Bill C-301 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and the Canada Health Act

This bill is from the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session, which ended in August 2021.

Sponsor

Alain Therrien Bloc

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

Status

Second reading (House), as of May 31, 2021
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment amends the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act to provide that a province with a program whose objectives are comparable to those of a federal program in an area under the legislative authority of the province may withdraw from the federal program.
It also amends that Act and the Canada Health Act in order to exempt Quebec from the national criteria and conditions set out for the Canada Health Transfer.

Similar bills

C-237 (current session) An Act to amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and the Canada Health Act

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.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-301s:

C-301 (2022) An Act to amend the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, the Canada Student Loans Act and the Apprentice Loans Act (interest on student loans)

C-301 (2016) An Act to amend the Income Tax Act and to make a related amendment to another Act (registered retirement income fund)

C-301 (2013) Open Government Act

C-301 (2011) Open Government Act

C-301 (2009) An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (registration of firearms)

C-301 (2007) An Act to amend the Criminal Code (blood alcohol)

Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements ActRoutine Proceedings

May 27th, 2021 / 10:50 a.m.

Bloc

Alain Therrien Bloc La Prairie, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-301, An Act to amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and the Canada Health Act.

Mr. Speaker, the bill I am introducing today would protect the provinces, and in particular Quebec, against the greatest threat to their autonomy, which I refer to as the so-called federal spending power.

Everyone knows that Ottawa transfers money to the provinces and makes sure to tell them what to do with that money. The federal government treats the provinces as subcontractors and forces them to implement its own priorities in areas that are exclusive provincial jurisdictions.

This is what my bill would address. As it stands right now, the bill would exempt Quebec from the federal standards set out in the Canada Health Act, including the upcoming long-term care standards, and would also amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act.

Quebec and the provinces who wish to participate will be able to withdraw, with full compensation, from federal programs that infringe on their jurisdictions. They will then be able to recover their autonomy in jurisdictions that are meant to be under their responsibility. There is a consensus on this in Quebec. All parties agree.

At its core, this bill is designed to put an end to paternalistic lecturing and predatory federalism.

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