Bill C-230

An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (debt forgiveness registry)

Sponsor

Adam Chambers Conservative

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

Status

Report stage (House), as of April 13, 2026

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Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment amends the Financial Administration Act to require that the President of the Treasury Board establish and maintain a public registry of large debts and obligations owed by certain entities to His Majesty, as well as claims by His Majesty against such entities, that have been remitted, forgiven, written off or waived. It also makes consequential amendments to other Acts.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from 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-230s:

C-230 (2022) Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act

C-230 (2020) National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act

C-230 (2016) An Act to amend the Criminal Code (firearm — definition of variant)

Debate Summary

This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Bill C-230 aims to increase transparency by creating a public registry of corporations, trusts, and partnerships with debts over $1 million waived by the government. It requires listing the entity's name, amount forgiven, and justification.

Conservative

Advocates for public debt registry: The Conservative Party champions Bill C-230, which mandates an annual public registry of corporations receiving debt write-offs, waivers, or forgiveness exceeding $1 million, including the reasons.
Highlights unequal tax treatment: Conservatives criticize the CRA's practice of aggressively collecting small amounts from ordinary Canadians while secretly forgiving billions in taxes owed by large corporations, demonstrating unfairness in the system.
Demands accountability for public funds: The party asserts that transparency in corporate debt write-offs is essential for public accountability, better fiscal management, and ensuring that collected funds can alleviate the tax burden on Canadians.

Bloc

Supports public registry for debt forgiveness: The Bloc Québécois supports the bill to create a public, searchable registry for debts over $1 million that the government has waived, written off, or forgiven, enhancing transparency and accountability in public finances.
Addresses double standards in debt forgiveness: The party highlights a double standard where large corporations receive billions in debt forgiveness (e.g., Chrysler) while small businesses face strict repayment terms, arguing the bill will expose these discrepancies.
Enhances scrutiny and prevents anonymity: The bill ensures that entities cannot hide behind numbered companies and provides essential details about forgiven debts, allowing parliamentarians and the public to monitor government financial decisions.
Emphasizes minimal implementation costs: The Bloc believes the registry can be implemented with minimal additional cost or work, as the necessary data is already collected and available in public accounts.

Liberal

Supports enhanced financial transparency: The Liberal party supports the bill's core aims of enhancing transparency and accountability in government finances, especially concerning large debts owed by corporations, trusts, and partnerships that are forgiven or settled.
Raises concerns about privacy and cost: The party expresses concerns about privacy implications, particularly for individuals in partnerships, and the high administrative burden of maintaining the registry, suggesting the $1 million threshold is too low.
Advocates for committee review and amendments: Liberals believe the bill needs careful scrutiny and amendments at the committee stage to clarify debt types, address privacy issues, adjust the reporting threshold, and ensure practical implementation without unintended consequences.

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Financial Administration ActPrivate Members' Business

February 9th, 2026 / 11:55 a.m.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès) Alexandra Mendes

I declare the motion carried on division. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

(Motion agreed to, bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

Sitting SuspendedFinancial Administration ActPrivate Members' Business

February 9th, 2026 / noon

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès) Alexandra Mendes

We will suspend for two and a half minutes.

(The sitting of the House was suspended at 11:57 a.m.)