Chemical Management Plan Update: Recent Section 71 Survey Notice for Flame Retardants
EFC Member Bulletin
Guidance document to highlight that for this Section 71 survey – certain organic flame retardant substances – manufactured items such as electrical equipment intended for use in a residence that contain the listed substances are included if quantity imported in 2011 was...Read More »
Chemical Management Plan Update: Recent Section 71 Survey Notice for Flame Retardants
EFC Member Bulletin
Please see attached recent Section 71 survey notice for flame retardants. Issued March 30, 2013, response required by July 30, 2013.
This includes – certain organic flame retardant substances –...Read More »
Building a Stronger National Standardization Network
EFC and the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating hosted a very successful 16 bi-national manufacturing association meeting April 11th in Washington, DC, that was facilitated by
Information Reference Chart on Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)
Canadian-Anti Spam Legislation (CASL)
Background
On December 15, 2010 Canadian-Anti Spam Legislation (CASL) was passed into law though it is not yet in force. Both CRTC and Industry Canada are responsible for finalizing regulations that will inform CASL before it comes into force. In that regard there are two consultations going on...Read More »
Key Legislation Affecting EFC Members & Canadian Political Landscape
EFC is monitors and informs on key legislation and the Canadian political landscape. Led by Brisette Lucas, Vice President, Government Relations & Policy, Chief Privacy Officer, key areas of focus are extended producer responsibility, chemical management plan, energy efficiency regulations and regulatory & electoral landscape.
Be informed by EFC...Read More »
WTO To Rule Against Ontario's FIT Program
The WTO has not publicly come out with its determination, but reports indicate that it has sided with Japan and the EU in their position against Ontario’s Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) program. The initial complaint was made regarding the provision that required minimum Ontario content for...Read More »
Environment Canada Consultation - Management of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)
EFC Government Relations Consultation with Environment Canada on PFOS. EFC Government Relations held a session with Environment Canada (EC) and members of CEMC regarding the management of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), its salts and certain other compounds (precursors) on September...Read More »
Government Relations Update
Although many stakeholder groups including EFC lobbied the government for more time to make changes to some provisions of the Act, the Senate passed Bill C-11 on Friday as widely expected. Some of the major highlights of the Act include:
- Fair dealing being extended to education, satire, and parody...Read More »
A Year in Review and a Look Ahead
Brisette Lucas, Vice-President, Government Relations & Policy
2011 was a very interesting and busy year for government relations, and 2012 promises more of the same. Because EFC believes it is just as important to be reminded about what has happened in the past...Read More »
Federal Budget
On March 29th, Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty presented the federal budget, with a deficit of $21.1 billion. Liberal Interim Leader Bob Rae criticized the Conservative budget for moving the retirement age from 65 to 67, and NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair stated that the Prime Minister was putting retirement security and primary health care in peril.
Due to the Conservative majority, the opposition cannot do anything to vote down the budget. Minister Flaherty defended the budget and touted its job creation strategy.
Some highlights from the federal budget include:
- 19,200 federal public sector jobs to be cut over three years.
- Production of the penny to be discontinued.
- Limits on 24-hour and 48-hour duty free exemption for cross-border shopping to increase.
- Eligibility age for Old Age Security changed from 65 to 67.
- Funding to the CBC cut by 10% over three years.
- The Governor General will pay income taxes.
- Review period for major developmental projects will be capped at 24 months, including the already in progress review for the Northern Gateway pipeline.
- $1.1 billion over the next five years on direct research and development support.
Ontario Budget
On March 27th, Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan presented Ontario’s budget, with a deficit of $15.3 billion. Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak criticized lack of reduction of corporate income taxes, while Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called on the Liberal minority to increase taxes on those earning $500,000 a year or more.
At one point, the fate of Premier McGuity`s minority government was questionable. While Hudak mentioned that every member of his caucus will vote against the Liberal budget, Horwath remained the decision-maker. On April 24th, the Liberal government was spared with the NDP making the unusual move of abstaining from the vote. This meant the budget passed 52 to 37, with each member of Liberal caucus voting in favour and each member of the Progressive Conservative caucus voting against the budget.
Some highlights from Ontario’s budget include:
- A wage freeze for MPPs and other provincial civil servants.
- Mandating high-income seniors to pay more for their prescription medication.
- Implement full-day kindergarten by fall 2014.
- Corporate tax rates maintained at 11.5% until budget is balanced.
- Provincial funding for the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Luminato Festival will be reduced.
- Reducing and capping Ontario’s clean energy benefit rebate eligibility level to 3,000 kilowatt hours.
- Tax increase for Ontarians earning more than $500,000 per year.
