Parliamentary Affairs Role

Lead Directorate: Policy, Research and Parliamentary Affairs Directorate

Overview

• As an Agent of Parliament, the OPC is frequently called on to provide privacy expertise to Parliamentary Committees and individual Members of Parliament (MP).

Responsibilities

• The Parliamentary Affairs team within PRPA:
  1. Monitors and provides strategic advice and guidance regarding upcoming and current legislation and other parliamentary matters;
  2. Manages and coordinates the OPC’s parliamentary appearances before House of Commons and Senate committees, including submitting written briefs;
  3. Provides expert strategic advice on parliamentary processes;
  4. Establishes and maintains relationships with Clerks of key Parliamentary Committees; and
  5. Liaises with Parliamentarians and other OPC sectors to ensure requests for support and/or input are addressed in a timely and appropriate manner.
• The Parliamentary Affairs team is also responsible for maintaining the Parliamentary Business Snapshot, which provides a high-level overview of all ongoing and forecasted parliamentary matters that require attention from the OPC (e.g., tracking relevant legislation and parliamentary returns). The Snapshot is updated every Thursday while Parliament is in session and distributed to certain OPC employees, including the Commissioner.

Current status

• The OPC anticipates being occupied with various initiatives in the current parliamentary session, including but not limited to:
  1. An appearance on Bill S-7, An Act to amend the Customs Act and the Preclearance Act, 2016 before the Senate Committee on National Defence, which took place on June 6, 2022;
  2. Monitoring the progress of Bill S-210, Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act;
  3. Monitoring the progress of the new Bill C-11, Online Streaming Act;
  4. Anticipated Privacy Act and PIPEDA reform;
  5. An anticipated bill on online harms; and
  6. Anticipated gun buy-back legislation.

Parliamentary Statistics

• Since May of 2021, the OPC has appeared seven times before standing committees, and once before the B.C. legislature. This number is abnormally low and is the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and 44th general election; a typical year can see up to 14 appearances.
• The Policy, Research and Parliamentary Affairs Directorate has monitored and reviewed nearly 30 bills and studies since the beginning of the 44th parliament and responded to six individual requests from MPs.