Bill C-650 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act (independent assessment)

This bill was last introduced in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2015.

Sponsor

Matthew Dubé  NDP

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of Jan. 28, 2015
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment amends the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act in order to provide that, in the event of a disagreement about the property value or effective rate applicable to a federal property that is a national historic site, an assessment of the property value and effective rate applicable to the property may be conducted by a third party.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Payments in Lieu of Taxes ActRoutine Proceedings

January 28th, 2015 / 3:15 p.m.
See context

NDP

Matthew Dubé NDP Chambly—Borduas, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-650, An Act to amend the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act (independent assessment).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Halifax for seconding my bill. This is an issue that affects many, an issue about which we were able to pressure the minister during question period.

In fact, the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act was passed in the 1970s because the federal government cannot be taxed by a local authority. Nonetheless, in the interest of fairness to taxpayers, money must be given to a municipality where the federal government has property. The federal government must pay its fair share just like businesses and taxpayers.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, the government has turned a deaf ear to the municipalities, resulting in cases that have gone all the way to the Supreme Court and revealing the fact that some property values have been underestimated.

My bill seeks to ensure that the government and local municipalities can agree on independent assessors who will set the amount. Then, the minister would be required to accept that amount. This would ensure taxpayer fairness. That is what is essential here.

Again, I want to thank my colleague from Halifax, and I am very pleased to be able to improve this process for the good of the taxpayers of Chambly, Halifax and all the municipalities in Canada where a national historic site is located.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)