Province Releases Details on Training Tax Credit Program
Finance Minister Carole Taylor unveiled the long awaited details on how the Training Tax Credit Program will be structured.
Under the structure announced the tax credit will be offered to individuals and employers dedicated specifically to apprenticeship programs.
The program includes several welcome focuses with increased levels of credit for First Nations and persons with disabilities as well as additional credits for completion of apprenticeship.
In our submission to government on the tax credit the Chamber recommended that government create a Small Business Tax Credit that was targeted specifically at small business employers to enhance the skill base of their workers. This remains a priority of the Chamber and we will continue to work to have government introduce a program that helps those businesses that do not require apprenticeships improve their productivity and competitiveness.
For full details on the Training Tax Credit Program visit,
www.gov.bc.ca
Premier Commits to Eliminate Mandatory Retirement
The Premier has committed to implement the key recommendation of the Premier’s Council on Aging and Seniors’ Issues – namely that the government amend the Human Rights Code to extend protection from discrimination to those who are over 65, thereby eliminating employers ability to enforce mandatory retirement in BC.
If enacted, this change would mean significant changes for both employees and employers. Unions would no longer be able to include mandatory retirement provisions in collective agreements and employers would no longer be able to implement or enforce mandatory retirement, even if this was detrimental to their business.
This change also raises several other significant challenges that must be addressed. The government must now address the changes necessary to the amend benefit plans, pension entitlement and workers compensation packages.
As the government addresses these questions we will continue to keep you informed of the nature of the new rules as well as how they will impact our member businesses.
BC Chamber Calls on MPs to Reject Replacement Workers Bill – C-257
This week, the Chamber joined with chambers across Canada in calling on all MP’s to reject Bill private members Bill C-257 – An Act to Amend the Canada Labour Code banning replacement workers in federally-regulated businesses – as ill-considered and potentially disruptive to labour relations and the economy.
The Chamber noted that the politically motivated bill threatens to undo years of debate and study by government, business and labour that resulted in the Sims Report improvements to the labour code a decade ago. Those improvements have shown themselves to be effective and helped strike a balance between employer and employee rights.
In the case of a strike, this is a remedy that will in fact cause great problems because it could result in the shutting down of vital transportation, telecommunications and financial services that are the backbone of the Canadian economy and which Canadians rely on.
Rather than improve labour-employer relations, the bill, if enacted, would likely result in forcing the federal government to intervene through back-to-work legislation. The Chamber is particularly concerned by the lack of consultation with BC, a jurisdiction that currently has such prohibition legislation, as well as the lack of study which has gone into the consideration of the bill, in contrast to the Act it attempts to displace.
The Sims Report, which in the report’s words sought to “maintain the natural balance of power” in employer-employee relations, was the result of four years of careful work and extensive consultations. Bill C-257, by contrast, was tabled May 4, 2006 and is scheduled to receive a mere two days of hearings at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, before being sent back to the House for a vote on third and final reading.
For more information on this bill and background on the Chamber’s initiatives on behalf of our members, contact Jon Garson at jgarson@bcchamber.org, or on 604 683 0700
Federal and Provincial Government Enhance Businesses Ability to Access Skilled Workers
The federal and provincial governments made announcements regarding the enhancement of two critical immigration programs in an effort to address the labour shortage being experienced across the province.
Provincial Nominee Program
The provincial and federal governments announced a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the entry of entrepreneurs into Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
The PNP is a critical element in the provinces ability to attract skilled immigrants through a facilitated application process. As such any announcement that increases our ability to utilize this program is one the chamber supports.
With that said the chamber believes that it is equally important to enhance the PNP as it relates to skilled workers as essential to address the skills shortage facing every sector, region and size of business.
Temporary Worker Program
The federal and provincial governments of BC and Alberta also announced improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
These improvements focus on new regional lists of occupations under pressure that will allow employers to cut recruitment time for these professions as well as better information and new joint working groups.
Canada Granted Slight WHTI Reprieve
Following extensive lobby efforts by Chambers of Commerce and provincial and state governments across Canada and the US the U.S. Congress passed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Bill (HR 5441). Attached to the Appropriations Bill was an amendment to section 7209 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
What this means for implementation of the WHTI is that as it currently stands the air portion of WHTI will now take effect on January 23, 2007 rather than January 8th. The reprieve actually comes on the land and sea side as the amendments sets an outside deadline for implementation of June 1, 2009.
While the Chamber welcomes this announcement we must sound a word of caution. While this change does move the deadline to 2009 it does also allow an earlier implementation date as long as all conditions, as laid out in the amended legislation , are met. Further to this it is too early to tell what progress has, or is, being made to meet these new conditions. If progress is made we will still see the introduction of the new rules much earlier than 2009.
With this in mind the Chamber will continue to work with the federal government to ensure that the Canadian authorities are prepared to accept the new documentation and that Canadians are made fully aware of the implications of these new rules on their travel.
Federal Government Unveils its Economic Vision for Canada
Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty, unveiled “Advantage Canada: Building a Strong Economy for Canadians,” a vision of intent for the future of government economic and fiscal policy.
While neither binding or containing much detail the Chamber nevertheless welcomes the 5 stated goals of the Advantage document as an important initiative. These 5 goals are;
Tax – reduce personal income tax and establish the lowest tax rate on new business investment in the G8
Fiscal – eliminate Canada’s net fiscal debt by 2021
Entrepreneurial – reduce regulation and lower taxes to enhance business investment
Knowledge – create the best educated, skilled and flexible workforce in the world
Infrastructure – create a world class infrastructure
Province Releases Increased Forecast Surplus
Finance Minister Carole Taylor released the second Quarterly Report for 2006/07 that revises BC’s forecast surplus up to $2.15 billion, $950 million higher than first quarter and $1.55 billion higher than budget.
Based on stronger tax assessments from 2005 and one-time federal transfers for capital projects these figures are good news for BC and are particularly welcome given the continued caution over commodity prices and the slowing US economy.
The report also highlighted good news on the debt front with taxpayer-supported debt projected to decline to $26.3 billion by the end of the 2006/07 fiscal year and taxpayer supported debt-to-GDP ration set to fall to 14.7%.
As always with announcement of government surpluses we will continue to urge caution regarding significantly increasing public spending.
BC Chamber participates in government consultations
Government at the provincial and federal level have been engaged in a number of consultation processes that the BC Chamber has played an active role in on behalf of our members.
The include submissions and presentations on;
•Pre-Budget consultations at the provincial and federal level
•The design of the Training Tax Credit Program
•Campus 2020
•Select Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture
•Renewal of the Federal Fisheries Act
•Deltaport Third Berth Expansion Project
For copies of the BC Chamber submission to each of these consultations please visit
www.bcchamber.org.
Small Business Roundtable Releases its First Report
Following consultation in 18 communities the provincial governments Small Business Roundtable released its first report.
With a strong focus on skills, tax and regulation the report provides an ambitious platform for action.
Standing Committee on Finance Releases its report on pre-Budget priorities for BC
Following the completion of the committee consultation process the Standing Committee has released its report on the priorities of British Columbians for Budget 2007.
Federal Government Unveil new “Blue Skies’ policy
The federal government unveiled its new international air transportation policy, “Blue Sky.”
The new policy has as its primary objective the stated aim that in air negotiations Canada will seek to negotiate reciprocal “open skies” type agreements, similar to the one negotiated recently with the US.
Chamber members adopted a policy in 2005 called “Creating Truly Open Skies’ which had as a key recommendations the adoption of just such a policy by the federal government.
With this in mind the Chamber warmly welcomes this announcement and will be working hard to ensure that the vision encapsulated in Blue Sky becomes a reality that serves BC as the Gateway to Asia Pacific.
Federal Government unveils plan to ensure labour peace at Vancouver Ports
Following the serious disruption to the provincial economy that occurred during the summer of 2005 the federal government committed to review the structure governing the industry that services the ports of BC.
The federal government have released the results of this work with amendments to the Port Authorities Operations Regulations.
Under the new regulations, the Vancouver and Fraser River port authorities must, by law, establish a licensing system, set minimum conditions on licences, and ensure these conditions are respected.
Province Expands Eligibility for Compassionate Leave
On October 31, 2006 the province expanded the range of family relationships eligible for job protection during compassionate care leave.
Province Releases Translated Version of Taxpayer Fairness and Service Code
In January 2005 the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue introduced the Taxpayer Fairness and Service Code which set out a number of fairness and service goals as well as structure around individuals interaction with the Ministry.
IN an effort to ensure all British Columbians have access to the Code the government has now released translated version of the code in eight languages; French, Punjabi, Tagalog (Filipino), Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean.
If you would like to receive copies of the English or the translated Code please email
SBRpublications@gov.bc.ca or call 250 387 6674. The Taxpayer Fairness and Service Code is also available at www/sbr.gov.bc.ca/fairness
Stats Corner
During the third quarter of 2006 Canada’s international travel deficit reached its highest level ever with Canadians spending $1.9 billion more outside Canada than foreigners spent in Canada
