About
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources may examine issues related to the four industrial sectors that constitute the mandate of the Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan): the energy sector, the forest sector, the minerals and metals sector and the earth sciences sector. In addition to considering bills referred to it, the committee focuses on expenditures and activities of the organizations that are part of the Natural Resources portfolio:
• one Crown Corporation: Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL);
• two independent regulators: the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the Canada Energy Regulator (CER);
• two offshore petroleum and energy boards: the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (CNLOPB) and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator (CNSOER); and
• two boards that report to the Minister as required: the Northern Pipeline Agency (NPA) and the Energy Supplies Allocation Board (ESAB).
As of the 35th Parliament (1994-1997), forestry, energy, mines and resources were under the mandate of a single committee, the Standing Committee on Natural Resources.
During the 36th Parliament (1997-2000), the House of Commons underwent changes that led to the creation of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Government Operations.
At the beginning of the 37th Parliament (2001-2004), the natural resources component was incorporated into the activities of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Committee, which led to the creation of the new Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, Northern Development and Natural Resources.
During the 38th Parliament (2004-2005), responsibility for natural resources was moved again and merged with the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, which became the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology.
Finally, early in the 39th Parliament in 2006, the natural resources component was moved from the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology and, as in 1994, placed under the purview of a single committee, the Standing Committee on Natural Resources.
Staff Assigned to the Committee
In the execution of its functions, each committee is normally assisted by a committee clerk, a committee assistant, and one or more analysts. 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, is in frequent contact with Members’ staff. The clerk is 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 formal correspondence.
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 other bills.
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 Members the name of the parliamentary counsel (Legislation) responsible for drafting the amendments for that bill.
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, including the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, 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.dpb-pbo.gc.ca/en/.
- Federal Assistance to Canada’s Natural Resources Sectors, September 2023;
- A Study into the Government of Canada’s Promise to Cap Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the Oil and Gas Sector, December 2022;
- From Mineral Exploration to Advanced Manufacturing: Developing Value Chains for Critical Minerals in Canada, presented in June 2021 (43-1) and presented again in February 2022 (44-1); and
- Economic Recovery in Canada's Forestry Sector: Green and Inclusive, presented in May 2021 (43-1) and presented again in February 2022 (44-1).
- Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry, 2023; and
- Bill C-49, An Act to amend the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Adopted by the committee on April 11, 2024; Presented to the House April 18, 2024);
- Bill C-50, An Act respecting accountability, transparency and engagement to support the creation of sustainable jobs for workers and economic growth in a net-zero economy (Adopted by the committee on December 7, 2023; Presented to the House on December 11, 2023);
- Bill S-222, An Act to amend the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act (use of wood) (Adopted by the committee on March 10, 2023; Presented to the House on March 20, 2023);
- Bill S-3, An Act to amend the Offshore Health and Safety Act (Adopted by the committee on May 10, 2021; Presented to the House on May 11, 2021).