Bill C-18 · 37th Parliament · Paul Martin
An Act respecting equalization and authorizing the Minister of Finance to make certain payments related to health
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedFeb. 12, 2004
- Debated in principleFeb. 25, 2004
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberMarch 9, 2004
- Passed the second chamberMarch 24, 2004
- Became lawMarch 29, 2004
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Paul MartinPrime Minister
Who carries this bill
Arrows run from the person responsible to those who answer to them on this bill. The critic leads the Senate’s scrutiny and answers to no one on it.
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
61% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (1,053 words introduced, 786 passed).
substantial changeintent mostly kept
The bill extended the equalization payment period to 2005 and added new provisions authorizing $2 billion in health-related cash contributions to trusts. During passage the core extensions and payment rules were retained with only minor wording refinements to the population-share formula and assent formalities.
- Updated the end date of the fiscal arrangements period in the regulations definition.
Before: “"fiscal arrangements period" means the period beginning on April 1, 1999 and ending on March 31, 2004.”
After: “"fiscal arrangements period" means the period beginning on April 1, 1999 and ending on March 31, 2005.”
- Added new authority for a $2 billion cash contribution to health trusts.
After: “(i) a cash contribution of $2 billion to be paid to the trusts referred to in section 16.4.”
How precisely it is written
mixedChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The bill uses exact dates, dollar amounts and a population formula to fix payment shares. It also leaves timing and manner of payments to the Minister's judgment.
Open to argument
“at the times and in the manner that the Minister considers appropriate”
This phrase replaces fixed rules with the Minister's personal view of suitability.
Clear-cut
“a cash contribution of $2 billion”
The amount is stated as a fixed number rather than an estimate or range.
Discretion. Subsection 3(1.1) lets the Minister alone decide when and how any trust payment is made from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Challenging the law itself. The provisions concern federal transfers to provinces and contain no obvious limits on Charter rights such as expression or liberty that would support a vagueness or overbreadth claim.
Disputing a charge under it. The text creates spending authority rather than duties on private persons, so disputes would centre on arithmetic or eligibility records rather than interpretive arguments over subjective standards.
Read by a language model from the royal assent text; every quoted phrase appears in the bill. A reading of the drafting, not legal advice.
Did it work?
no evaluation found
Who lobbied on it
No lobbying registration naming this bill is loaded.
Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.