Alberta Introduces Pension Reform Bill

On October 25, 2012, Bill 10, Employment Pension Plans Act, received first reading in the Alberta Legislature. Bill 10 is introduced further to a report tabled in 2008 by the Alberta and British Columbia Joint Expert Panel on Pension Standards, “Getting Our Acts Together,” regarding pension reform in those two provinces. Pension reform legislation was…

Second and Final Tranche of Pooled Registered Pension Plans Regulations Published for Comment

On October 26, 2012, the federal government announced that it was pre-publishing proposed Regulations Amending the Pooled Registered Pension Plans Regulations (“Proposed Regulations”) for public commentary and that once the Proposed Regulations are finalized, the Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act (“Act”) and its supporting regulations will come into force. As stated in the announcement, the…

Supreme Court of Canada Grants Leave in Cyber-Picketing Case

The Supreme Court of Canada has granted leave to appeal in United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 401 v Alberta (Attorney General), a decision from the Alberta Court of Appeal which raised extremely broad questions about the constitutionality of Alberta’s commercial sector privacy statute in disposing of a dispute about the right of a union…

Federal Government Registers Pooled Registered Pension Plans Regulations

On October 5, 2012, Pooled Registered Pension Plans Regulations were registered by the federal government. The Regulations provide supporting details for the Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act (“Act”). Among other things, the Regulations establish: the licensing conditions for a Pooled Registered Pension Plan (“PRPP”) administrator; the management and investment of funds in PRPP members’ accounts;…

Second Federal Omnibus Budget Bill Tabled

On October 18, 2012, the federal government tabled Bill C-45, Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, the second omnibus budget bill giving effect to the initiatives found in its Budget 2012, Economic Action Plan 2012 – A Plan for Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity. If passed, Bill C-45 will, among other things: amend the rules applicable…

Tax Measures from Federal Budget 2012 to be Implemented

On October 15, 2012, the federal government tabled a Notice of Ways and Means Motion to implement certain tax measures contained in the government’s March 2012 budget, the Economic Action Plan, 2012 – A Plan for Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity. Among other things, the Notice of Ways and Means Motion includes implementation of the…

Helping Families in Need Act Passes Second Reading, Referred to Committee

On October 2, 2012, Bill C-44, Helping Families in Need Act, passed Second Reading and was referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. As previously reported, among other things Bill C-44, if passed, will make certain amendments to the Employment Insurance Act and…

Information Bulletins on Anti-spam Legislation Published

Two information bulletins have been published by the Canadian Radio-Television Communications Commission (CRTC) to help businesses better understand Bill C-28, the federal anti-spam legislation. The bulletins include, among other things, examples of acceptable practices. As previously reported, Bill C-28 enacts comprehensive anti-spam legislation and specifically amends the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”)…