Role of a Parliamentary Secretary
in Canada
Responsibilities:
A parliamentary secretary is a member of parliament assigned to
assist a cabinet minister. In some cases a parliamentary secretary
may be assigned to assist the prime minister or several cabinet
ministers.
Appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries
Parliamentary secretaries are appointed by the prime minister. Parliamentary
secretaries work under the direction of a cabinet minister or ministers.
House Duties
- One of the prime responsibilities of a parliamentary secretary
is work in parliament.
- a parliamentary secretary provides a key link between a cabinet
minister and parliament
- a parliamentary secretary works with House of Commons and Senate
committees, shares department information with committees and
acts as the minister's representative on political issues. A parliamentary
secretary is also expected to bring the concerns of committee
members to the minister, and in a broader sense to the government.
- a parliamentary secretary acts as a liaison between the cabinet
minister and caucus
- a parliamentary secretary answers questions during Question
Period in the absence of the minister.
Government Department Duties
A parliamentary secretary also has responsibilities in relation
to a government department or an assigned policy area.
- a parliamentary secretary may be assigned specific policy-related
duties either by the prime minister or by the cabinet minister.
The cabinet minister maintains overall accountability and responsibility.
- a parliamentary secretary assists in liaison between parliamentary
committees and the relevant government departments and agencies.
- a parliamentary secretary also helps caucus members in their
liaison with relevant government departments.
Every cabinet minister is accompanied by a parliamentary secretary,
who answers questions in the House of Commons when his or her minister
is absent and shepherds legislation through the House and its various
committees. Those tapped to be parliamentary secretaries not only
get a pay bump -- they earn an extra $15,600 on top of their annual
MP salary of about $155,000 -- but are also on the inside track
for a possible promotion to cabinet minister.
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