2312 Results

Termination of Municipal Officers: The New Rules

This Client Update follows up on our March 2008 Update regarding the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark decision in Dunsmuir v. New Brunswick, 2008 SCC 9 (CanLII). As discussed in the previous Update, the Supreme Court significantly reformed the law relating to the termination of public office holders. The Court clearly signalled that where office…

Information & Privacy Post – Volume-3, Number-1

In this issue Canadian e-discovery enters next era FREEDOM OF INFORMATION – EXCEPTIONS – PRIVILEGE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION – EXCEPTIONS – UNJUSTIFIED INVASION OF PERSONAL PRIVACY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION – FREEDOM OF THE PRESS PRIVACY – ACCESS TO PERSONAL INFORMATION PRIVACY – APPLICATION, EXCLUSIONS AND MATTERS OF JURISDICTION PRIVACY – COLLECTION USE AND DISCLOSURE –…

Ontario Budget 2008

INTRODUCTION Amid growing economic uncertainty, the Honourable Dwight Duncan, Ontario’s Minister of Finance, tabled the 2008 Ontario Budget, “Growing a Stronger Ontario” before the Ontario Legislature on March 25, 2008. A possible U.S. recession, a Canadian dollar hovering near parity with the U.S. greenback, soaring energy and resource costs, and relentless competition from overseas have…

Scholarships for Adult Children – Not a Taxable Employee Benefit

INTRODUCTION In a trio of cases dated March 7, 2008, the Tax Court of Canada allowed three taxpayers’ appeals regarding the taxation of employer-paid amounts awarded to the taxpayers’ adult children in respect of post-secondary tuition. In Dimaria v. The Queen, Bartley v. The Queen, and Okonski v. The Queen, the Court rejected Canada Revenue…

Employment Standards Update

Employers should take note of some recent developments under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000. RENEWAL OF EXCESS HOURS APPROVALS For employers who have in place an excess hours agreement that was approved for a three-year term by the Director of Employment Standards in the spring of 2005, the time has come to apply for a…

OMERS Supplemental Benefits: Bargaining Issues & Strategies for the Emergency Services Sector

With the passage of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System Act, 2006 (“OMERS Act 2006”), police [1], firefighters [2] and paramedics [3] are now able to bargain additional OMERS pension benefits, called “supplemental benefits”. This ability to bargain supplemental benefits will have a dramatic impact on local labour relations and related costs. The OMERS Act…

Federal Budget 2008

IN THIS ISSUE: Tax-Assisted Savings and Retirement Initiatives Tax-Free Savings Accounts Life Income Funds (LIF) Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP) Registered Disability Savings Program (RDSP) Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) Employment Insurance Reform Benefits Motor Vehicle Expenses Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) Application of GST/HST to Health Care Services and Products Continued Support for Common Securities…

New Job-Protected Leave for Military Reservists

In this issue: Background A New Job-Protected Leave Employee Obligations Employer Obligations On December 3, 2007, the Ontario government introduced and passed Bill 2, the Fairness for Military Families Act (Employment Standards and Health Insurance), 2007. In part, this legislation amends the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”) to create a new job-protected leave for…

Ontario Election 2007: A New Public Holiday and More

IN THIS ISSUE: A New Holiday Minimum Wage Changes Uploading of Social Service Costs School Boards Business The Health Platform On October 11th, the Ontario Liberal Party won the provincial election, and will enjoy a majority government led once again by Premier Dalton McGuinty. While much of the media coverage of the election campaign focused…