RECOMMENDATION

Her Excellency the Governor General recommends to the House of Commons the appropriation of public revenue under the circumstances, in the manner and for the purposes set out in a measure entitled ``An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 28, 2000''.

SUMMARY

PART 1

Part 1 amends the Employment Insurance Act to allow parents of a child born or placed in their care for adoption after December 30, 2000, to receive benefits for up to one year while caring for the child. The number of weeks of parental benefits is increased to 35 weeks and the number for a combination of special benefits (maternity, parental and sickness) is increased to 50. Access to special benefits is improved by reducing qualification from 700 to 600 hours of insurable employment. Parents will continue to be able to split the 35 weeks of parental benefits with only one waiting period required between them. As is the case for regular employment insurance benefits, parents may have earnings of up to 25% of their weekly benefit or $50, whichever is higher, without affecting their parental benefits.

PART 2

Part 2 amends the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act to implement a $2.5 billion increase in the Canada Health and Social Transfers. The funds will be distributed to the provinces on a per capita basis. The Minister is authorized to pay $2.5 billion into a trust from which these funds will be distributed over the four-year period beginning on April 1, 2000.

PART 3

Part 3 provides for government financing of Canada Student Loans and for the making of loans to students by the Minister of Human Resources Development. It allows the Minister to enter into agreements with private sector service providers to administer the loans on behalf of the government.

PART 4

Part 4 enables thirteen First Nations, identified in the schedule, to impose a 7% value-added tax (equivalent to the GST) on all sales of fuel, alcohol and tobacco products, where the sales occur on reserves. The First Nations identified in the schedule are the Cowichan Band, the Westbank First Nation, the Kamloops Band, the Sliammon Band, the Osoyoos Band, the Adams Lake Band, the Tsawout First Nation, the Chemainus First Nation, the Dakota Tipi Band, the Waywayseecappo First Nation, the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, the Buffalo Point First Nation and the Tobique Band. Part 4 repeals specific First Nation sales tax legislation for four First Nations, as those First Nations would now be listed in the schedule. It repeals Parts III and IV of the Budget Implementation Act, 1997 (Cowichan Tribes Tobacco Products Tax and Westbank First Nation Tax on Alcohol, Tobacco and Fuels), Part 4 of the Budget Implementation Act, 1998 (Kamloops Indian Band Tax on Alcohol, Tobacco and Fuels) and Division 1 of Part 5 of the Budget Implementation Act, 1999 (Sliammon First Nation Tax on Tobacco and Fuels).

PART 5

Part 5 amends the Excise Tax Act to allow the Minister of National Revenue to obtain judicial authorization to immediately assess and take actions to collect from a person the amount of Goods and Services Tax or Harmonized Sales Tax determined by the Minister to be remittable by the person at the time of the authorization. This would only apply when the collection of net tax from a registrant would be jeopardized by a delay in its collection.

PART 6

Part 6 amends the Income Tax Act to reinstate, as of January 1, 2000, full indexation of the previously partially indexed parameters of the personal income tax system and to increase both the base benefit and the National Child Benefit supplement payable under the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB). It also amends the Act to top up the parameters used in computing the CCTB and GST credit payable for the twelve-month period commencing in July 2000 to ensure that eligible individuals benefit from full indexation as of January 1, 2000. It also amends Part XI of the Act to increase the 20% limit on foreign property that can be held within a deferred income plan without incurring penalty tax to 25% for 2000 and to 30% after 2000.

PART 7

Part 7 amends the Canada Labour Code to extend the allowable period of parental leave. It mirrors amendments being made to the Employment Insurance Act with respect to parental benefits.

It also amends the Canada Pension Plan to permit provinces to redeem securities held by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Fund prior to their maturity and the Special Import Measures Act to permit the Governor in Council to suspend provisions of that Act in order to comply with the World Trade Organization Agreement on Subsidies.