Governance

CCPAC Constitution

(Approved July 6, 1982; Amended July 9, 1986, July 12, 1994 and September 12, 2017)

​Preamble

The Canadian Council of Public Accounts Committees supports the work of Public Accounts Committees and legislators across Canada by exchanging information, sharing good practices for the scrutiny of audit reports on the economy, effectiveness, and efficiency of government organizations, promoting accountability, sound public administration and due regard for public funds.

Definitions

In this Constitution:

“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Council as established in section 5;

“Chairperson” means an elected official who serves as the Chairperson of a Public Accounts Committee;

“Council” means The Canadian Council of Public Accounts Committees;

“Legislator” means an elected official who serves as a member of a Public Accounts Committee; and

“Public Accounts Committee” means a Canadian federal, provincial, or territorial Public Accounts Committee or any similar legislative committee with a mandate to scrutinize legislative auditors’ reports and the effective administration of public expenditures.

Aims

1. The aims of the Council are to support Public Accounts Committees in meeting their mandates to scrutinize audit reports on the economy, effectiveness, and efficiency of government organizations, to ensure sound public administration and due regard for public funds.

2. Without restricting the generality of section 1, the Council shall pursue its aims by:

(a) exchanging information and good practices relating to the work of Public Accounts Committees, and discussing matters of interest to members;

(b) facilitating collaboration with legislative auditors in order to promote effective support for and relations with Public Accounts Committees;

(c) promoting engagement with external stakeholders and organizations on matters of concern to Public Accounts Committees; and

(d) providing information to legislators, legislative auditors, and the general public about the work of Public Accounts Committees.

​Membership

3. Membership in the Council is open to legislators who are Members of a Canadian Public Accounts Committee, or any similar federal, provincial, or territorial legislative committee.

Annual Meeting

4. There shall be an annual meeting of the Council open to Members of Canadian Public Accounts Committees, other interested legislators, and legislative staff supporting Public Accounts Committees.

5. The Council should hold its annual meeting at the same time and at the same location as the annual conference of the Canadian Council of Legislative Auditors, to facilitate collaboration between Legislative Auditors and Public Accounts Committees.

Voting

6. In case of questions to be decided at the annual meeting, each Public Accounts Committee in attendance shall be entitled to one vote, the vote to be cast by the chairperson of the committee or by a delegate duly authorized to vote by the Public Accounts Committee.

Board of Directors

7. The Board of Directors of the Council shall consist of the following Members:

(a) President, who shall be the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee of the jurisdiction in which the Council’s next annual meeting will be held;

(b) Vice-President, who shall be the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee of the jurisdiction in which the Council’s previous annual meeting was held; and

(c) a Vice-President, who shall be the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee of the jurisdiction in which the Council’s annual meeting will be held in the year after the next annual meeting.

8. The Members of the Board shall have a term of one year ending on the date of the Council’s annual meeting in the jurisdiction provided in section 7(a). Where a Chair ceases to be the Chair of a public accounts committee, the Deputy Chair or committee’s designate shall assume the position on the Board of Directors until a Chair is named to the Public Accounts Committee;

9. Subject to the direction of the Council and the Membership, the Board shall conduct a mid-year Executive meeting in person or by other means to:

(a) review conference preparedness;

(b) initiate projects on behalf of the Council;

(c) supervise the work of the Secretariat; and

(d) other matters affecting the good governance of the Council.

Secretariat

10. There shall be a Secretariat comprised of:

(a) an Executive Director, who shall be appointed at the annual meeting on the advice of the Board of Directors every two years and whose function will be to coordinate the business of the Council and its committees;

(b) the Public Accounts Committee Clerk or designate of the jurisdiction in which the Council’s next annual meeting will be held; and

(c) the Public Accounts Committee Clerk or designate of the Public Accounts Committee of the jurisdiction in which the Council’s previous annual meeting was held.

​10.1 If the Executive Director resigns, the Board of Directors will immediately appoint a new Executive Director to serve until the next annual meeting.

11. Subject to the direction of the Council and the Board, the Secretariat shall:

(a) Support the President in the administration of the next annual meeting of the Council;

(b) be responsible for communications initiatives on behalf of the Council, the Board, and the President;

(c) maintain close links with Canadian Public Accounts Committees, legislative staff in other jurisdictions, Legislative Auditors, and external organizations and stakeholders in order to promote the aims of the Council; and

(d) undertake such other duties as are assigned by the Council, the Board, or the President for the efficient administration of the Council.

12. The Secretariat may be supported in the functions provided in sections 9 and 11 by former Executive Directors and other legislative officers.

Quorum

13. A quorum of the Council shall be eight (8) voting members.

14. A quorum of the Board shall be two (2) members.

Amendment of the Constitution

15. This Constitution shall only be amended by a valid proposed amendment adopted at annual meeting of the Council.

16. A proposed amendment shall be valid if:

(a) it is proposed by a jurisdiction and submitted in writing to the Executive Director sixty days prior to date of an annual meeting of the Council, or;

(b) it is proposed by the Board of Directors.

​17. A valid proposed amendment shall be placed on the agenda of the next annual meeting of the Council following its proposal.

18. A valid proposed amendment shall be adopted if it is supported by the votes of two-thirds of the jurisdictions present and voting at the Council.

Review of the Constitution

19. At least once every 10 years, the Board of Directors must submit a report respecting the provisions of this Constitution to an annual meeting of the Council, including any recommended amendments to this Constitution.

Memorandum of Understanding

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to assist in the coordination between the Canadian Council of Public Accounts Committees (CCPAC) and the Canadian Council of Legislative Auditors (CCOLA) in determining host jurisdictions for these organizations’ joint annual conference.

​2. TERMS OF THIS MEMORANDUM

Both CCPAC and CCOLA agree to uphold their responsibilities in respect of the contents of the memorandum until it is either amended or terminated.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ORGANIZATIONS

​(1) Both CCPAC and CCOLA agree to collaboratively determine a schedule of host jurisdictions for each of their jointly held annual conferences. This is done by establishing a rotation of host jurisdictions amongst provincial, territorial, and federal Public Accounts Committees and Auditors General offices. The current rotation of host jurisdictions, as of August 10, 2021, is as follows:

a.2021, Alberta
b.2022, House of Commons
c.2023, Yukon
d.2024, Quebec
e.2025, Nova Scotia
f.2026, Saskatchewan
g.2027, Nunavut
h.2028, Newfoundland and Labrador
i.2029, Manitoba

(2) In the circumstance in which a change in the previously determined host schedule for the joint annual conference is requested, by either organization, such a change shall be proposed to the other organization at least 14 months prior to the date of the next conference.

​(3) Where a change to the previously determined host schedule for the joint annual conference has been proposed, the executive body of both organizations shall deliberate on the proposal, and if it is acceptable, shall ratify the proposal and communicate the ratification decision to the other organization no later than 12months prior to the date of the next conference.

(4) Any changes ratified under (3) shall be communicated to the membership of both organizations in a timely fashion.

AGREED TO ON September 27, 2021

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (PDF)