Bill C-26 · 39th Parliament · Stephen Harper
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal interest rate)
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedOct. 6, 2006
- Debated in principleNov. 6, 2006
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberFeb. 6, 2007
- Passed the second chamberApril 25, 2007
- Became lawMay 3, 2007
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Stephen HarperPrime Minister
- J. Trevor EytonSenate · Sponsor in the Senate
- Pat MartinDescribes the bill as necessary to address the criminal nature of unregulated payday loans.
- Brian MurphyWelcomes the bill as building on prior Liberal efforts to regulate payday lending.
- Judy Wasylycia-LeisGives unequivocal support for passage and calls for expedited approval of the bill.
- Charlie AngusPushes for the bill to let provinces regulate payday loans where federal action has failed.
- Tony MartinExplicitly offers support for the bill to regulate payday operators and curb abuse.
- Penny Priddystates she rises to support this legislation and wants it to move quickly.
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
That Bill C-26 · 2007-01-31 · Passed
How it changed on the way
67% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (761 words introduced, 653 passed).
substantial changeintent mostly kept
The core exemption for small short-term payday loans under provincial rules remained intact from introduction to royal assent. Wording, structure, and session references were revised in over two-thirds of the text.
- Removed summary conviction option from the offence.
Before: “guilty of (c) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or (d) an offence punishable on summary conviction and is liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both.”
After: “guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years;”
How precisely it is written
mixedChallenging the law: ModerateDisputing a charge: Hard
The bill sets exact dollar and day limits plus fixed penalties for the offence. It leaves the core exemption to provincial licensing and a federal designation that rests on open-ended standards for consumer protection.
Open to argument
“legislative measures that protect recipients of payday loans and that provide for limits on the total cost of borrowing”
Uses subjective words 'protect' and 'limits' without defining what measures count or how much cost reduction is required.“licensed or otherwise specifically authorized under the laws of a province”
Defers entirely to whatever provincial rules exist, without federal criteria for what authorization must include.
Clear-cut
“the amount of money advanced under the agreement is $1,500 or less and the term of the agreement is 62 days or less”
Uses fixed numerical thresholds that leave no room for interpretation.“guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years”
States maximum penalties in clear, objective terms.
Discretion. The Governor in Council decides whether to designate or revoke a province after assessing if its measures meet the protection and cost-limit standards, giving ministers broad latitude.
Challenging the law itself. Section 7 Charter vagueness or overbreadth claims could target the undefined 'protect' standard, though the numerical triggers reduce the scope of argument.
Disputing a charge under it. Once a province is designated, the $1,500 and 62-day tests plus licensing status are objective facts that leave little room for factual dispute.
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.