Without a moment to breathe in between the stages of Bill C36, the Senate Committee is holding public hearings as part of its pre-study on September 9, 10 and 11th, and potentially into the following week depending on how many witnesses there are.
So, its time to get in your recommendations for people to speak before Senate AND your briefs! If you submitted a brief to the Justice Committee, you can submit a slightly amended version of the same brief.
Please send your recommendations for witnesses and briefs to the following people:
Chair, Bob Runciman bob.runciman@sen.parl.gc.ca
Deputy Chair, George Baker, george.baker@sen.parl.gc.ca
Opposition Critic, Mobina S.B. Jaffer, mjaffer@sen.parl.gc.ca
Committee Clerk, Shaila Anwar,lcjc@sen.parl.gc.ca
Here are some of the answers to your questions about the Senate Committee process, compiled from information from the Senate Committee itself:
Q&A on Senate Process for Bill C36
When do the Senate Committee hearings begin?
The Senate Committee hearings begin on September 9 and run through until at least the 11th. There is a chance the Senate Committee will extend the hearings past the 11th, depending on how many witnesses they will see.
How are the witnesses before the Senate Committee organized? Individually? in panels?
Most witnesses are organized in panels, although Senate Legal prefers to have smaller groups (usually no more than 4 per panel). That will all depend on who is invited.
Are people permitted to submit the briefs to the Senate that they submitted to the Justice Committee? Will the Senate Committee be receiving the same briefs that were submitted to the Justice Committee? Are there suggestions for format, length and content of the briefs for Senate Committee?
Anyone can submit a brief and people can use the same ones. Revisions are suggested to address the amendments that were made in the House. In terms of format or length, keep things concise (no more than 10 pages, but 5-7 pages is best. The brief should focus specifically on any key points for or against specific provisions in the bill, provide specific recommendations and/or possible suggestions for amendments. It is of course also a good idea to provide a personal experience or story, depending on who is submitting the brief. In those cases, a 1st person account makes the most sense, but again, keep it brief. And the brief should ideally be submitted electronically. The committee will take care of translation/distribution to the committee. One can submit the same or similar brief to Senate Committee if they wish.
Will the Senate Hearings be televised?
Yes! They can be viewed live via webcast for sure and potentially on CPAC. There is also a web-on-demand service so meetings can be viewed afterwards.
Will the Senate Committee hearings be recorded and transcribed and available for download on the website?
Yes! The unrevised transcripts are usually available within 24 hours and the revised (fully translated) transcripts are posted on line about 10 days later.
For presenters: will translation be provided should witnesses choose to present in French?
Yes! All parliamentary proceedings are simultaneously translated. Same set up as the House committee. Witnesses can feel free to speak in the official language of their choice.
Is there a gallery where the public can watch the Senate Committee hearings?
Yes! There is a gallery for the public to watch in person, but the room is smaller than what the House committee used. Seating is first come, first served with priority being given to witnesses and committee staff. There may be an "overflow" room with the proceedings on closed-circuit TV, but that is not yet confirmed. ith little headsets?
Will the Senate be holding other hearings besides the ones for their pre-study?
Yes! The Senate will go through the same process as the House of Commons, in addition to their pre-study and accompanying hearings. This means that the Senate may hear from more witnesses between the 2nd and 3rd reading of the Bill in Senate. Do not rely on these moments to make recommendations for witnesses or submit briefs.
Who will pay for travel and participation of witnesses?
Similar to the Justice Committee, the Senate Committee will cover a fixed amount of expenses for participants in the Senate Committee pre-study hearings.
For more information about the Senate Process please download the Advocacy Guide II: Appearing Before Committees and Submitting Briefs : http://goo.gl/lqZoe0
So, its time to get in your recommendations for people to speak before Senate AND your briefs! If you submitted a brief to the Justice Committee, you can submit a slightly amended version of the same brief.
Please send your recommendations for witnesses and briefs to the following people:
Chair, Bob Runciman bob.runciman@sen.parl.gc.ca
Deputy Chair, George Baker, george.baker@sen.parl.gc.ca
Opposition Critic, Mobina S.B. Jaffer, mjaffer@sen.parl.gc.ca
Committee Clerk, Shaila Anwar,lcjc@sen.parl.gc.ca
Here are some of the answers to your questions about the Senate Committee process, compiled from information from the Senate Committee itself:
Q&A on Senate Process for Bill C36
When do the Senate Committee hearings begin?
The Senate Committee hearings begin on September 9 and run through until at least the 11th. There is a chance the Senate Committee will extend the hearings past the 11th, depending on how many witnesses they will see.
How are the witnesses before the Senate Committee organized? Individually? in panels?
Most witnesses are organized in panels, although Senate Legal prefers to have smaller groups (usually no more than 4 per panel). That will all depend on who is invited.
Are people permitted to submit the briefs to the Senate that they submitted to the Justice Committee? Will the Senate Committee be receiving the same briefs that were submitted to the Justice Committee? Are there suggestions for format, length and content of the briefs for Senate Committee?
Anyone can submit a brief and people can use the same ones. Revisions are suggested to address the amendments that were made in the House. In terms of format or length, keep things concise (no more than 10 pages, but 5-7 pages is best. The brief should focus specifically on any key points for or against specific provisions in the bill, provide specific recommendations and/or possible suggestions for amendments. It is of course also a good idea to provide a personal experience or story, depending on who is submitting the brief. In those cases, a 1st person account makes the most sense, but again, keep it brief. And the brief should ideally be submitted electronically. The committee will take care of translation/distribution to the committee. One can submit the same or similar brief to Senate Committee if they wish.
Will the Senate Hearings be televised?
Yes! They can be viewed live via webcast for sure and potentially on CPAC. There is also a web-on-demand service so meetings can be viewed afterwards.
Will the Senate Committee hearings be recorded and transcribed and available for download on the website?
Yes! The unrevised transcripts are usually available within 24 hours and the revised (fully translated) transcripts are posted on line about 10 days later.
For presenters: will translation be provided should witnesses choose to present in French?
Yes! All parliamentary proceedings are simultaneously translated. Same set up as the House committee. Witnesses can feel free to speak in the official language of their choice.
Is there a gallery where the public can watch the Senate Committee hearings?
Yes! There is a gallery for the public to watch in person, but the room is smaller than what the House committee used. Seating is first come, first served with priority being given to witnesses and committee staff. There may be an "overflow" room with the proceedings on closed-circuit TV, but that is not yet confirmed. ith little headsets?
Will the Senate be holding other hearings besides the ones for their pre-study?
Yes! The Senate will go through the same process as the House of Commons, in addition to their pre-study and accompanying hearings. This means that the Senate may hear from more witnesses between the 2nd and 3rd reading of the Bill in Senate. Do not rely on these moments to make recommendations for witnesses or submit briefs.
Who will pay for travel and participation of witnesses?
Similar to the Justice Committee, the Senate Committee will cover a fixed amount of expenses for participants in the Senate Committee pre-study hearings.
For more information about the Senate Process please download the Advocacy Guide II: Appearing Before Committees and Submitting Briefs : http://goo.gl/lqZoe0
