The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-323, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (mental health services), as reported (without amendment) from the committee.
Stephen Ellis Conservative
Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)
In committee (House), as of June 19, 2024
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This is from the published bill.
This enactment amends the Excise Tax Act in order to exempt psychotherapy and mental health counselling services from the goods and services tax.
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-323s:
The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-323, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (mental health services), as reported (without amendment) from the committee.
Excise Tax ActPrivate Members' Business
The Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont
There being no amendment motions at report stage, the House will now proceed, without debate, to the putting of the question on the motion to concur in the bill at report stage.
Excise Tax ActPrivate Members' Business
The Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont
If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives ask that the motion be adopted on division.
Excise Tax ActPrivate Members' Business
Excise Tax ActPrivate Members' Business
Excise Tax ActPrivate Members' Business
The Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont
The Chair wishes to draw the attention of the House to a particular situation concerning Bill C-323, an act to amend the Excise Tax Act regading mental health services, standing in the name of the hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester.
The bill was previously the subject of a ruling on December 12, 2023. The Chair addressed the similarity between Bill C-323 and Bill C-59, an act to implement certain provisions of the fall economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 21, 2023, and certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 28, 2023.
Both bills would amend sections 1 and 7 of part II of schedule V of the Excise Tax Act in order to exempt psychotherapy from GST, along with “mental health counselling services” in the case of Bill C-323 and “counselling therapy services” in the case of Bill C-59.
As explained in a ruling regarding Bill C-250 of May 11, 2022, which can be found on page 5123 of the debates:
The House should not face a situation where the same question can be cited twice within the same session, unless the House's intention is to rescind or revoke the decision.
Government and private members' bills belong to different categories of items and are governed by different sets of rules and precedents. Standing Order 94(1) provides the Speaker with the authority to “make all arrangements necessary to ensure the orderly conduct of Private Members' Business”.
The House passed Bill C‑59 at third reading and sent it to the Senate on May 28, 2024. To comply with the principle that the House should not face a situation where the same question can be cited twice within the same session, the Chair may not put the question on the motion for third reading of Bill C‑323 unless, of course, the House takes other measures to substantially amend the bill before that stage is reached.
For now, the Chair will give the House the opportunity to do so and allow the member for Cumberland—Colchester to move the motion for third reading of Bill C-323.
If no changes are made to Bill C‑323, the Chair will delay the vote on the bill at third reading until the process surrounding Bill C‑59 has been completed by the Senate. If Bill C‑59 is passed by the Senate and Bill C‑323 is still in its current form when the time comes for the question to be put on the motion for third reading, the House will not be able to vote on it.
