Bill C-31
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RECOMMENDATION |
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His 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
March 6, 1996 and for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money''.
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SUMMARY |
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PART I |
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These amendments would enable the Treasury Board to implement
the transition of human resources in the alternative delivery of services.
The amendments to the Financial Administration Act would provide for
termination of employment in certain cases where government services
are transferred and related mechanisms to assist in such a transfer. In
addition, the amendments to that Act would provide for exceptions to
appropriations so that the unused portion of funds appropriated by
Parliament does not lapse at the end of one year.
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As part of the restructuring of the Public Service, successor rights in
the form of continued collective agreements and union representation
would be introduced in the Canada Labour Code and the Public Service
Staff Relations Act. The amendments to the Public Service Employment
Act would enable the Public Service Commission to delegate authorities
to non-public servants and eliminate the right of appeal on
appointments of priorities.
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In respect of compensation and collective bargaining, amendments
to the Public Sector Compensation Act would allow for a wage increase
for non-commissioned members of the Canadian Forces and for merit
pay or bonuses for those who had such remuneration suspended in the
course of the freeze. The Public Service Staff Relations Act would be
amended so as to suspend binding arbitration for a period of three years
from the coming into force of these amendments.
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The amendments to the Public Service Superannuation Act would
facilitate the portability of pension values on an individual and a group
basis and provide flexibility for the extension or termination of
coverage of an entity and its employees under that Act. Portability on
an individual basis would result from the amendments providing for
two-year vesting and lock-in, and the introduction of a new ``transfer
value'' benefit that would be required to be paid into another retirement
savings vehicle. Portability on a group basis would be provided by
amendments giving broader authority for agreements between the
Government of Canada and eligible employers to make pension value
payments in or out of the Superannuation Account. Finally, certain
amendments would deal with individual entitlements, payments in or
out of the Superannuation Account and transitional protection when an
entity either ceases to be covered by, or comes under, that Act.
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PART II |
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Part II would grant the Minister of Transport the power to dispose of
government-owned railway cars, or rights with respect to the railway
cars, that are used for the purpose of moving grain. It would also provide
for an increase in the maximum rates for movements of grain after at
least 10,000 of the railway cars or rights with respect to at least 10,000
of the railway cars are disposed of.
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PART III |
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This Part would amend the Unemployment Insurance Act by setting
the maximum insurable earnings for 1996 at $750 per week. It would
also set a maximum weekly benefit rate of $413 (55% of $750) for
claimants whose benefit periods begin in 1996.
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PART IV |
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The amendments to the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements
Act would provide for Canada Health and Social Transfers for the
1997-98 to 2002-03 fiscal years and for the method of determining the
amounts of the provincial entitlements to the transfers.
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PART V |
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The Old Age Security Act would be amended to provide a new
method of determining the entitlement to and the amounts of pensions,
supplements and allowances payable under that Act to persons who
have not resided in Canada for at least 10 years after attaining 18 years
of age.
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PART VI |
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The amendments to the Canada Assistance Plan would provide that
any adjustments necessary to insure that correct contributions are paid
to provinces under the plan in respect of years before April 1996 would
be made by additions to or deductions from amounts payable to the
province under the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act.
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The Radiocommunication Act would be amended to provide for a
new class of radio authorization, spectrum licences, to be issued under
that Act. Another amendment to that Act would permit the Minister of
Industry to use a system of competitive bidding in selecting the persons
to whom radio authorizations will be issued.
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The Canada Student Loans Act would be amended to provide that
the repayment of student loans made to full-time students must be
repayable in accordance with criteria prescribed by regulation.
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PART VII |
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This Part would provide Her Majesty with nine hundred and
sixty-one million dollars spending authority.
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