Bill C-20 · 41th Parliament · Stephen Harper
Canada-Honduras Economic Growth and Prosperity Act
An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Honduras, the Agreement on Environmental Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Honduras and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Honduras
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedJan. 28, 2014
- Debated in principleMarch 31, 2014
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberJune 10, 2014
- Passed the second chamberJune 15, 2014
- Became lawJune 18, 2014
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
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.
What it set out to do
The Library of Parliament does not prepare Legislative Summaries for bills that implement treaties, conventions, agreements or administrative arrangements bills. The following is a short summary: On 28 January 2014, the Minister of International Trade introduced Bill C-20, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Honduras, the Agreement on Environmental Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Honduras and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Honduras (Canada–Honduras Economic Growth and Prosperity Act), in the House of Commons and it was given first reading. Bill C-20 implements the Free Trade Agreement and the related agreements on environmental and labour cooperation entered into between Canada and the Republic of Honduras and done at Ottawa on November 5, 2013. The general provisions of the enactment specify that no recourse may be taken on the basis of the provisions of Part 1 of the enactment or any order made under that Part, or the provisions of the Free Trade Agreement or the related agreements themselves, without the consent of the Attorney General of Canada. Part 1 of the enactment approves th…
Summary by the Library of Parliament.
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
72% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (12,169 words introduced, 10,379 passed).
substantial changeintent mostly kept
The bill was passed with the same core provisions for implementing the Canada-Honduras free trade and cooperation agreements. Changes were limited to dates, chapter numbering, and one added subsection in the related amendments.
- Updated bill status from first reading to royal assent with chapter number.
Before: “FIRST READING, JANUARY 28, 2014”
After: “ASSENTED TO 19th JUNE, 2014 BILL C-20”
- Added new provision allowing the Minister to implement intergovernmental arrangements.
After: “9.1 The Minister may, for the purpose of implementing an intergovernmental arrange- ment with a NAFTA country respecting”
How precisely it is written
mostly preciseChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Moderate
The bill relies on defined terms, exact article references from the Agreement, and mechanical rules for duties and rounding. Some discretion remains in cost shares, appointments, and orders that the Governor in Council deems necessary.
Open to argument
“The Government of Canada is to pay its appropriate share of the aggregate of any expenditures incurred by or on behalf of the Commission.”
The phrase 'appropriate share' supplies no objective formula or fixed percentage.“and (d) take any other measure that the Governor in Council considers necessary.”
The test 'considers necessary' is subjective and open-ended.
Clear-cut
“If a reduction under subsection (3) or (4) results in a specific rate of customs duty that includes a fraction of one tenth of a cent, the rate shall be rounded down to the nearest one tenth of a cent.”
Exact arithmetic rule removes interpretive room.“"principal cause" means, in respect of a serious injury or threat of a serious injury, an important cause that is no less important than any other cause of the serious injury or threat.”
Supplies a clear comparative test rather than an open-ended standard.
Discretion. Ministers appoint panel members and committees, designate administrative bodies, and the Governor in Council may make any orders needed to implement the Agreement or related agreements.
Challenging the law itself. Defined terms, cross-references to specific Agreement articles, and explicit limits on causes of action reduce the scope for successful vagueness or overbreadth claims under the Charter.
Disputing a charge under it. Customs-duty and origin rules contain precise definitions and rounding formulas, yet 'appropriate share' payments and 'considers necessary' orders could still generate factual disputes.
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.