Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No. 1

An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures

Sponsor

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is, or will soon become, law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

Part 1 implements certain income tax measures by
(a) providing a Labour Mobility Deduction for the temporary relocation of tradespeople to a work location;
(b) allowing for the immediate expensing of eligible property by certain Canadian businesses;
(c) allowing the Children’s Special Allowance to be paid in respect of a child who is maintained by an Indigenous governing body and providing consistent tax treatment of kinship care providers and foster parents receiving financial assistance from an Indigenous governing body and those receiving such assistance from a provincial government;
(d) doubling the allowable qualifying expense limit under the Home Accessibility Tax Credit;
(e) expanding the criteria for the mental functions impairment eligibility as well as the life-sustaining therapy category eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit;
(f) providing clarity in respect of the determination of the one-time additional payment under the GST/HST tax credit for the period 2019-2020;
(g) changing the delivery of Climate Action Incentive payments from a refundable credit claimed annually to a credit that is paid quarterly;
(h) temporarily extending the period for incurring eligible expenses and other deadlines under film or video production tax credits;
(i) providing a tax incentive for specified zero-emission technology manufacturing activities;
(j) providing the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) the discretion to accept late applications for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and the Canada Recovery Hiring Program;
(k) including postdoctoral fellowship income in the definition of “earned income” for RRSP purposes;
(l) enabling registered charities to enter into charitable partnerships with organizations other than qualified donees under certain conditions;
(m) allowing automatic and immediate revocation of the registration of an organization as a charity where that organization is listed as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code ;
(n) enabling the CRA to use taxpayer information to assist in the collection of Canada Emergency Business Account loans; and
(o) expanding capital cost allowance deductions to include new clean energy equipment.
It also makes related and consequential amendments to the Excise Tax Act , the Children’s Special Allowances Act , the Excise Act, 2001 , the Income Tax Regulations and the Children’s Special Allowance Regulations .
Part 2 implements certain Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) measures by
(a) ensuring that all assignment sales in respect of newly constructed or substantially renovated residential housing are taxable supplies for GST/HST purposes; and
(b) extending eligibility for the expanded hospital rebate to health care services supplied by charities or non-profit organizations with the active involvement of, or on the recommendation of, either a physician or a nurse practitioner, irrespective of their geographic location.
Part 3 amends the Excise Act, 2001 , the Excise Act and other related texts in order to implement three measures.
Division 1 of Part 3 implements a new federal excise duty framework for vaping products by, among other things,
(a) requiring that manufacturers of vaping products obtain a vaping licence from the CRA;
(b) requiring that all vaping products that are removed from the premises of a vaping licensee to be entered into the Canadian market for retail sale be affixed with an excise stamp;
(c) imposing excise duties on vaping products to be paid by vaping product licensees;
(d) providing for administration and enforcement rules related to the excise duty framework on vaping products;
(e) providing the Governor in Council with authority to provide for an additional excise duty in respect of provinces and territories that enter into a coordinated vaping product taxation agreement with Canada; and
(f) making related amendments to other legislative texts, including to allow for a coordinated federal/provincial-territorial vaping product taxation system and to ensure that the excise duty framework applies properly to imported vaping products.
Division 2 of Part 3 amends the excise duty exemption under the Excise Act, 2001 for wine produced in Canada and composed wholly of agricultural or plant product grown in Canada.
Division 3 of Part 3 amends the Excise Act to eliminate excise duty for beer containing no more than 0.5% alcohol by volume.
Part 4 enacts the Select Luxury Items Tax Act . That Act creates a new taxation regime for domestic sales, and importations into Canada, of certain new motor vehicles and aircraft priced over $100,000 and certain new boats priced over $250,000. It provides that the tax applies if the total price or value of the subject select luxury item at the time of sale or importation exceeds the relevant price threshold. It provides that the tax is to be calculated at the lesser of 10% of the total price of the item and 20% of the total price of the item that exceeds the relevant price threshold. To promote compliance with the new taxation regime, that Act includes modern elements of administration and enforcement aligned with those found in other taxation statutes. Finally, this Part also makes related and consequential amendments to other texts to ensure proper implementation of the new tax and to ensure a cohesive and efficient administration by the CRA.
Division 1 of Part 5 retroactively renders a provision of the contract that is set out in the schedule to An Act respecting the Canadian Pacific Railway , chapter 1 of the Statutes of Canada, 1881, to be of no force or effect. It retroactively extinguishes any obligations and liabilities of Her Majesty in right of Canada and any rights and privileges of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company arising out of or acquired under that provision.
Division 2 of Part 5 amends the Nisga’a Final Agreement Act to give force of law to the entire Nisga’a Nation Taxation Agreement during the period that that Taxation Agreement is, by its terms, in force.
Division 3 of Part 5 repeals the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act .
It also amends the Income Tax Act to exempt from taxation under that Act any income earned by the Safe Drinking Water Trust in accordance with the Settlement Agreement entered into on September 15, 2021 relating to long-term drinking water quality for impacted First Nations.
Division 4 of Part 5 authorizes payments to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the purpose of addressing transit shortfalls and needs and improving housing supply and affordability.
Division 5 of Part 5 amends the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act by adding the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation and one other member to that Corporation’s Board of Directors.
Division 6 of Part 5 amends the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act to authorize additional payments to the provinces and territories.
Division 7 of Part 5 amends the Borrowing Authority Act to, among other things, count previously excluded borrowings made in the spring of 2021 in the calculation of the maximum amount that may be borrowed. It also amends the Financial Administration Act to change certain reporting requirements in relation to amounts borrowed under orders made under paragraph 46.1(c) of that Act.
Division 8 of Part 5 amends the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 to, among other things, permit the establishment of a solvency reserve account in the pension fund of certain defined benefit plans and require the establishment of governance policies for all pension plans.
Division 9 of Part 5 amends the Special Import Measures Act to, among other things,
(a) provide that assessments of injury are to take into account impacts on workers;
(b) require the Canadian International Trade Tribunal to make inquiries with respect to massive importations when it is acting under section 42 of that Act;
(c) require that Tribunal to initiate expiry reviews of certain orders and findings;
(d) modify the deadline for notifying the government of the country of export of properly documented complaints;
(e) modify the criteria for imposing duties in cases of massive importations;
(f) modify the criteria for initiating anti-circumvention investigations; and
(g) remove the requirement that, in order to find circumvention, the principal cause of the change in a pattern of trade must be the imposition of anti-dumping or countervailing duties.
It also amends the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act to provide that trade unions may, with the support of domestic producers, file global safeguard complaints.
Division 10 of Part 5 amends the Trust and Loan Companies Act and the Insurance Companies Act to, among other things, modernize corporate governance communications of financial institutions.
Division 11 of Part 5 amends the Insurance Companies Act to permit property and casualty companies and marine companies to not include the value of certain debt obligations when calculating their borrowing limit.
Division 12 of Part 5 enacts the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act . The Act prohibits the purchase of residential property in Canada by non-Canadians unless they are exempted by the Act or its regulations or the purchase is made in certain circumstances specified in the regulations.
Division 13 of Part 5 amends the Parliament of Canada Act and makes consequential and related amendments to other Acts to, among other things,
(a) change the additional annual allowances that are paid to senators who occupy certain positions so that the government’s representatives and the Opposition in the Senate are eligible for the allowances for five positions each and the three other recognized parties or parliamentary groups in the Senate with the greatest number of members are eligible for the allowances for four positions each;
(b) provide that the Leader of the Government in the Senate or Government Representative in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and the Leader or Facilitator of every other recognized party or parliamentary group in the Senate are to be consulted on the appointment of certain officers and agents of Parliament; and
(c) provide that the Leader of the Government in the Senate or Government Representative in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and the Leader or Facilitator of every other recognized party or parliamentary group in the Senate may change the membership of the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.
Division 14 of Part 5 amends the Financial Administration Act in order to, among other things, allow the Treasury Board to provide certain services to certain entities.
Division 15 of Part 5 amends the Competition Act to enhance the Commissioner of Competition’s investigative powers, criminalize wage fixing and related agreements, increase maximum fines and administrative monetary penalties, clarify that incomplete price disclosure is a false or misleading representation, expand the definition of anti-competitive conduct, allow private access to the Competition Tribunal to remedy an abuse of dominance and improve the effectiveness of the merger notification requirements and other provisions.
Division 16 of Part 5 amends the Copyright Act to extend certain terms of copyright protection, including the general term, from 50 to 70 years after the life of the author and, in doing so, implements one of Canada’s obligations under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement.
Division 17 of Part 5 amends the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents Act to, among other things,
(a) ensure that the College has sufficient independence and flexibility to exercise its corporate functions;
(b) provide statutory immunity to certain persons involved in the regulatory activities of the College; and
(c) grant powers to the Registrar and Investigations Committee that will allow for improved efficiency in the complaints and discipline process.
Division 18 of Part 5 enacts the Civil Lunar Gateway Agreement Implementation Act to implement Canada’s obligations under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America concerning Cooperation on the Civil Lunar Gateway. It provides for powers to protect confidential information provided under the Memorandum. It also makes related amendments to the Criminal Code to extend its application to activities related to the Lunar Gateway and to the Government Employees Compensation Act to address the cross-waiver of liability set out in the Memorandum.
Division 19 of Part 5 amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to restrict the use of detention in dry cells to cases where the institutional head has reasonable grounds to believe that an inmate has ingested contraband or that contraband is being carried in the inmate’s rectum.
Division 20 of Part 5 amends the Customs Act in order to authorize its administration and enforcement by electronic means and to provide that the importer of record of goods is jointly and severally, or solidarily, liable to pay duties on the goods under section 17 of that Act with the importer or person authorized to account for the goods, as the case may be, and the owner of the goods.
Division 21 of Part 5 amends the Criminal Code to create an offence of wilfully promoting antisemitism by condoning, denying or downplaying the Holocaust through statements communicated other than in private conversation.
Division 22 of Part 5 amends the Judges Act , the Federal Courts Act , the Tax Court of Canada Act and certain other acts to, among other things,
(a) implement the Government of Canada’s response to the report of the sixth Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission regarding salaries and benefits and to create the office of supernumerary prothonotary of the Federal Court;
(b) increase the number of judges for certain superior courts and include the new offices of Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick and Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan;
(c) create the offices of prothonotary and supernumerary prothonotary of the Tax Court of Canada; and
(d) replace the term “prothonotary” with “associate judge”.
Division 23 of Part 5 amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to, among other things,
(a) authorize the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to give instructions establishing categories of foreign nationals for the purposes of determining to whom an invitation to make an application for permanent residence is to be issued, as well as instructions setting out the economic goal that that Minister seeks to support in establishing the category;
(b) prevent an officer from issuing a visa or other document to a foreign national invited in respect of an established category if the foreign national is not in fact eligible to be a member of that category;
(c) require that the annual report to Parliament on the operation of that Act include a description of any instructions that establish a category of foreign nationals, the economic goal sought to be supported in establishing the category and the number of foreign nationals invited to make an application for permanent residence in respect of the category; and
(d) authorize that Minister to give instructions respecting the class of permanent residents in respect of which a foreign national must apply after being issued an invitation, if the foreign national is eligible to be a member of more than one class.
Division 24 of Part 5 amends the Old Age Security Act to correct a cross-reference in that Act to the Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1 .
Division 25 of Part 5
(a) amends the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Act to set out the consequences that apply in respect of a worker who received, for a four-week period, an income support payment and who received, for any week during the four-week period, any benefit, allowance or money referred to in subparagraph 6(1)(b)(ii) or (iii) of that Act;
(b) amends the Canada Emergency Student Benefit Act to set out the consequences that apply in respect of a student who received, for a four-week period, a Canada emergency student benefit and who received, for any week during the four-week period, any benefit, allowance or money referred to in subparagraph 6(1)(b)(ii) or (iii) of that Act; and
(c) amends the Employment Insurance Act to set out the consequences that apply in respect of a claimant who received, for any week, an employment insurance emergency response benefit and who received, for that week, any payment or benefit referred to in paragraph 153.9(2)(c) or (d) of that Act.
Division 26 of Part 5 amends the Employment Insurance Act to, among other things,
(a) replace employment benefits and support measures set out in Part II of that Act with employment support measures that are intended to help insured participants and other workers — including workers in groups underrepresented in the labour market — to obtain and keep employment; and
(b) allow the Canada Employment Insurance Commission to enter into agreements to provide for the payment of contributions to organizations for the costs of measures that they implement and that are consistent with the purpose and guidelines set out in Part II of that Act.
It also makes a consequential amendment to the Income Tax Act .
Division 27 of Part 5 amends the Employment Insurance Act to specify the maximum number of weeks for which benefits may be paid in a benefit period to certain seasonal workers and to extend, until October 28, 2023, the increase in the maximum number of weeks for which those benefits may be paid. It also amends the Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1 to add a transitional measure in relation to amendments to the Employment Insurance Regulations that are found in that Act.
Division 28 of Part 5 amends the Canada Pension Plan to make corrections respecting
(a) the calculation of the minimum qualifying period and the contributory period for the purposes of the post-retirement disability benefit;
(b) the determination of values for contributors who have periods excluded from their contributory periods by reason of disability; and
(c) the attribution of amounts for contributors who have periods excluded from their contributory periods because they were family allowance recipients.
Division 29 of Part 5 amends An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code to, among other things,
(a) shorten the period before which an employee begins to earn one day of medical leave of absence with pay per month;
(b) standardize the conditions related to the requirement to provide a medical certificate following a medical leave of absence, regardless of whether the leave is paid or unpaid;
(c) authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations in certain circumstances, including to modify certain provisions respecting medical leave of absence with pay;
(d) ensure that, for the purposes of medical leave of absence, an employee who changes employers due to the lease or transfer of a work, undertaking or business or due to a contract being awarded through a retendering process is deemed to be continuously employed with one employer; and
(e) provide that the provisions relating to medical leave of absence come into force no later than December 1, 2022.
Division 30 of Part 5 amends the Canada Business Corporations Act to, among other things,
(a) require certain corporations to send to the Director appointed under that Act information on individuals with significant control on an annual basis or when a change occurs;
(b) allow that Director to provide all or part of that information to an investigative body, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada or any prescribed entity; and
(c) clarify that, for the purposes of subsection 21.1(7) of that Act, it is the securities of a corporation, not the corporation itself, that are listed and posted for trading on a designated stock exchange.
Division 31 of Part 5 amends the Special Economic Measures Act and the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law) to, among other things,
(a) create regimes allowing for the forfeiture of property that has been seized or restrained under those Acts;
(b) specify that the proceeds resulting from the disposition of those properties are to be used for certain purposes; and
(c) allow for the sharing of information between certain persons in certain circumstances.
It also makes amendments to the Seized Property Management Act in relation to those forfeiture of property regimes.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Votes

June 9, 2022 Passed 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures
June 9, 2022 Failed Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures (recommittal to a committee)
June 9, 2022 Failed 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures (subamendment)
June 7, 2022 Passed Concurrence at report stage of Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures
June 7, 2022 Failed Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures (report stage amendment)
June 7, 2022 Passed Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures (report stage amendment)
June 7, 2022 Failed Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures (report stage amendment)
June 7, 2022 Failed Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures (report stage amendment)
June 6, 2022 Passed Time allocation for Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures
May 10, 2022 Passed 2nd reading of Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures
May 10, 2022 Failed 2nd reading of Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures (reasoned amendment)
May 10, 2022 Failed 2nd reading of Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures (subamendment)
May 9, 2022 Passed Time allocation for Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures

May 16th, 2022 / 3:50 p.m.
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René Bougie President, Association of Mead and Honey Alcohol Producers of Quebec

Good morning, everyone.

Thank you for inviting me to appear before the committee.

My name is René Bougie, and I am the co-owner of Miellerie King—distillery and meadery, located in Kingsey Falls, in the Centre-du-Québec region. I am also the president of the Association des producteurs d'hydromels et d'alcools de miel du Québec, or APHAMQ.

Our association represents about half of Quebec's mead producers, who produce over 50% of all meads.

Currently, Quebec has issued about 25 mead production permits, and that number has increased in recent years.

The reason we are here today is that in June, Bill C-19 will eliminate the excise duty exemption for wines. This would have a major impact on our industry.

The situation for mead producers is unique. Indeed, we are currently facing several challenges. There is the bee mortality rate, which has been increasing steadily over the past few years, the increase in various production costs, such as raw materials, fields to look after our bees and diesel. There are also the costs of transporting our various goods and the costs of packaging the bottles and putting labels on the jars. The costs are constantly increasing. Eliminating this important exemption would have a significant impact on our various productions.

What we are asking for is that this exemption be maintained. As a result of negotiations undertaken by provincial negotiators, Quebec mead and berry or maple alcohol producers will not have to pay the mark-up to the Société des alcools du Québec, or SAQ, in the context of the World Trade Organization, or WTO, negotiations.

We would like the federal government to apply this type of exemption. In fact, this is what the bill provides for the production of alcohol at home.

I have presented the main elements related to our demands.

I'm happy to answer questions from members of the committee.

May 16th, 2022 / 3:50 p.m.
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Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

I call this meeting to order. Welcome to meeting number 45 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.

Pursuant to the order of reference of May 10, 2022, the committee is meeting on Bill C-19, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022, and other measures.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of November 25, 2021. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application. As per the directive of the Board of Internal Economy on March 10, 2022, all those attending the meeting in person must wear a mask, except for members who are at their place during proceedings.

I would now like to make a few comments for the benefit of the witnesses and the members.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike and please mute yourself when you are not speaking. Interpretation is available for those on Zoom. You have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of floor, English or French audio. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.

As a reminder, all comments should be addressed through the chair. For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can, and we appreciate your patience and understanding in this regard. I request that members and witnesses treat each other with mutual respect and decorum.

I would now like to welcome today's witnesses.

We have with us, from Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Sylvain Charlebois, director and professor. From the Association of Mead and Honey Alcohol Producers of Quebec, we have René Bougie, president, and Vincent Lambert, secretary. From JDRF Canada, we have Dave Prowten, president and chief executive officer, and Alanna Weisman, endocrinologist. Also, from Publish What You Pay Canada, we have Sasha Caldera, campaign manager, beneficial ownership transparency.

We'll now begin with Mr. Charlebois from Agri-Food Analytics Lab and his opening remarks for up to five minutes, please.

May 16th, 2022 / 1:05 p.m.
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Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

Thank you, MP Dzerowicz.

Thank you to our excellent witnesses for your remarks. Your many answers to the many questions by members were really appreciated in informing us about Bill C-19. On behalf of the members, the clerk, the analyst, and everybody here who helps with this production, thank you very much to all for joining us.

The meeting is adjourned.

May 16th, 2022 / 1 p.m.
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Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Madame Martinez Ferrada.

Thank you to all of the witnesses for appearing today and for providing the valuable testimony that you have during your time in this meeting. You can see that an hour is a short period of time for this very important topic.

Before the committee adjourns, I would ask for a few minutes on committee business to consider a request that this committee has received from FINA.

The witnesses may leave.

Committee members, could give me your indulgence for five minutes?

On Thursday, FINA, the finance committee, adopted a motion inviting HUMA to consider the subject matter of part 5, divisions 26, 27, 29 and 32, of Bill C-19. This would have to be done by Friday of next week, if we are going to consider it.

The finance committee will still review the sections of the bill in clause-by-clause, amend it where they choose and approve it. HUMA is being asked to review it and provide recommendations, if we so choose. Having said that, if we're going to do it, we would possibly have to sit during the constituency week.

I'm at the direction of the committee members. The finance committee will still review it.

Madame Chabot has her hand up, and next is Madam Kusie.

We have Madame Chabot.

May 16th, 2022 / 12:50 p.m.
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Bloc

Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC

The government really needs to consider the provisions in question if it wants to support a booming industry made up of artisanal cider makers. It should encourage producers and make sure that the legislation does not have a negative impact on them.

Mr. Rooke, in your opening statement, you spoke about how the excise duty the government is imposing through Bill C‑19 could negatively affect the industry.

Can you talk more about those negative consequences?

May 16th, 2022 / 12:30 p.m.
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Liberal

Sophie Chatel Liberal Pontiac, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses for being here today. Their input on Bill C‑19 is very helpful.

Mr. Hinton, I was especially struck by what you said about the lack of Canadian intellectual property.

We've seen small and medium-size businesses in Quebec come up with innovative products. As soon as the product becomes commercially viable and profitable, however, the business is bought by an American company most of the time.

Do you have any recommendations on how to improve that situation, and keep Canadian businesses and their intellectual property in Canada?

May 16th, 2022 / 12:25 p.m.
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Conservative

Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC

I would like to ask you about that, because certainly there is a bottling deadline. Enter Bill C-19, in the English on page 106, subclause 129(2) says, "Subsection (1) comes into force, or is deemed to have come into force, on June 30, 2022, but does not apply to wine packaged before that day". That also could mean cider.

Are your members aware that anything that is bottled as of July 1 will have this extra excise tax added to it?

May 16th, 2022 / 12:25 p.m.
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Conservative

Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of our presenters today for your expertise and individual opinions and for wanting to come and share what Bill C-19 means to some of the stakeholders out there.

I'm going to start with Mr. Rooke.

Mr. Rooke, in my riding we have wineries, absolutely, but we also have cideries like Left Field Cider Company just outside Logan Lake, Dominion Cider, Millionaires' Row, Summerland Heritage Cider, and NOMAD Cider, and that's only in Summerland and Logan Lake. There are others.

I want to talk to you a little bit about the trade challenge that has been the reason the government says we have to make these amendments to the Excise Act, especially to the sections on wine.

My understanding is that the government completely capitulated to the Australians and didn't fight it in the WTO. That's where we are. Unfortunately for you, because your industry is defined under the Excise Act as being under wine, you were thrown in there indiscriminately.

May 16th, 2022 / 12:15 p.m.
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Bloc

Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Life is better when you live next to a lake, but unfortunately, people in the regions often have to deal with connectivity issues. That is still a huge problem.

My next question is for Mr. Rooke, of Cider Canada.

Mr. Rooke, I am really impressed by the quality of the cider our craftspeople produce. In the past few years, product quality has been tremendous. My latest discovery is a cider produced by Qui Sème Récolte, a business in Saint‑Jean‑de‑Matha. Not only is the industry booming, but it's also a source of great pride.

I want to make sure I understand the problem. Bill C‑19 would restore the excise duty on wine, further to a World Trade Organization, or WTO, ruling in a dispute between Canada and Australia.

As I understand it, the dispute had to do with grape-based wine. The problem is that Ottawa doesn't distinguish between wine made from grapes and other alcoholic beverages such as cider and mead, so the excise duty will apply to your members.

Do I have that right?

May 16th, 2022 / 12:05 p.m.
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NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Thank you very much. That's very much appreciated.

I want to go next to Mr. Cochrane.

You said that you had hoped for the opportunity to talk a bit about some of the housing measures that are contained in the budget implementation act. I wanted to make sure that you got some time to do that.

May 16th, 2022 / noon
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NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Thank you.

Thanks to all our witnesses for appearing here today.

Mr. Strickland, I want to start first of all by congratulating the Canadian building trades for getting the building trades tax proposal over the finish line. I know that it's something the building trades have worked on with a lot of my NDP colleagues over the years and, of course, members from other parties as well. Congratulations to you on that.

I just wondered if you had any comment on the specific wording of the budget implementation act and on anything that you think needs to change in the wording. My impression is that it's a pretty decent representation of what you've asked for, but I wanted to give you a quick opportunity for some reflections there.

May 16th, 2022 / 11:55 a.m.
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Bloc

Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC

Thank you, Mr. MacDonald.

When I compare Bill C‑19 with Bill S‑216, my take-away is that the Department of Finance was concerned that certain provisions of Bill S‑216 could be abused, making it possible for resources to be used for a non-charitable purpose. That is problematic from an accountability standpoint. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Do you think ill-intentioned people would be able to use charitable donations for non-charitable purposes?

The prescriptive nature of this legislation seems to be borrowed from the American law. Are we to understand that the American model is the best way to oversee a charitable partnership system?

May 16th, 2022 / 11:55 a.m.
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Bloc

Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC

Thank you, Mr. MacDonald.

You also suggested amendments to the bill that the committee could recommend. I want you to know that they will certainly be discussed by the committee.

You referred to a shared platform. Can you tell us more about that?

How do the changes made under Bill C‑19 affect charitable partnerships of that nature?

May 16th, 2022 / 11:55 a.m.
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President and Chief Executive Officer, Imagine Canada

Bruce MacDonald

Thank you for being patient.

I am going to respond in English.

It's really important as we are on the cusp of how Canada is changing to be able to evolve with that.

As we seek to address long-term issues of truth and reconciliation, systemic inequities, we find that many of the organizations that are serving those communities are, in fact, non-qualified donees. It is essential that the language of Bill C-19 be amended to enable these organizations to engage with charitable organizations so that they can create innovative, unique solutions while not reducing accountability to be able to provide service to those groups—their stakeholders, their constituents—and to ensure that we're moving forward as a nation.

May 16th, 2022 / 11:55 a.m.
See context

Bloc

Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for that, Mr. Blaikie.

I'd like to thank all the witnesses for being with us today. Their opening statements were very informative.

My first questions are for Mr. MacDonald.

Mr. MacDonald, my understanding is that the measures in Bill C‑19 are inadequate. Bill S‑216 would actually do a better job of meeting the needs expressed by various organizations.

How would Bill C‑19 impact equity-seeking groups wanting to work with charities?