|
|
|
|
|
|
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''.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
|
|