The Special Committee on the Modernization and Improvement of the Procedures of the House of Commons has the honour to present its

REPORT

INTRODUCTION

1.      Pursuant to the order of reference from the House of Commons dated March 21, 2001, the Committee is pleased to present its report to the House of Commons.

2.       Parliamentary reform has been at the forefront of public debate for some time. Various groups and individuals, including Members of Parliament, have put forward suggestions and proposals for reforming Parliament. Political parties and candidates have made parliamentary reform part of their platforms.

3.       The Committee has had the benefit of considerable discussion of the issues confronting Parliament. On Wednesday, March 21, 2001, the House debated the motion establishing this Committee for over nine and a half hours. On Tuesday, May 1, 2001, there was a further debate in the House for over four hours. Important and valuable contributions were made by Members on all sides in these debates.

4.       In addition, the members of the Committee have had widespread consultations and discussions in their caucuses, and in other less formal settings. The Committee has also had the benefit of the preliminary work that was done in this Parliament and the previous one by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. Collectively, the members of this Committee have some 89 years of parliamentary experience, in both the House of Commons and provincial legislatures. The members of the Committee have wrestled with the multitude of issues surrounding parliamentary reform and modernization, and the implications of making changes in one area or another.

5.       One of the strengths of the parliamentary system lies in its traditions and the rules that have evolved over the years. At the same time, Parliament is an adaptable institution, with a capacity to respond to changed circumstances and new demands. The beginning of the 21^st century is an appropriate time to review our procedures and practices, to ensure that they continue to meet our needs and facilitate our work. Procedural rules must be assessed continually and, when necessary, updated. Change is an on-going characteristic of a parliamentary process – not for its own sake, but change that is positive and considered.

6.       As in all attempts at reforming Parliament, there are various principles and objectives to guide us. There is a general desire to re-assert the pre-eminence of the House of Commons, and increase its effectiveness and efficiency. Members want to increase the accountability of individual Ministers and the Government as a whole, and increase the opportunities for parliamentary influence in the legislative process. There is a feeling that individual Members of the House of Commons need to be empowered, and the role of the Speaker, as the servant of the House and its spokesperson, enhanced.  A balance needs to be achieved between the Government’s interests in implementing its legislative agenda, and the Opposition’s interests in questioning and criticizing the Government. Similarly, other competing interests need to be reconciled, such as the inevitable tensions between individual Members and their parties, and between the chamber and its committees, to name but two. Parliamentary debate should be enhanced, by creating opportunities for more meaningful dialogue and increasing the relevance of the parliamentary processes. Members want and need to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by new technologies. Procedural rules should accord with the practices that have developed, and should be responsive to modern conditions and requirements. Time is a valuable commodity in the House of Commons, and needs to be used wisely.

7.       Clearly, not all of these elements can be achieved at the same time. Nevertheless, we believe that the package of reforms contained in this report goes some way toward addressing many of the concerns that have been raised. We have recommended changes in those areas in which we could all agree. While we do not pretend to have solved all of the problems or addressed all of the issues, we feel that we have made a good start. We may not be revolutionizing Parliament, but incremental changes can be extremely useful and effective, and, in the long run, much more significant.

8.       All of the members of the Committee – and all of the parties – want to make the House of Commons work as well as possible. We are all committed to the modernization of the House of Commons, and the improvement of its procedures. Where possible, reform of parliamentary institutions and procedures is best carried out by consensus, and with all-party agreement. The motion establishing this Special Committee requires that any report must have the unanimous agreement of all the members of the Committee, and this has guided our deliberations. The requirement for unanimity has meant that on a number of issues, recommendations were not possible; by the same token, on some issues the members of the Committee have compromised and worked toward achievable solutions that reflect our differing interests. There is also a remarkable degree of agreement, and shared concerns. While we may not always agree on the nature or causes of problems – or of the solutions – we have attempted in this report to recommend changes that we believe will improve the House and the work of its Members.

9.       We respect the interest and concern shown by Members on all sides on questions relating to the reform and modernization of the House of Commons, and we have been guided in our deliberations by the deep responsibility we feel toward our colleagues and the institution. 

10.  Procedural reform is an on-going process. The changes recommended in this report will need to be assessed to ensure that they are working as intended and not having unforeseen consequences. We encourage the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to undertake a review of the operation and effect of these proposals in about a year, and to continue the work of modernizing and improving the procedures and practices of the House.