Trudeau's resignation kills several federal bills amidst government prorogation

From newly proposed voting laws, human rights issues and amendments to address the online protection of children, more than two dozen government bills are dead in their tracks with the halting of Parliament.

In total, 26 bills will now be squashed entirely because of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement that he will resign and prorogue government for just over two months while the Liberal Party searches for a new leader.

"To bring all these bits of legislation back, you would need a resolution when Parliament sits again," said Mount Royal University political scientist Keith Brownsey.

"There are some things that are implausible in this world. This is one of them that just won't happen. So, small, rural, remote communities will suffer again with undrinkable water, children will be exploited on the internet and we can't say that our elections are particularly safe at this time.

"That's what prorogation has done."

Bill C-65 introduced amendments to the Canada Elections Act and included measures to clamp down on electoral interference and the spread of disinformation.

It would have also authorized two additional days of advance polling while giving Indigenous fly-in communities and citizens living in remote areas additional flexibility to vote in advance.

The online harms bill (C-63) would have required tech platforms to swiftly remove child pornography as well as content that bullies or sexually victimizes children or induces children to harm themselves.

C-63 was meant to force tech platforms to remove any sexual content posted without consent and would have created a digital safety commission and ombudsperson to combat online harm.

Indigenous advocate speaks out on halted water bill

The First Nations water bill (C-6) had been brought in after years of advocacy from several Indigenous groups and would have committed the government to finally provide adequate funding of their water supplies.

"First Nations have always been neglected and to have our issues always be put on the back burner of things, it's excuse after excuse, and these excuses are just getting pettier and pettier," said Indigenous advocate Nicole Johnston.

Johnston, a member of the Piikani First Nation, says members of her community are already without fresh drinking water and the Grassy Mountain Coal Project is adding even more concern.

"I went to visit and some of the elders there were telling us, they had to drink bottled water, they couldn't touch their water and now we have this coal mining project which is contaminating the water," she said.

"I don't know what's going to happen to our reserve now. ... Other people can sell their land and up and move and relocate, but the First Nations there, they can't go anywhere. They're going to have to stay and stick this out and live through everything that's coming at us."

Funding uncertain for Calgary immigration agency

TIES (The Immigrant Education Society) in Calgary is expressing concerns over the federal government's prorogation.

The move suspends $11 million in funding from Ottawa, allocated to be used beginning April 1 for programs relied upon by upward of 2,000 people every day.

"For the moment, we are in the process of negotiating with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the next three-year funding cycle set to begin on April 1, 2025, and extend to March 31, 2027," said TIES president and CEO Sally Zhao.

"We are concerned about the signing and without the finalization of the funding agreement, we cannot implement the grant proposals."

TIES provides critical programs for newcomers to Canada including language courses, employment training and mental-health programs.

IRCC says funding is "expected" to be business as usual but it's uncertain when an agreement could be signed.

CRA to continue with capital tax changes

The federal government says the Canada Revenue Agency will continue to administer the capital gains tax, even though it hasn't passed in Parliament.

The finance department says parliamentary convention dictates taxation proposals such as the capital gains taxation measures the Liberals introduced last year are effective as soon as the government tables a notice of ways and means motion.

The Liberals tabled in September a notice of a ways and means motion that introduced a bill meant to raise the portion of capital gains companies pay tax, to two-thirds from one-half.

The policy would also apply to individuals with capital gains earnings above $250,000.

Despite the current prorogation, the finance department says the CRA will issue taxpayer forms in accordance with the proposed capital gains rules by Jan. 31.

The department says the CRA will stop administering the policy if Parliament resumes and the government signals it will no longer proceed with the proposed changes.

Evelyn Jacks, president of the Knowledge Bureau and a long-time tax expert, says Canadians have the right to adjust their tax returns should the government no longer proceed.

"In fact, taxpayers can adjust them 10 years back for most provisions if they've forgotten something important, like disability tax credits or moving expenses or child care," she said.

"So, in this case, if we find that the provisions are squashed in the future, but people have actually reported them, they would make an adjustment to their prior-filed 2024 tax return to take the provisions off."