PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE REPORTS
Mr. Speaker, I ask leave of the House to make a brief
statement concerning the reports of Parliamentary Committees.
Mr. Speaker, all honourable members will recognize that a great
deal of most valuable work is done by committees of this
Parliament. It is important that the reports of these
committees, many of which reflect considerable thought, effort
and often insight, received full and careful attention by
Ministers. It is equally desirable that a procedure be established to
make sure that Parliament is aware of the decisions which
the Government takes in connection with such reports. In some
instances, such a procedure is already in operation.
As Honourable Members will know, Department of Finance minutes
are provided to the Public Accounts Committee in respect of
each of its reports. Similarly, the Government has been
careful to see that its decisions in relation to each of the
Expenditure Committee's reports have been announced to this
House. The Government has now decided to apply this principle to all
Parliamentary Committee reports. Henceforth, within six
months of the tabling of a Committee report, the responsible
Minister will make a statement in the Parliament outlining
the action the Government proposes to take in relation to
the report. If the six month period expires during a
Parliamentary recess, the Ministerial Statement will be made
at the earliest opportunity in the next Parliamentary sitting.
As Honourable Members will appreciate, there will be some
Committee reports which will not be appropriate to the
procedure I have outlined. Among these are reports of the
Committees relating to House Management, the Public Works
Committee, and the Committee on the New and Permanent Parliament
House. The present procedure relating to the Public Accounts
Committee will, of course, continue to operate.
There have been a number of reports tabled since the Government
took office on which the Government's attitude has not yet
been announced.
I have asked Ministers to inform the Cabinet of action taken or
proposed to be taken in relation to them and where appropriate,
the Parliament will be informed in these cases, too. The
procedure I have outlined reflects this Government's firm / 2
-2-
intention to see that the excellent work of Parliamentary
Committees does not pass unheeded.
We need to use to the full the talents and resources available
in this House and the Senate. One important way in which
this can be achieved is the further development and enhancement
of the Parliamentary Committee and I shall be making a
further statement on that subject in a few days.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the arrangements I have announced
represent a further strengthening of the role of
Parliament in our system of Government.
000---