SMIP Committee Report

MAIN ESTIMATES

33.   There is an anomaly in the Standing Orders of the House of Commons with respect to the referral of estimates to standing committees. The committees are empowered under Standing Order 108(2) “to study and report on all matters relating to the mandate, management and operation of the department or departments of government which are assigned to them,” while Standing Order 32(6) provides that reports, returns or other papers laid before the House are deemed to have been permanently referred to the appropriate standing committee. For historical reasons, however, the House is still required to vote a motion to refer the estimates to committees. If such a vote were not to pass, it is unclear from a procedural point of view what would happen with the estimates.

34.To clarify the situation, and to ensure that it accords with present practice, we believe that the Standing Orders should be amended to provide that Main and Supplementary Estimates are deemed referred to the appropriate committees following their tabling in the House.

35.In addition, commentators have long pointed out deficiencies in the handling of estimates by Parliament, and this sentiment is shared by many Members. The estimates are an important tool in terms of accountability, and the financial control of the House of Commons. Despite numerous procedural changes over the years, we have been unable to discover a workable solution. There are many reasons for the lack of progress in this area, many of which are attributable to our political culture.

36.The Committee believes that a partial solution lies in returning consideration of some Main Estimates to the House itself. This would enhance the importance of the process, and highlight parliamentary scrutiny. We propose that the Leader of Opposition consult with the leaders of other opposition parties, and that he or she could select two sets of Main Estimates per year, which would each be considered in Committee of the Whole for up to five hours. We would expect that this examination would take place in the evening, after the conclusion of the regular sittings of the House, and would be completed by the recess in May of each year. The regular rules regarding Committee of the Whole would apply. Such a procedure would permit a meaningful examination of certain Estimates; it would facilitate the participation of Members who are interested in the department or agency whose Estimate were being considered; and by being conducted in the chamber, and televised, it would confirm the financial oversight role of the House of Commons.

We recommend that the Standing Orders be amended as follows:

81(4)  In every session the main estimates to cover the incoming fiscal year for every department of government shall be deemed referred to standing committees on or before March 1 of the then expiring fiscal year. Each such committee shall consider and shall report, or shall be deemed to have reported, the same back to the House not later than May 31 in the then current fiscal year, provided that

(a) not later than May 1, the Leader of the Opposition, in consultation with the leaders of the other Opposition parties, may give notice during the time specified in Standing Order 54 of a motion to refer consideration of the main estimates of no more than two named departments or agencies to committees of the whole, and the said motion shall be deemed adopted and the said estimates shall be deemed withdrawn from the standing committee to which they were referred. Notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Orders 28(2) or 38(5), on any day appointed for the consideration of any business under the provisions of this section, but in any case not later than May 31, consideration of the main estimates of the said department of agency shall be taken up by a Committee of the Whole House at the conclusion of the adjournment proceedings or, if taken up on a Friday, at the conclusion of Private Members’ Business, for a period of time not exceeding five hours. At the conclusion of the time provided for the consideration of the business pursuant to this section, the Committee shall rise, the estimates shall be deemed reported and the House shall immediately adjourn to the next sitting day;

(b) not later than the third sitting day prior to May 31, the Leader of the Opposition may give notice during the time specified in Standing Order 54 of a motion to extend consideration of the main estimates of a named department or agency and the said motion shall be deemed adopted when called on "Motions" on the last sitting day prior to May 31;

(c) on the sitting day immediately preceding the final allotted day, but in any case not later than ten sitting days following the day on which any motion made pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section is adopted, at not later than the ordinary hour of daily adjournment, the said committee shall report, or shall be deemed to have reported, the main estimates for the said department or agency; and

(d) if the committee shall make a report, the Chairman or a member of the committee acting for the Chairman may so indicate, on a point of order, prior to the hours indicated in paragraph (c) of this section, and the House shall immediately revert to "Presenting Reports from Committees" for the purpose of receiving the said report.

(5) Supplementary estimates shall be deemed referred to a standing committee or committees immediately they are presented in the House. Each such committee shall consider and shall report, or shall be deemed to have reported, the same back to the House not later than three sitting days before the final sitting or the last allotted day in the current period.

(6) [Deleted]

35. (1) Reports to the House from committees may be made by Members standing in their places, at the time provided pursuant to Standing Order 30(3) or 81(4)(d), provided that the Member may be permitted to give a succinct explanation of the subject-matter of the report.