CANADA
A NEW LEADER FOR THE CANADIAN LIBERAL PARTY
Liberal Leadership
The Liberal Party of Canada suffered a historic electoral defeat in 2011 general election and was
relegated to third-party status for the first time in Canadian history. At that time, then-Leader Mr Michael Ignatieff stepped down,
and shortly thereafter, the Liberal caucus elected Mr Bob Rae, MP, to serve as interim leader. In October 2012, Mr Justin
THIRD READING: BRITISH COLUMBIA
Provincial Sales Tax Transitional Provisions and Amendments Act, 2013
Following a province-wide referendum, the government of British Columbia made a commitment to implement the results of the referendum and to extinguish the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). The first step of this commitment was the introduction and passage in May 2012 of the Provincial Sales Tax Act (PST) which reinstated the seven per cent PST, effective 1 April 2013.
The government also committed to releasing the final piece of enabling legislation in advance of the move back to PST in order to help businesses and consumers prepare for the reimplementation of the tax. To fulfil this second commitment, on 9 January 2013 the government publicly released a draft proposed consolidation of the PST legislation. As the House was not scheduled to sit before 12 February, the draft legislation, which included a consolidation of the Provincial Sales Tax Act passed in May 2012 along with draft proposed amendments, was shared with Members of the Legislative Assembly prior to being publicly released. Official Opposition Finance critic Bruce Ralston criticized the government’s release of the draft legislation, stating that the government could have called the House back for a fall session and introduced the legislation in the House. With the resumption of the House, the government introduced Bill 2, Provincial Sales Tax, Transitional Provisions and Amendments Act, 2013 on 13 February 2013, completing the legislative requirements for the reintroduction of the PST.
The Opposition had not supported the introduction of the HST and therefore supported its reversal in Bill 2, which passed without division and received third reading on 26 February 2013. Seniors’ Advocate Act
Following public consultations conducted by the Ministry of Health in the spring and summer of 2012, and a related report by the Ombudsperson, the government introduced Bill 10, Seniors Advocate Act.
This bill, introduced on February 20, 2013, provides for the appointment, responsibilities and powers of the Seniors Advocate, a public officer to be appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council. The advocate will
be responsible for monitoring the provision of services to seniors and for advocating the interests of seniors with respect to issues such as healthcare, housing and transportation. The position will also identify solutions to systemic issues facing seniors and make recommendations to government to improve the welfare of seniors.
During second reading debate, Opposition Members were critical of the government’s initiative, advocating that the position should be independent of government in order to effect change, and that the appointment should be limited to a set term.
Bill 10 passed on division on 14 March 2013 and British Columbia becomes the first jurisdiction in Canada to have a seniors advocate.
Justice Reform and Transparency Act
Introduced on 26 February 2013, Bill 15, Justice Reform and Transparency Act, had its genesis in a government-initiated review of BC’s justice system undertaken by lawyer Geoffrey Cowper. As recommended in Mr Cowper’s report, the legislation establishes a justice and public safety council to provide a focal point for justice system strategy, reform, performance-planning and reporting. The council will be responsible for examining and suggesting improvements to the functioning of the justice system, developing an annual plan with performance measures and yearly progress reports. The legislation also requires a justice summit be held at least once a year to encourage innovation and facilitate collaboration across the sector. Included in the legislation are amendments to the Provincial Court Act and Supreme Court Act to allow for more effective judicial administration of the courts in British Columbia. In addition, the legislation gives the director of police services the authority to set standards respecting the collection, disclosure and analysis of information regarding the administration and management of policing.
Opposition Members voiced their skepticism regarding the timing of the Bill’s introduction during the week prior to a provincial general election and questioned how the reforms would be implemented during a time of budgetary restraint. Despite their misgivings, Bill 15 received third reading on 11 March 2013.
The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue Two | 147
Trudeau, MP, (Papineau) announced his intention to run for Leader of the Liberal Party, and officially launched his
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76