Canadian Payroll Reporter - sample

April 2019

Focuses on issues of importance to payroll professionals across Canada. It contains news, case studies, profiles and tracks payroll-related legislation to help employers comply with all the rules and regulations governing their organizations.

Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/1090933

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 2 of 7

3 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2019 News Canadian Payroll Reporter Private members' bills can affect payroll While they rarely become law, legislative attempts can influence government policy BY SHEILA BRAWN BILLS proposing new statu- tory holidays, domestic violence leave, protections for volunteer firefighters, and minimum wage hikes. These are just some of the pri- vate members' bills put forward in the House of Commons and provincial legislatures over the last year. Private members' bills are pieces of legislation sponsored by members of Parliament or a provincial legislative assembly who are not cabinet ministers. The members may be part of the governing party or an opposi- tion party. The bills may be private or pub- lic. Private bills deal with matters specific to a certain individual or corporation, while public bills cover areas of policy within the legislature's jurisdiction. Like government bills, private members' bills must follow a number of steps to become law. They include putting the bill on the legislature's order paper, ta- bling the bill in the legislature (first reading), passing second reading, being studied by a leg- islative committee, passing third reading, and receiving royal as- sent. Federal legislation must also go through a similar process in the Senate. Bills come into force on royal assent, on a date specified in the bill, or set by proclamation. For payroll professionals, it can be challenging to stay abreast of the many laws and regulations that govern payroll in Canada without worrying about bills proposed by private members, which often do not make it be- yond first reading. However, it is important for payroll professionals to be aware of private members' bills that may affect payroll-related laws. Sometimes the bills do pass all stages and become law. Other times, they may fail, but the government may later adopt similar legislation of its own. Even in cases where private members' bills are unsuccess- ful, it may still be worth knowing about them to gain insight into the way a future government may handle a payroll-related issue. Here is a look at some payroll- related private members' bills tabled in Canadian legislatures over the last year: Saskatchewan Bill 611: The bill, tabled by Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili last No- vember, proposes to gradually raise the provincial minimum wage rate to $15 an hour by Jan. 1, 2022. The current minimum wage rate is $11.06. "Saskatchewan is the only province in Canada where the minimum wage is less than half the median wage, which makes it especially hard for low-income workers in Saskatchewan to af- ford the basics," said Meili when he introduced the bill. While the bill is scheduled to come up for second reading, the Saskatchewan Party, which gov- erns the province, has not indi- cated that it would be willing to pass it or table similar changes. Saskatchewan Bill 614: The bill would require employ- ers to pay employees for up to see FEDERAL page 8

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Canadian Payroll Reporter - sample - April 2019