Policy Monitor Canada » Interest Groups

Consultation on fees under Canada Not-For-Profit Act

Admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:11:43 +0000

Notice on Consultation on fees under Canada Not-For-Profit Act (Bill C-4)

Corporations Canada is seeking comments on the fees proposed under the Canada Not-for-Profit Act (Bill C-4) and the associated service standards.

Bill C-4 received Royal Assent on June 23, 2009. Before the Act can come into force, the fees and related service standards must first be established in accordance with the User Fees Act process, which is as follows:

Public consultation on the proposed fees and related service standards;
Publication in the Canada Gazette of a notice setting out the proposed fees and related service standards which provides a timeframe for clients to submit complaints. This notice is published after the public consultation period;
Creation of an independent complaint review panel, if complaints received cannot be resolved;
Tabling of the proposal in each of the House of Commons and Senate for 20 sitting days for review.

Once the User Fees Act process is complete, the proposed regulations which include the fees, will then need to be pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I before final approval can be obtained from Treasury Board.

You can obtain the consultation paper on the proposed fees and related service standards:

at Corporations Canada’s Website under the heading “What’s New” in the left-hand menu;
by contacting Corporations Canada directly at 1-866-333-5556 to obtain a copy by mail.

Comments on the proposed fees or service standards may be submitted to Corporations Canada by February 5, 2010. For further information, call 1-866-333-5556 or send an e-mail to corporationscanada@ic.gc.ca.

REVIEW OF SOCIETY ACT: BC

Admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:16:06 +0000

PROVINCE LAUNCHES REVIEW OF SOCIETY ACT

VICTORIA – The Province is embarking on a review of British Columbia’s Society Act to modernize and update the statute that provides rules for the registration and governance of not-for-profit organizations in B.C., Finance Minister Colin Hansen announced today.

“As part of the review, we’re inviting input from the more than 26,000 societies registered in B.C.,” said Hansen. “I encourage them and anyone else with interest in the legislation to take part. Their feedback will help determine what changes need to be made.”

This review forms part of the Province’s ongoing revision of important framework statutes in the corporate, commercial, real estate, and financial services sectors. In recent years, this process has resulted in several pieces of new or revised legislation.

Although the Society Act has occasionally been amended, it is outdated and in need of revision. There has been no comprehensive revision of the act since 1977. Other corporate statutes such as the Business Corporations Act, which governs companies, and the Cooperative Association Act, which governs cooperatives, have been completely rewritten within the last decade.

The review will address two fundamental structural questions. The first concerns the nature of the corporate model most appropriate for societies and whether a sophisticated business law framework should be adopted. The second issue concerns the extent to which the act should contain regulatory provisions or other rules that constrain the operation of societies. The deadline for feedback on the first phase of the review is April 1, 2010.

British Columbians are invited and encouraged to participate by providing their comments via the following methods:

Email: fcsp@gov.bc.ca

Ontario Announces New HST Exemptions

Admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:13:48 +0000

Ontario Announces New HST Exemptions

Ontario has announced additional point-of-sale exemptions for the provincial component of the proposed Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) for qualifying prepared food and beverages sold for $4.00 or less and print newspapers

Today’s announcement comes one week after a report released by economist and tax expert Jack Mintz stated that the HST, together with other tax changes would create an estimated 591,000 net new jobs over ten years.

Other items, such as basic groceries, most health and education services, prescription drugs and childcare, would not be subject to the HST.

The HST is just one part of a comprehensive tax package that would also provide, over three years, $10.6 billion in direct payments and permanent tax relief for the people of Ontario.

As part of the proposed tax package, 93 per cent of Ontario taxpayers would get a personal income tax cut. And nearly 3 million low-income Ontario families would receive a new, permanent sales tax credit of up to $260 for each adult and child per year – one of the most generous in Canada.

Ontario Proposed Good Government Act

Admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:30:16 +0000

Proposed Good Government Act – Legislation the government has introduced would amend the Municipal Elections Act, the City of Toronto Act and the Municipal Act, among other legislation.

Modernizing Provincial Laws
Backgrounder: Reforming Municipal Elections in Ontario
Municipal Elections Act Review
Backgrounder: Proposed Municipal Reforms
City of Toronto Act, 2006
Streamlining Building Permit Approval and Protecting Homebuyers

BC lobbyist Legislation Updated

Admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:02:12 +0000

October 27, 2009

LOBBYISTS REGISTRATION ACT ENHANCED, MORE ACCOUNTABLE

VICTORIA – Amendments to the Lobbyists Registration Act introduced by Attorney General Michael de Jong, QC, will provide greater public accountability for lobbyists and enhanced powers for the registrar.

PM welcomes new Commissioner of Lobbying

Admin — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:53:40 +0000

PM welcomes new Commissioner of Lobbying

Energy, Environment and Economy Increasingly Interconnected Says NEB Report

Admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:52:10 +0000

Energy, Environment and Economy Increasingly Interconnected Says NEB Report

CALGARY - The convergence of energy efficiency and conservation with renewable energy policies continued to be a strong trend in 2008 says the National Energy Board (NEB) in its Canadian Energy Overview 2008 report.

While the economy garnered significant headlines in the latter half of 2008, the environment and the increasing momentum on climate change initiatives were key influences on the Canadian energy sector throughout the entire year.

Several provincial and federal policies aimed at energy demand were proposed early in 2008 including the expansion of clean energy and renewable energy strategies and new standards for consumer goods. A proposed design of a comprehensive regional cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gases was introduced by the Western Climate Initiative. By the end of 2008, all provinces had some legislation for climate change initiatives. Many of these new government programs and policies should impact consumer energy demand trends in the next few years as Canadians factor environmental costs into purchasing decisions.

Ontario and Quebec Municipalities Sign Historic Accord

Admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:49:12 +0000

Ontario and Quebec Municipalities Sign Historic Accord

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ) signed an Agreement of Cooperation at a joint meeting in Gatineau, Quebec. The Agreement acknowledges the similar opportunities and challenges faced by municipal governments in both provinces and commits AMO and UMQ to working together on issues of common interest.

Click here for alert,news release, opening remarks by AMO President Peter Hume, and a copy of theMemorandum of Cooperation.

Ontario Municpalities Ass. Sets up Economic Development Task Force

Admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:08:51 +0000

AMO Establishes Task Force to Foster Local Economic Development Opportunities

Ontario’s communities, workers and families are facing significant challenges, especially those communities with automotive, manufacturing, and resource industries. Read more here.

AMO’s Board of Directors has established an Economic Development Task Force with diverse membership to advise and support the Board on all matters related to economic development. The Task Force includes representatives from business associations, economic development staff, the provincial and federal governments, and municipal elected officials and staff.
It is designed to encourage collaboration and information-sharing with other orders of government and stakeholders at a provincial level. All of the organizations represented on the Task Force have well established efforts, programs, and resources which advance economic development in different ways. The Task Force does not intend to duplicate those efforts, but serve as a discussion forum or ‘clearinghouse’ of ideas to enhance the local economic development efforts of communities across Ontario.

Council of Canadian Academies Report on Business Innovation in Canada

Admin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:33:00 +0000

Ministers Welcome Council of Canadian Academies Report on Business Innovation in Canada

OTTAWA, April 29, 2009 — The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today welcomed the release of the Council of Canadian Academies report on the performance of Canadian businesses as it relates to innovation.

The report, entitled Innovation and Business Strategy: Why Canada Falls Short, examines why investment in innovation by Canadian businesses lags behind that in many countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The report studied the factors that influence business investment in innovation and the relationship between innovation and productivity growth.