Better Business Climate Act, 2014 Hoskins, Hon. Eric Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment — Bill 176 (40th Parliament, 2nd Session)

Bill 176, 40-2

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Bill 176, Better Business Climate Act, 2014

Hoskins, Hon. Eric Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment

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Original

[40] Bill 176 Original (PDF)

Bill 176 2014

Act to enact the Burden Reduction Reporting Act, 2014 and the Partnerships for

Jobs and Growth Act, 2014

Her

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Contents

of this Act

1. This

Act consists of this section, sections 2 and 3 and the Schedules to this Act.

Commencement

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3),

this Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Same

(2) The Schedules to this Act come into

force as provided in each Schedule.

Same

(3) If a

Schedule to this Act provides that

any provisions are to come into force on a day to be named by proclamation of

the Lieutenant Governor, a proclamation may apply to one or more of those

provisions, and proclamations may be issued at different times with respect to

any of those provisions.

Short

title

3. The

short title of this Act is the Better Business Climate Act,

2014 .

schedule

burden reduction reporting act, 2014

Preamble

Ontario

recognizes that the ongoing maintenance of a modern, efficient, accountable and

transparent regulatory and administrative environment is necessary to foster

economic growth, prosperity and a competitive business climate.

Statutory,

regulatory, procedural, administrative and other requirements are necessary to

protect the public interest, including health, safety and the environment.

However, some requirements may also create burdens, such as burdens

inadvertently created over time, that unnecessarily inhibit productivity, job

creation and innovation.

Definitions

1. In

this Act,

"burden"

means a cost that may be measured in terms of money, time or resources and is

considered by the Minister in consultation with other members of the Government

of Ontario to be unnecessary to achieve the purpose of the statutory,

regulatory, procedural, administrative or other requirement that creates the

cost; ("fardeau administratif")

"Minister" means the Minister of Economic Development,

Trade and Employment or any other member of the Executive Council to whom

responsibility for the administration of this Act is assigned or transferred

under the Executive Council Act . ("ministre")

Annual

report on burden reduction

(1) The

Minister shall make available to the public an annual report with respect to

actions taken by the Government of Ontario to reduce burdens.

Publication

of report

(2) The Minister shall ensure that the

report is,

(

a) published

on a Government of Ontario website or in such other manner as the Minister

considers advisable; and

(

b) available

to the public on or before June 30 in each year or, if the regulations

prescribe another date, on or before the prescribed date in each year.

Regulations

3. The

Minister may make regulations respecting the report, which may include

regulations,

(

a) specifying

any actions to reduce burdens that must be referred to in the report;

(

b) prescribing

the manner in which the Minister must evaluate, quantify or describe actions of

the Government of Ontario in the report;

(

c) prescribing

a date for the purpose of clause 2 (2) (b).

Commencement

4. The

Act set out in this

Schedule comes into force on a day to be named by

proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.

Short

title

5. The

short title of the Act set out in this

Schedule is the Burden

Reduction Reporting Act, 2014 .

schedule

Partnerships for jobs and growth act, 2014

Preamble

Ontario

is committed to maintaining its competitive edge in the increasingly

competitive global economy.

Clusters,

which are geographically concentrated groups of interconnected businesses and

related entities, can perform an important function in regional economic

development by increasing productivity, innovation and competitiveness.

Ontario

can act as a catalyst to spur the development of clusters. By working with

businesses and other entities to develop plans with respect to the development

of clusters, Ontario can promote the growth of jobs and the economy.

Definitions

1. In

this Act,

"cluster"

means a geographically concentrated group of interconnected businesses and

related entities; ("pôle de compétitivité", "pôle")

"Minister" means the Minister of Economic Development,

Trade and Employment or any other member of the Executive Council to whom

responsibility for the administration of this Act is assigned or transferred

under the Executive Council Act . ("ministre")

Plans

2. The Minister may

prepare plans with respect to the development of clusters.

Contents

of plan

3. A

plan with respect to the development of a cluster shall include the following:

1. A

description of the cluster.

2. An

assessment of challenges and opportunities with respect to the development of

the cluster.

3. The

objectives and intended outcomes of the plan.

4. Performance

measures to evaluate whether the objectives and intended outcomes of the plan

are being achieved.

5. A

description of actions that could be taken by the Minister, or the businesses

or other entities that form the cluster, to assist in the achievement of the

objectives and intended outcomes of the plan.

6. Such

additional items as may be prescribed by the regulations.

Preparation

of plan

4. If

the Minister prepares a plan with respect to the development of a cluster, the

Minister shall,

(

a) make

public a draft plan and consult on that draft with persons or entities who have

an interest in the development of the cluster, as the Minister considers

advisable; and

(

b) make

public the final version of the plan.

Amendments

to plan

(1) The

Minister may at any time make amendments to a plan with respect to the

development of a cluster by making public the amended plan along with an

explanation of the purpose of the amendments.

Same

(2) For greater certainty, the making of an

amendment to a plan does not have the effect of altering the time by which a

review must be conducted under

section 7.

Plan

preparation ceased, plan revoked

6. The Minister may

decide to cease the preparation of a plan with respect to the development of a

cluster or revoke the plan at any time by making the decision public, and the

Minister's obligations under this Act with respect to the plan cease

immediately.

Review

of plan

(1) The

Minister shall, on or before the fifth anniversary of the day that the final

version of a plan with respect to the development of a cluster is made public

under clause 4 (b), conduct a review of the plan for the purpose of evaluating

whether the objectives and intended outcomes of the plan have been achieved by,

(

a) consulting

with persons or entities who have an interest in the development of the

cluster, as the Minister considers advisable; and

(

b) making

public a report with respect to the review, summarizing the results of the consultation

and,

(

i) stating

whether the plan is being continued or revoked, and

(ii) if

the plan is being continued, stating whether the plan is being amended and

explaining the purpose of any amendments to the plan.

Subsequent

reviews of plan

(2) If a plan is continued, the Minister

shall, on or before the fifth anniversary of the day that the report stating

that the plan is being continued is made public, conduct a review of the plan

for the purpose of evaluating whether the objectives and intended outcomes of

the plan have been achieved by,

(

a) consulting

with persons or entities who have an interest in the development of the

cluster, as the Minister considers advisable; and

(

b) making

public a report with respect to the review, summarizing the results of the consultation

and,

(

i) stating

whether the plan is being continued or revoked, and

(ii) if

the plan is being continued, stating whether the plan is being amended and

explaining the purpose of any amendments to the plan.

Minister's

duty to make public

8. If

this Act requires anything to be made public, the Minister shall make it public

in writing in such manner as he or she considers advisable, subject to any

regulations.

Regulations

9. The Minister may make

regulations,

(

a) prescribing

requirements with respect to consultation;

(

b) prescribing

additional items to be included in a draft plan or a final version of a plan;

(

c) prescribing

requirements with respect to the review of a plan;

(

d) prescribing

requirements with respect to ceasing the preparation of a plan or amending,

revoking or continuing a plan;

(

e) prescribing

requirements with respect to making anything public, including timing

requirements.

Commencement

10. The

Act set out in this

Schedule comes into force on a day to be named by

proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.

Short

title

11. The

short title of the Act set out in this

Schedule is the Partnerships

for Jobs and Growth Act, 2014.

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill enacts the Burden Reduction Reporting Act, 2014

and the Partnerships for Jobs and Growth Act, 2014 .

schedule

burden reduction reporting act, 2014

Schedule

1 enacts the Burden Reduction Reporting Act, 2014 ,

which requires the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment to

publish an annual report with respect to actions taken by the Government of

Ontario to reduce burdens.

schedule

Partnerships for jobs and growth act, 2014

Schedule

2 enacts the Partnerships for Jobs and Growth Act, 2014 ,

which states that the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment

may prepare plans with respect to the development of clusters. As part of the

preparation of a plan, the Minister must consult, as he or she considers

advisable, with persons or entities that have an interest in the development of

the cluster. The plan must contain specified items, including the objectives

and intended outcomes of the plan and performance measures. The Minister is

required to review the plan and make public a report with respect to the

results of the review. The Minister is given various regulation-making powers

with respect to the plans.

Date Bill stage Activity Committee

April 17, 2014

Second Reading

Debate

March 26, 2014

Second Reading

Debate

March 19, 2014

First Reading

Carried

Debates and Progress

First Reading

March 19, 2014

Minister's Statement and Ms. Jane McKenna and Ms. Catherine Fife

Committee

Second Reading

March 26, 2014

Principal Debaters:

Hon. Eric Hoskins, Mr. Monte Kwinter, Mrs. Jane McKenna, Ms. Catherine Fife

Questions and Comments:

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson, Mr. John Vanthof, Ms. Dipika Damerla, Mr. Randy Hillier, Mr. Taras Natyshak, Hon. Glen R. Murray, Mr. John O’Toole, Ms. Cindy Forster, Mr. John Vanthof

April 17, 2014

Principal Debaters:

M me France Gélinas, Mr. John O’Toole, Mr. Rob Leone

Questions and Comments:

Hon. Eric Hoskins, M. Michael Mantha, Mr. Monte Kwinter, Mr. John Vanthof, Hon. Tracy MacCharles, Mrs. Julia Munro

Committee

Third Reading

Royal Assent

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Document details

Collection	Ontario — Bills
Citation	Bill 176, 40-2
Type	bill
Volume / chapter	p40 s2 bill 176 html
Language	en
Format	html
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	c032b11e167ef847d8511ef93b31ea1713cbc7e6

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