Bill C-38 /2012 Budget Bill : Legal Perspective on Env. Changes to Federal Regulatory System Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP on 4/27/2012 (authors: Shawn Denstedt, QC & Sander Duncanson. On April 26, 2012, the Federal Government introduced Bill C-38, the 2012 Budget Bill. Part 3 of Bill C-38 contains the Federal Government’s proposed legislative changes to the federal regulatory system. The most significant change is the complete repeal and replacement of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA), the central piece of federal environmental legislation. Its replacement, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, includes fundamental changes to the current Act that are intended to address the uncertainties and inefficiencies associated with the current legislation. Bill C-38 also proposes significant changes to the National Energy Board Act, the Canadian Oil and Gas Operations Act, the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, the Fisheries Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the Species at Risk Act. Key Reforms in Bill C-38 Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
Large security deposit for robocalls election challenges would be âunjustâ, lawyer argues Conservative Party of Canada lawyer Arthur Hamilton said the court must impose the financial surety on the applicants. OTTAWA — The federal court could rule as soon as Friday on a motion that would require voters to pay a $250,000 security deposit to continue their legal challenge of the results in seven ridings from the 2011 federal election as a result of fraudulent political calls. Conservative party lawyer Arthur Hamilton argued in favour of the motion in Federal Court in Ottawa on Tuesday, saying the court must impose the financial surety on the applicants because the law is “open to serious abuse in the hands of the wrong elector, or candidate or proxy group, such as the Council of Canadians.” Council of Canadians lawyer Steven Shrybman, who represents the applicants, says a Conservative attempt to force his clients to pay $250,000 would be a “crushing financial burden” and contrary to the public interest in seeing elections are conducted fairly. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Mark Carney named Bank of England governor - Politics Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney will be the next governor of the Bank of England, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced Monday morning. Flaherty said that Carney's advice had "kept Canada strong," pointing out, as he often does, that Canada has the best record for fiscal stability in the G7. This is the first time a foreign national has been head of the Bank of England, Flaherty said, underlining how unconventional this appointment is. Read latest story here: Mark Carney next Bank of England governor Carney will continue to serve as governor of the Bank of Canada until June, and will take up his new job on July 1. Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney has accepted the top job at the Bank of England and will take up the post on July 1, 2013. Carney said he and Flaherty had enjoyed an effective partnership and added he will miss the camaraderie and clear sense of purpose he experienced with the finance minister. The release described Carney as "hawkish in action but dovish in words."
Feds to repeal Kyoto Act in budget bill, critics slam move Nelson Mandela in Ottawa, May 15, 1992 Dec. 5, 2013 The Hill Times archives Former South African president Nelson Mandela visited Ottawa in May 1992. The honorary Canadian who helped end apartheid in his country died on Dec. 5 at 95 years old. Governor General David Johnston said, "When history speaks of the very best examples of humanity, we will speak of Nelson Mandela." Nelson Mandela and Brian Mulroney Nelson Mandela and his then-wife Winnie Madikileza Nelson Mandela arrives on Parliament Hill. If we silence dissent we silence democracy John McKay is the Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Scarborough—Guildwood. He was first elected in 1997 and has been re-elected five times. Between 2003 and 2006 he served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, and is currently serving as the Liberal Defence Critic. Recently, I participated in a lively debate on the subject of faith and politics, publishing an article with my thoughts on the topic. Very well-done, John. … I’ll keep it in the (queue) for right now as I have just received an official “reminder” from Canada Revenue that our charitable status may be in jeopardy because of too much “political advocacy” on the part of our publication, citing six different editorials and articles as evidence. (Name withheld for obvious reasons) When I subsequently spoke with the editor, he told me that he had phoned Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), to ask which six articles were “offensive”. If this was an isolated incident, it could potentially be ignored. Mr.
IMF May Classify Aussie, Canada Dollar as Reserve Currencies The International Monetary Fund said it’s considering classifying the Australian and the Canadian dollars as reserve currencies. The two “are to be considered for inclusion” separately in the IMF’s “Currency Composition of Official Foreign-Exchange Reserves” data, the Washington-based lender said in a report published on Nov. 14. They’ve previously been included in an “other currencies” category in the COFER reports. The IMF plan comes as Australia and Canada have shown more signs of stability in the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis than the world’s biggest developed economies. “It really helps to cement the stability of these currencies,” Ravi Bharadwaj, a market analyst in Washington at Western Union Business Solutions, a unit of Western Union Co. The Australian budget is forecast to show a surplus that is 0.1 percent relative to GDP next year, after a 3 percent deficit in 2012, according to the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Risk Appetite ‘Others’ Rise
Debate verbatim: Bill C-38 on Friday, May 4 Bill C-38. Second reading The House resumed from May 4, 2012, consideration of the motion that Bill C-38, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 29, 2012 and other measures, be read the second time and referred to a committee, and of the amendment. Mr. Budget 2012 sets out a prudent and long-term plan to ensure the future prosperity, health, and retirement security of all Canadians. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a few of the many provision of budget 2012 which are particularly important to the people I represent in the city of Mississauga. While budget 2012 includes dozens of important new measures to create jobs and growth and ensure long-term prosperity, the budget is also remarkable for what it does not do. Unlike the budgets of many of our largest trading partners, such as the United Kingdom, our government is not raising taxes on hard-working Canadian families, seniors and job creators. M. Mr. Ms. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr.
Budget watchdog to detail impact of government cutbacks Fed up with the lack of transparency, Canada’s budget watchdog says he will publish his own analysis of the impact of government cutbacks on programs and the bureaucracy. Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page says he will release quarterly reports starting later this month on the effects of $37-billion in cutbacks announced in the past three budgets. In a paper issued today, the PBO says the reductions announced in direct program expenditures over five years are similar to those brought in by the Liberals in the 1990s, but there is very little disclosure on their impact. In the 2012 budget, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the latest restraint effort would result in the loss of 19,200 jobs over three years. When the cuts have run their course, direct program expenditure will be reduced to about 5.5 per cent of gross domestic product, a 50-year low and almost one third lower than the long-term average. Mr. In his paper, Mr.
Loonie As Global Reserve Currency? IMF Eyes Possibility OTTAWA - The high-flying Canadian loonie may soon be joining the elite club of global reserve currencies. The International Monetary Fund signalled in a new report it is considering asking foreign countries to report their holdings of Canadian and Australian dollars separately, which would technically make them global reserve currencies. It would be the first addition to the list of five reserve currencies — the U.S. greenback, the Japanese yen, the euro, the British sterling and Swiss franc — since 1999. Previously the two were lumped together in the "other currencies" category. The notice was contained in an appendix of the new IMF report, which took note that at least two other countries held the Canadian and Australian dollars in their foreign reserves. Bank of Montreal economist Doug Porter called the addition a "seal of approval" for Canada, but could carry some repercussions, both negative and positive.
Critics warn Bill C-38 could force unemployed into jobs they don’t want | Canada Politics While critics of the Harper government's omnibus budget implementation bill rail against the legislation's alleged attacks on environmental reviews, they might also want to pay attention to the parts of the bill that deal with employment insurance. According to an article in the Globe and Mail, Bill C-38 would remove provisions of the Employment Insurance Act that allow EI recipients to turn down an available job if it is not in the claimant's usual occupation, is at a lower rate of pay or involves "conditions less favourable than those … recognized by good employers." In other words, once the bill passes, cabinet (in theory) will have the power to deny EI to an unemployed scientist for refusing to dig ditches or pick fruit. Neil Cohen, executive director of Winnipeg's Community Unemployed Help Centre, said he's deeply concerned by the the new rules. "It's always been up to the courts to determine what constitutes suitable employment," he told the Globe and Mail.