Multiple federal bills receive royal assent

Summary#

The Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 157, Number 20 (House of Commons section) published notices on private bills and reported that several federal bills received royal assent. Royal assent was recorded on April 27, 2023 and May 11, 2023, turning those bills into Acts of Parliament.

What it does#

• Notes a standing rule about private bills: Standing Order 130 (about notices of intended applications for private bills) was referenced, and contact details were given for the Private Members’ Business Office (West Block, Room 314‑C, Ottawa; phone 613‑992‑9511).
• Records royal assent given on April 27, 2023 by the Right Honourable Richard Wagner (acting as Deputy of the Governor General). The notice says assent was signified in writing under the Royal Assent Act, S.C. 2002, c. 15 and that both Houses were notified the same day. The bills listed as assented that day are:
  • An Act to establish International Mother Language Day (Bill S‑214, chapter 5, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 (Bill C‑228, chapter 6, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Judges Act (violence against an intimate partner) (Bill C‑233, chapter 7, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (Bill C‑11, chapter 8, 2023)
• Records royal assent given on May 10, 2023 (reported in the Gazette on May 11, 2023) by Her Excellency the Governor General, again by written declaration under the Royal Assent Act, S.C. 2002, c. 15, with both Houses notified on May 11, 2023. The bills listed as assented that day are:
  • An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff (Bill S‑211, chapter 9, 2023)
  • An Act to establish Food Day in Canada (Bill S‑227, chapter 10, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the Federal‑Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and the Income Tax Act (Bill C‑46, chapter 11, 2023)
• The entries are signed in the Gazette by Gérald Lafrenière, Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments (for the April 27 entry) and also appear under his name for the May 11 entry.

Who's affected#

• People or groups applying for private bills, and Members of Parliament involved in private members’ business, because the notice points them to Standing Order 130 and the Private Members’ Business Office contact.
• Communities and cultural groups interested in language recognition (because of An Act to establish International Mother Language Day).
• Businesses, creditors, insolvency practitioners and pension stakeholders (because of the amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, and Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985).
• Victims, advocates and the justice system dealing with intimate-partner violence (because of the amendments to the Criminal Code and the Judges Act listed).
• Broadcasters and media-sector stakeholders (because of the amendments to the Broadcasting Act).
• Companies with international supply chains and importers (because of the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and related Customs Tariff changes).
• Canadians interested in national events or food culture (because of Food Day in Canada).
• Provinces, federal fiscal officials, and taxpayers (because of amendments to the Federal‑Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and the Income Tax Act).

Why it matters#

• Royal assent is the final formal step for a bill to become an Act; these notices tell the public which bills completed that step on April 27, 2023 and May 11, 2023.
• The changes cover a wide range of real-world issues: language and cultural recognition, how bankruptcy and pension matters are handled, criminal-law changes around intimate-partner violence, media regulation, forced-labour rules for supply chains, a new national food day, and federal-provincial fiscal or tax adjustments.
• If you work in one of the affected areas (media, finance, law, import/export, public events, or government finance) you may need to watch for the new legal text, guidance, or implementation steps that follow royal assent.