The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and the Minister of Labour are responsible for recommending Governor in Council appointments to 12 different bodies including administrative tribunals, boards, a commission, and advisory groups.
These bodies perform a variety of functions, including making quasi-judicial decisions in appeal processes, providing advice and recommendations on socio-economic development and occupational health and safety issues, and administering programs and establishing policy for post-secondary education funding.
Background information on each tribunal, board, commission, and advisory body is listed below:
The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) represents and reflects the interests of government, workers, and employers. The Commission is responsible for the following:
The Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) is the Chair of the Commission and an Associate Deputy Minister of HRSD acts as Vice-Chair, representing the interests of the Government. As required by the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development Act, the Commission also includes a commissioner for Workers and a commissioner for employers who are appointed by the Governor in Council following consultations with representative organizations to ensure that the views of workers and employers are reflected in the work of the Commission.
For more information on this Commission, please visit http://www.ei-ae.gc.ca/en/ceic/ceic_home.shtml.
The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation (CMSF) was created in 1998 as an arm's-length body to improve access to post-secondary education. The Foundation manages an endowment and awards scholarships to students who are in need and who demonstrate merit.
A Board of Directors governs the Foundation. It is currently composed of 15 directors, six of whom (including the Chairperson) are appointed by the Governor in Council, who report to the 15 members. The members assume the role of trustees or shareholders. The directors establish policy and assume the other responsibilities normally associated with individuals who sit on a Board of Directors.
For more information on the Foundation, please visit http://www.millenniumscholarships.ca.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is Canada's national housing agency. The CMHC works to enhance Canada's housing finance options, assist Canadians who cannot afford housing in the private market, improve building standards and housing construction, and provide policymakers with the information and analysis they need to sustain a vibrant housing market in Canada.
In accordance with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Act, the CMHC Board of Directors is responsible for managing the affairs of the Corporation and the conduct of its business.
The Board is composed of 10 members, including the Chair, and the President. With the exception of the President, all CMHC Directors are independent of management and are appointed by the Governor in Council, typically for a three-year term.
For more information on the CMHC, please visit http://www.cmhc.ca
The Canada Pension Plan: Pension Appeals Board (CPP-PAB) is a quasi-judicial tribunal and is the third level of appeal under the Canada Pension Plan. It reviews appeals of decisions of the Review Tribunals.
The Board is composed of a chair, vice-chair, three permanent members and 62 temporary members. Additional temporary members may be appointed as required. The Governor in Council may appoint one to 10 permanent members who are sitting judges of the Federal Court, or a superior court of a province. They may be active or retired judges of the Federal Court, or a superior court of a province. The appointments are the responsibility of the Minister of Justice, but each recommendation is co-signed by the Minister of HRSD.
For more information on the Board, please visit http://www.pab-cap.gc.ca.
The Review Tribunals are independent and impartial bodies that conduct quasi-judicial hearings of appeals for individuals whose applications for Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan benefits were denied at the reconsideration stage of appeal.
The Review Tribunals sit in panels consisting of three people appointed by the Governor in Council. The Chair of the Tribunal must be a lawyer and a general member also sits on the panel. As ninety-five percent of hearings are related to disabilities, a disability hearing must include a medical member who is qualified to practice medicine or a prescribed related health profession in a province.
For more information on the Tribunals, please visit http://www.ocrt-bctr.gc.ca.
The Employment Insurance Boards of Referees (EIBR) function as a first-level, independent, administrative tribunal mandated to provide fair and impartial quasi-judicial hearings of appeals of Employment Insurance decisions. Most appeals are from individual claimants, although employers may also appeal. The most frequently appealed decisions cover issues such as voluntary leaving, misconduct, and undeclared earnings during the course of a claim or fraud.
These legislatively prescribed Boards of Referees sit part-time in panels of three: a chairperson appointed by the Governor in Council, an insured persons (Worker) representative appointed by the Commissioner for Workers, and an employer representative appointed by the Commissioner for Employers, following consultation with national worker and employer organizations.For more information on these Boards, please visit http://www.ei-ae.gc.ca.
The National Seniors Council will provide advice on all matters related to health, well being and quality of life of seniors, focusing on both the opportunities and challenges presented by a rapidly growing and increasingly diverse seniors population.
The Council will have a maximum of 12 members who shall hold office during pleasure for a term not exceeding three years. The Council may be diverse, including seniors, representatives or organizations that serve the needs or interests of seniors, and experts from fields of study related to seniors and aging.
The National Council of Welfare (NCW) is a citizens’ advisory body whose mandate is to advise the Minister of HRSD on matters concerning low-income Canadians and on related programs and policies. The Council provides the Minister with an independent source of advice and operates at arm’s length from government.
The Council consists of members appointed from all provinces and territories who serve as individuals rather than as representatives of organizations or agencies.
For more information on this Council, please visit http://www.ncwcnbes.net.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) is a quasi-judicial tribunal that deals with labour relations in the federally regulated private sector. Its mandate is contained in Parts I and II of the Canada Labour Code and provides for the acquisition of collective bargaining rights by unions. It also provides for the orderly management of the collective bargaining process by enforcing statutorily defined rights and obligations, and adjudicating unfair labour practices.
The CIRB consists of a full-time neutral chairperson, two or more full-time neutral vice-chairpersons, not more than six full-time members representing employers and employees in equal numbers, and/or any other part-time members.
For more information on the CIRB, please visit http://www.cirb-ccri.gc.ca.
The Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal (CAPPRT) is the federal agency that administers Part II of the Status of the Artist Act, which governs professional relations between self-employed artists and producers under federal jurisdiction.
The Tribunal is composed of a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and two to four full- or part-time members appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister of Labour after consulting with the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
For more information on the Tribunal, please visit http://www.capprt-tcrpap.gc.ca.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is governed by a Council representing three key stakeholder groups: governments (federal, provincial, and territorial), employers, and workers. The Council promotes occupational health and safety by facilitating consultation and cooperation among jurisdictions as well as participation by labour and management. The CCOHS assists in developing and maintaining policies and programs, and also serves as a national centre for occupational health and safety information.
The Council is composed of a Chair, 13 governors nominated by provinces and territories, four other governors representing departments or ministries of State of the Government of Canada or Crown corporations that have a particular interest in occupational health and safety. Eight other governors are appointed after consulting with organizations that represent workers and employers.
For more information on the Centre, please visit http://www.ccohs.ca.
The Merchant Seamen Compensation Board (MSCB) hears and decides claims under the Merchant Seamen Compensation Act for compensation benefits for work-related injuries to seamen who are not eligible for coverage under other federal or provincial acts.
The Board is composed of a chairman, vice-chairman, member, and secretary.
For more information on the Board, please visit http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca.
For more information on Government of Canada appointments please go to the following link: http://www.appointments-nominations.gc.ca.