Bill C-8 · 38th Parliament · Paul Martin
An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act, the Canada School of Public Service Act and the Official Languages Act
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedOct. 8, 2004
- Debated in principleOct. 27, 2004
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberFeb. 25, 2005
- Passed the second chamberApril 18, 2005
- Became lawApril 21, 2005
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
59% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (1,380 words introduced, 1,265 passed). A committee amended it.
substantial changeintent mostly kept
The core purpose of creating the new agency president position and delegation powers remained intact. One key phrase was added to strengthen the Treasury Board president's oversight role.
- Added accountability to the coordination responsibility.
Before: “the President of the Treasury Board is responsible for the coordination of the activities of the Secretary of the Treasury Board, the President of the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada and the Comptroller General of Canada”
After: “The President of the Treasury Board is responsible and accountable for the coordina- tion of the activities of the Secretary of the Treasury Board, the President of the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada and the Comptroller General of Canada”
How precisely it is written
vagueChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The bill relies heavily on subjective phrases allowing officials to set their own limits on delegated powers. It provides few objective tests or defined boundaries for what coordination or delegation requires.
Open to argument
“subject to any terms and conditions that the President of the Treasury Board considers appropriate”
This phrase lets one official unilaterally decide the scope of delegation without any objective standard.“responsible for the coordination of the activities”
The term 'coordination' is undefined and imposes no measurable duties or limits.
Clear-cut
“to hold office during pleasure, which officer ranks as and has the powers of a deputy head of a department”
This uses a standard legal term and a clear rank to fix the office's status.“The Governor in Council may appoint an officer called the President of the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada”
The appointment power is narrowly assigned to a specific body with no extra conditions.
Discretion. Nearly all operational content is left to the President of the Treasury Board, who alone decides the terms of any delegation and the meaning of coordination among the named officials.
Challenging the law itself. The provisions concern internal government organization and do not directly engage Charter rights, so a vagueness or overbreadth challenge would face a high threshold.
Disputing a charge under it. Because the core duties are framed in subjective terms of 'responsibility' and 'appropriate' conditions, a person could readily dispute whether any breach occurred.
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.