►An emergency debate on Syria is scheduled for this evening after yesterday's request by Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae.
►Today is the fourth of five days set aside for second-reading debate on Bill C-60 after last week's time allocation motion, with a vote expected.
The legislation contains new powers for the Treasury Board to oversee collective barganing negotiations involving Crown corporations such as the CBC and Canada Post.
Specifically, the government would:
- approve the corporation's bargaining mandate;
- place a Treasury Board official inside the negotiating room;
- approve conditions of employment for certain non-unionized employees.
Also included in the 115-page legislation are several measures announced in March by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty:
- amending the Investment Canada Act’s rules for foreign state-owned enterprises looking to take over Canadian businesses, based on the December 2012 approval of the CNOOC-Nexen merger;
- new tax credit for first-time donors to charity;
- increase of excise taxes on manufactured tobacco (fine-cut and chewable versions, for example) to equal those paid on finished cigarettes;
- The Canadian International Development Agency will be merged into the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Development – though a separate minister will be maintained;
- enhancing the Adoption Expense Tax Credit for those adopting children, to include some expenses before the adoption process is complete;
- reduced tariffs on baby clothing and sports equipment (including hockey gear, skis, and golf clubs) to reduce the Canada-U.S. price gap;
- two-year extension of the temporary accelerated capital cost allowance for machinery and equipment;
- extension of a 15-per-cent tax credit for junior mineral exploration;
- GST/HST exemption for personal care services with a publicly-funded homemaker.
These don't represent all measures announced in the March budget; the 2012 budget required two omnibus implementation bills.
MORE: CPAC's 2013 Budget highlights
►Bill S-209 returns to the Commons floor for report-stage debate.
The bill would update the list of permitted "prize fighting" sports in the Criminal Code to encompass mixed martial arts, amateur boxing, and sanctioned professional bouts.
Conservative Senator Bob Runciman introduced the bill in the upper chamber, while Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti is the sponsor in the House of Commons.
-Andrew Thomson
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