About

Established by the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, the mandate of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources is to study and report on matters referred to it by the House of Commons, or on topics the Committee itself chooses to examine. It can study all matters relating to the mandate, management, operation, budget and legislation of the Department of Natural Resources and of organizations pertaining to its portfolio. For a more detailed overview of parliamentary committees, see the House of Commons Compendium’s section on committees.

Created on June 25, 1993 through a merger of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and the Department of Forestry, the Department of Natural Resources (NRCan) comprises four major industrial sectors: the energy sector, the forest sector, the minerals and metals sector and the earth sciences sector. The Minister of Natural Resources is also responsible before Parliament for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, the National Energy Board and the Northern Pipeline Agency.

After having been associated with other committees – Aboriginal Affairs (2001-2004) and Industry, Science and Technology (2004-2005) – the Natural Resources component was back, at the beginning of the 39th Parliament in 2006, under the purview of a single committee, the Standing Committee on Natural Resources (see the “History” section).