Parliamentary Royal Assents and Durham By-election

Summary#

This issue of the Canada Gazette lists parliamentary housekeeping: several bills received Royal Assent in late February and March 2024, and the result of a March 4, 2024 by‑election was officially returned. It also repeats a notice about private‑bill procedures first published on November 20, 2021.

What it does#

• Records that Royal Assent was signified on February 29, 2024 to:
  • An Act to amend An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), No. 2 (Bill C‑62, chapter 1, 2024)
  • An Act to amalgamate The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Ottawa and The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Alexandria‑Cornwall, in Ontario, Canada (Bill S‑1001)
• Records that Royal Assent was signified on March 19, 2024 to:
  • An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada (Bill C‑35, chapter 2, 2024)
  • An Act to implement the 2023 Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Ukraine (Bill C‑57, chapter 3, 2024)
• Records that Royal Assent was signified on March 22, 2024 to:
  • An Act to amend the Investment Canada Act (Bill C‑34, chapter 4, 2024)
  • An Act for granting to His Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024 (Bill C‑67, chapter 5, 2024)
  • An Act for granting to His Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 (Bill C‑68, chapter 6, 2024)
• Records the official return for the March 4, 2024 by‑election:
  • Elected member: Jamil Jivani for the electoral district of Durham
  • Return received on March 20, 2024 by Stéphane Perrault, Chief Electoral Officer
• Notes the standing order about private bills (Standing Order 130) and gives contact details for the Private Members’ Business Office; the standing‑order notice was previously published on November 20, 2021. Clerk names that appear include Eric Janse and Gérald Lafrenière.

Who's affected#

• Parents, early‑learning and child‑care providers, and provincial/territorial governments — because of An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada (Bill C‑35).
• Businesses and people involved in trade with Ukraine, including exporters and importers — because of An Act to implement the 2023 Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Ukraine (Bill C‑57).
• Foreign investors, Canadian firms, and investment advisers — because of An Act to amend the Investment Canada Act (Bill C‑34).
• People and organizations concerned with medical assistance in dying — because of An Act to amend An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), No. 2 (Bill C‑62).
• Recipients of federal spending and departments that manage budgets — because the two supply acts (Bill C‑67 and Bill C‑68) relate to government funding for fiscal years ending March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025.
• Residents and political stakeholders in the Durham riding — because Jamil Jivani was elected and returned as their member of Parliament.
• Parties or people interested in private bills and House of Commons procedures — see the standing order and contact for the Private Members’ Business Office.

Why it matters#

• Royal Assent means the listed bills have been formally approved at the federal level. That is the final parliamentary step before their provisions can take effect according to each Act’s own rules. If you are directly affected by any of these laws (child care, trade, investments, MAiD, federal spending), you will want to check the individual Acts for when and how specific rules start to apply.
• The by‑election return confirms who will represent Durham in the House of Commons, which matters for local services and political representation.
• The notice about private bills and the standing order is mainly procedural, but it matters to people or groups planning to seek a private bill in Parliament.