C-30

Details

Full Title

An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021 and other measures

First Reading

April 30, 2021, Parliament 43, Session 2

Type

House Government Bill

Full Content

https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/43-2/c-30

Summary

This bill, titled the Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1, puts into action different parts of the budget that was presented to Parliament on April 19, 2021. It also covers other related topics. The bill was approved on June 29, 2021.

Part 1 focuses on making changes to income tax laws and other related rules. These changes include COVID-19 relief, adjustments to employee stock options, and changes to rules about zero-emission vehicles. The part also talks about things like the Canada Recovery Hiring Program, support for journalism, and emergency subsidies.

Part 2 deals with the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST). It includes temporary relief from GST/HST on face masks, making sure non-resident businesses collect GST/HST on digital products, applying GST/HST to short-term rentals through digital platforms, and expanding the GST rebate for new homes.

Part 3 raises the tax rates on tobacco products. Part 4 includes changes to financial regulations, unclaimed amounts, the Canada Small Business Financing Act, student loans, and Old Age Security. It also establishes a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour and makes changes to Employment Insurance.

Issues

Economy

• Jobs

  The bill introduces the Canada Recovery Hiring Program, a refundable tax credit designed to support the post-pandemic recovery. Part 4 also establishes a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour, with adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index.

• Taxation

  Part 1 of the bill implements various income tax measures, including those related to COVID-19, employee stock options, zero-emission vehicles, and foreign affiliate dumping rules. It also includes the Canada Recovery Hiring Program, which provides a refundable tax credit. Part 2 implements GST/HST measures such as relieving supplies of certain face masks and face shields and applying the GST/HST on all supplies of short-term accommodation in Canada facilitated through a digital platform. Part 3 increases excise duty rates on tobacco products.

• Spending

  Part 4 includes various spending measures, such as payments for Canada’s COVID-19 immunization plan, infrastructure spending, and payments related to the Hibernia Dividend Backed Annuity Agreement. It also includes additional payments to provinces and territories. The bill also confirms the validity of certain regulations in relation to the cancellation or postponement of certain First Nations elections.

Social Services

• Childcare

  Division 33 of Part 4 authorizes payments to be made to the provinces for early learning and child care for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2021.

• Seniors and Pensions

  Division 31 of Part 4 amends the Old Age Security Act to increase the Old Age Security pension payable to individuals aged 75 and over by 10%. It also provides that any amount payable in relation to a program to provide a one-time payment of $500 to pensioners who are 75 years of age or older may be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Social Justice

• Reconciliation

  Division 9 of Part 4 amends the First Nations Fiscal Management Act to allow First Nations that are borrowing members of the First Nations Finance Authority to assign their rights to certain revenues payable by Her Majesty in right of Canada, for the purpose of securing financing for that Authority’s borrowing members.

• Immigration and Integration

  Division 32 of Part 4 amends the Public Service Employment Act to give permanent residents the same preference as Canadian citizens in external advertised appointment processes.

• Income Inequality and Poverty

  Part 1 revises the eligibility criteria, as well as the level of subsidization, under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS), extending the CEWS and the CERS until September 25, 2021, providing authority to enable the extension of these subsidies until November 30, 2021, and ensuring that the level of CEWS benefits for furloughed employees continues to align with the benefits provided through the Employment Insurance Act until August 28, 2021. It also expands access to the Canada Workers Benefit by revising the applicable eligibility thresholds for the 2021 and subsequent taxation years.

• Racism

  Division 32 of Part 4 amends the Public Service Employment Act to require that the establishment and review of qualification standards and the use of assessment methods in respect of appointments include an evaluation of whether there are biases or barriers that disadvantage persons belonging to any equity-seeking group. It also provides that audits and investigations may include the determination of whether there are biases or barriers that disadvantage persons belonging to any equity-seeking group.

Security and Defense

• Crime

  Division 6 of Part 4 amends the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act to change the maximum penalties for summary conviction offences.