l'Environnement (Committee on Transportations and the Environment)

Chair: Mr. Lawrence S. Bergman, MNA for D'Arcy-McGee (LIB)
Vice-Chair: Mr. Jean Domingue, MNA for Bellechasse (ADQ)

This standing committee works on transportations, public works, environment and wildlife.

Last Update: May 31, 2007

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