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SOCI - Standing Committee

Social Affairs, Science and Technology

Studies & Bills

  • Most Senate committees require an order of reference before they can undertake such work.
  • An order of reference is a decision of the Senate, authorizing a committee to study a proposed law, government spending or a specific subject related to the mandate of the committee. An order of reference might specify what subjects a study should cover, how long it should take to complete, and other important details. It establishes the scope of the study and may give other powers the committee needs to conduct the study.
  • Certain Senate committees have permanent orders of reference and are empowered by the Rules of the Senate to act on their own initiative without additional authority from the Senate.
  • Below is a list of orders of reference that this committee has been authorized to undertake by the Senate or is empowered to act on their own initiative.
  • You will also find for each order of reference:
    • meeting dates and witness details,
    • publicly available briefs and documents,
    • minutes of proceedings, transcripts and video or audio recordings of public meetings (when applicable).
    • Once the committee has completed its study, a link to its report to the Senate will also be posted here.
Committee Alerts

Government Response, dated June 25, 2013, to the twentieth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, entitled: Prescription Pharmaceuticals in Canada: Post-Approval Monitoring of Safety and Effectiveness, tabled in the Senate on March 26, 2013

There are no meetings for this study/bill.

Government Response, dated May 2, 2013, to the fourteenth report (interim) of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology entitled: Canada’s Clinical Trial Infrastructure: A Prescription for Improved Access to New Medicines, tabled in the Senate on November 1, 2012

There are no meetings for this study/bill.

Bill C-43, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

Date/Time Witnesses (17) Location Links/Notes
May 09, 2013
10:29 AM ET

There are no witnesses on this study/bill for this meeting.

Room 2, Victoria Building
May 08, 2013
04:13 PM ET
  • Peter Edelmann, Lawyer As an individual
  • Raji Mangat, Lawyer British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
  • R. Reis Pagtakhan, Lawyer As an individual
  • Sharon Rosenfeldt, President Victims of Violence
Room 2, Victoria Building
May 02, 2013
10:28 AM ET
  • Barbara Jackman, Barrister and Solicitor As an individual
  • Richard Kurland, Lawyer and Policy Analyst As an individual
  • Gordon Maynard, Past Chair, National Immigration Law Section Canadian Bar Association
  • Julie Taub, Immigration and Refugee Lawyer As an individual
  • Tamra Thomson, Director, Legislation and Law Reform Canadian Bar Association
Room 2, Victoria Building
May 01, 2013
04:13 PM ET
Appearing
  • The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P., Minister Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Witnesses
  • Marie Bourry, Senior General Counsel, Legal Services Citizenship and Immigration Canada
  • Martin Collacott, Spokesperson Centre for Immigration Policy Reform
  • Emmanuelle Deault-Bonin, Manager, National Security Policy Public Safety Canada
  • Janet Dench, Executive Director Canadian Council for Refugees
  • Loly Rico, President Canadian Council for Refugees
  • Lesley Soper, Executive Director, Enforcement and Intelligence Programs Canada Border Services Agency
  • Catrina Tapley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Room 2, Victoria Building

Subject-matter Bill C-314, An Act respecting the awareness of screening among women with dense breast tissue

Date/Time Witnesses (14) Location Links/Notes
Jun 05, 2013
04:16 PM ET

There are no witnesses on this study/bill for this meeting.

Room 705, Victoria Building
May 30, 2013
10:28 AM ET
  • Dr. Norman Boyd, Senior Scientist, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research As an individual
  • Dr. Nathalie Duchesne, Breast Radiologist Clinique Radiologique Audet
  • Dr. Jacques Lévesque, President Canadian Association of Radiologists
  • Dr. Jean Seely, Working Group Member: CAR Practice Guidelines Breast Imaging Canadian Association of Radiologists
  • Martin Yaffe, Senior Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute As an individual
Room 2, Victoria Building
May 29, 2013
04:13 PM ET
  • Cathy Ammendolea, Board Chair Canadian Breast Cancer Network
  • Deborah Dubenofsky, Chair, National Board of Directors Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
  • Anne Rochon Ford, Executive Director Canadian Women's Health Network
Room 2, Victoria Building
May 23, 2013
10:27 AM ET
  • Gregory Doyle, Chair, National Committee Canadian Breast Cancer Screening Initiative
  • Shelly Jamieson, Chief Executive Officer Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
  • Dr. Christine Wilson, Medical Director, Screening Mammography Program of British Columbia British Columbia Cancer Agency
Room 2, Victoria Building*
May 22, 2013
04:14 PM ET
  • Kimberly Elmslie, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch Public Health Agency of Canada
  • Morag Park, Scientific Director, Institute of Cancer Research Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • Dr. John Patrick Stewart, Interim Senior Executive Director, Therapeutic Products Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch Health Canada
Room 2, Victoria Building*

Bill C-44, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Employment Insurance Act and to make consequential amendments to the Income Tax Act and the Income Tax Regulations

Date/Time Witnesses (11) Location Links/Notes
Dec 06, 2012
10:29 AM ET
  • Marie-Adèle Davis, Executive Director Canadian Paediatric Society
  • Stephen Moreau, Partner Cavalluzzo Shilton McIntyre Cornish LLP
  • Denise Page, Senior Health Policy Analyst Canadian Cancer Society
  • Laurent Quintal, Assistant Director, Employment Insurance Policy Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
  • Jean-François Roussy, Director, Employment Insurance Policy Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Room 2, Victoria Building*
Dec 05, 2012
04:14 PM ET
Appearing
  • The Honourable Diane Finley, P.C., M.P., Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
  • Honourable Lisa Raitt, P.C., M.P., Minister of Labour As an Individual
Witnesses
  • Anthony Giles, Director General, Strategic Policy, Analysis and Workplace Information Directorate Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
  • Mireille Laroche, Director General, Employment Insurance Policy Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
  • Sue O'Sullivan, Federal Ombudsman Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime
  • Michel Surprenant, Chair, Board of Directors Association of Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared
Room 2, Victoria Building

Bill C-300, An Act respecting a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention

Date/Time Witnesses (7) Location Links/Notes
Dec 10, 2012
03:00 PM ET
  • Harold Albrecht, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga, sponsor of the bill
  • Dr. Alex Drossos, Board Member Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention
  • Marla Israel, A/Director General, Centre for Health Promotion Public Health Agency of Canada
  • Kathy Langlois, A/Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch Health Canada
  • Alisa Simon, Vice President, Counselling Services and Program Kids Help Phone
  • Philip Upshall, National Executive Director Mood Disorders Society of Canada
  • Kimberley Wilson, Executive Director Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health
Room 9, Victoria Building

Bill C-316, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (incarceration)

Date/Time Witnesses (9) Location Links/Notes
Feb 13, 2013
04:14 PM ET
  • Erin Corston, Director of Environment and Health Native Women's Association of Canada
  • Teresa Edwards, Director of Human Rights and International Affairs Native Women's Association of Canada
Room 2, Victoria Building
Feb 07, 2013
10:29 AM ET
  • Loreen Gilmour, Director, Poverty Initiatives and Research United Way of Calgary
  • Heidi Illingworth, Executive Director Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime
  • Catherine Latimer, Executive Director John Howard Society of Canada
  • Kim Pate, Executive Director Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
  • Justin Piché, Member, Policy Review Committee Canadian Criminal Justice Association
Room 2, Victoria Building*
Feb 06, 2013
04:15 PM ET
  • Richard Harris, Member of Parliament for Cariboo-Prince George, sponsor of the bill
  • Mireille Laroche, Director General, Employment Insurance Policy Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Room 2, Victoria Building*

Bill C-313, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (non-corrective contact lenses).

Date/Time Witnesses (3) Location Links/Notes
Nov 29, 2012
10:29 AM ET
  • Patricia Davidson, Member of Parliament for Sarnia-Lambton, sponsor of the bill
  • Dr. Lillian Linton, President Canadian Association of Optometrists
  • Tushar Mehta, Operations Manager Camden Passage Inc.
Room 2, Victoria Building

Government Response to the seventh report of Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology entitled: Time for Transformative Change: A Review of the 2004 Health Accord, tabled in the Senate on March 27, 2012

There are no meetings for this study/bill.

Government Response to the sixth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology entitled: Opening the Door: Reducing Barriers to Post-Secondary Education in Canada, deposited with the Clerk of the Senate on December 22, 2011

There are no meetings for this study/bill.

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