Definition: Traditionally the term "officers of parliament" refers to Canadian federal government officials who are independent of government cabinet ministers or the prime minister and report directly to the House of Commons or the Senate or to both Canadian houses of Parliament. Officers of parliament head independent agencies responsible for keeping parliamentarians or government bureaucrats accountable (e.g., the auditor general) or for performing a function related to protecting the rights of Canadians (e.g., the privacy commissioner). Officers of parliament are appointed for a specific length of time, often seven years, as specified by the particular legislation that covers their responsibilities.
Current officers of parliament are:
- Auditor General of Canada
- Chief Electoral Officer of Canada
- Commissioner of Official Languages
- Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner of Canada
- Senate Ethics Officer
- Information Commissioner of Canada
- Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada
- Privacy Commissioner of Canada
- Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
These officers of parliament have also been called "agents of parliament" in recent years.
The term "officers of parliament" is also sometimes used to describe political officers of the House of Commons or Senate, that is politicians who have particular functions in Parliament, such as the Speaker of the House of Commons or a party whip.
In addition, the term "officers of parliament" may be used to describe senior staff of the House of Commons, Senate and the Library of Parliament, although they are more usually referred to as senior officials or procedural officers of Parliament.
Also Known As: agents of parliament
