Editing Senate of Canada (section)

== Committees ==
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2022}}{{See also|Standing committee (Canada)}}

The Parliament of Canada uses committees for a variety of purposes. Committees consider bills in detail and can make amendments. Other committees scrutinize various government agencies and ministries.

The largest of the Senate committees is the Committee of the Whole, which, as the name suggests, consists of all senators. The Committee of the Whole meets in the chamber of the Senate, but proceeds under slightly modified rules of debate. (For example, there is no limit on the number of speeches a senator may make on a particular motion.) The presiding officer is known as the chairman. The Senate may resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole for a number of purposes, including to consider legislation or to hear testimony from individuals. Nominees to be officers of Parliament often appear before Committee of the Whole to answer questions with respect to their qualifications prior to their appointment.

The Senate also has several standing committees, each of which has responsibility for a particular area of government (for example, finance or transport). These committees consider legislation and conduct special studies on issues referred to them by the Senate and may hold hearings, collect evidence, and report their findings to the Senate. Standing committees consist of between nine and fifteen members each and elect their own chairmen.

{| class=wikitable
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! Senate standing committees<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenList.asp?1 |title=Senate – Committee List |publisher=Parl.gc.ca |access-date=July 1, 2010}}</ref>
|- valign=top
|
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples|Aboriginal Peoples]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry|Agriculture and Forestry]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce|Banking, Trade, and Commerce]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Conflict of Interest for Senators|Conflict of Interest for Senators]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources|Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans|Fisheries and Oceans]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade|Foreign Affairs and International Trade]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights|Human Rights]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on the Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration|Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs|Legal and Constitutional Affairs]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on National Finance|National Finance]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence|National Security and Defence]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Official Languages|Official Languages]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament|Rules, Procedure and the Rights of Parliament]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee of Selection|Selection Committee]]
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology|Social Affairs, Science and Technology]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenHome.asp?Language=E&Parl=40&Ses=2&comm_id=47 |title=Senate – Committee Home Page |publisher=Parl.gc.ca |access-date=July 1, 2010}}</ref>
*Subcommittee on Population Health<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenHome.asp?Language=E&Parl=40&Ses=2&comm_id=605 |title=Senate – Committee Home Page |publisher=Parl.gc.ca |access-date=July 1, 2010}}</ref>
*Subcommittee on Cities<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenHome.asp?Language=E&Parl=40&Ses=2&comm_id=604 |title=Senate – Committee Home Page |publisher=Parl.gc.ca |access-date=July 1, 2010}}</ref>
*[[Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communication|Transport and Communication]]
|}

Special committees are appointed by the Senate on an ''ad hoc'' basis to consider a particular issue. The number of members for a special committee varies, but, the partisan composition would roughly reflect the strength of the parties in the whole Senate. These committees have been struck to study bills (e.g., the Special Senate Committee on Bill C-36 (the ''Anti-terrorism Act''), 2001) or particular issues of concern (e.g., the Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs).

Other committees include joint committees, which include both members of the House of Commons and senators. There are currently two joint committees: the Standing Joint Committee on the Scrutiny of Regulations, which considers delegated legislation, and the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament, which advises the two speakers on the management of the library. Parliament may also establish special joint committees on an ''ad hoc'' basis to consider issues of particular interest or importance.