Bill 31 2008

An Act to promote the purchase of Canadian mass transit vehicles

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Purpose

   1.  The purpose of this Act is to enact the principle that when mass transit vehicles are purchased, public authorities achieve the best possible outcome for every dollar spent by assessing the costs and benefits to government and the people of Canada, rather than selecting solely on the basis of the lowest purchase price. 

Definition

   2.  In this Act,

"mass transit vehicles" include subway cars, rail transit cars, light rail cars, buses and street cars.

Purchase of mass transit vehicles

   3.  (1)  A municipality or regional transit authority that receives a grant, loan or other financial assistance from the Province for the purchase of mass transit vehicles shall give a preference, as set out in the regulations, to mass transit vehicles,

  (a)  whose final assembly is performed in Ontario; and

  (b)  for which at least 50 per cent of the total dollar value of the contract to purchase the vehicles is attributable to parts or labour originating in Canada.

Application

   (2)  Subsection (1) does not apply unless,

  (a)  the bid that includes the mass transit vehicles described in subsection (1) is a compliant bid and conforms to the rules and procedures applicable to the purchase process; and

  (b)  the mass transit vehicles are not inferior in quality to vehicles included in bids that are lower in price, are compliant bids and conform to the rules and procedures applicable to the purchase process.

Regulations

   4.  The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations governing the preference under subsection 3 (1).

Commencement

   5.  This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

   6.  The short title of this Act is the Canadian Mass Transit Vehicles Act, 2008.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill sets out requirements for municipalities and regional transit authorities when purchasing mass transit vehicles with funds received from the Province. Municipalities and regional transit authorities must give a preference to mass transit vehicles whose final assembly is done in Ontario and where at least 50 per cent of the total dollar value of the contract to purchase the vehicles is attributable to parts or labour originating in Canada.