Bill 176 2014

An Act to enact the Burden Reduction Reporting Act, 2014 and the Partnerships for Jobs and Growth Act, 2014

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

Contents of this Act

   1.  This Act consists of this section, sections 2 and 3 and the Schedules to this Act.

Commencement

   2.  (1)  Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Same

   (2)  The Schedules to this Act come into force as provided in each Schedule.

Same

   (3)  If a Schedule to this Act provides that any provisions are to come into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor, a proclamation may apply to one or more of those provisions, and proclamations may be issued at different times with respect to any of those provisions.

Short title

   3.  The short title of this Act is the Better Business Climate Act, 2014.

 

schedule 1
burden reduction reporting act, 2014

Preamble

Ontario recognizes that the ongoing maintenance of a modern, efficient, accountable and transparent regulatory and administrative environment is necessary to foster economic growth, prosperity and a competitive business climate.

Statutory, regulatory, procedural, administrative and other requirements are necessary to protect the public interest, including health, safety and the environment.  However, some requirements may also create burdens, such as burdens inadvertently created over time, that unnecessarily inhibit productivity, job creation and innovation.

Definitions

   1.  In this Act,

"burden" means a cost that may be measured in terms of money, time or resources and is considered by the Minister in consultation with other members of the Government of Ontario to be unnecessary to achieve the purpose of the statutory, regulatory, procedural, administrative or other requirement that creates the cost; ("fardeau administratif")

"Minister" means the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment or any other member of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this Act is assigned or transferred under the Executive Council Act. ("ministre")

Annual report on burden reduction

   2.  (1)  The Minister shall make available to the public an annual report with respect to actions taken by the Government of Ontario to reduce burdens.

Publication of report

   (2)  The Minister shall ensure that the report is,

  (a)  published on a Government of Ontario website or in such other manner as the Minister considers advisable; and

  (b)  available to the public on or before June 30 in each year or, if the regulations prescribe another date, on or before the prescribed date in each year.

Regulations

   3.  The Minister may make regulations respecting the report, which may include regulations,

  (a)  specifying any actions to reduce burdens that must be referred to in the report;

  (b)  prescribing the manner in which the Minister must evaluate, quantify or describe actions of the Government of Ontario in the report;

   (c)  prescribing a date for the purpose of clause 2 (2) (b).

Commencement

   4.  The Act set out in this Schedule comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.

Short title

   5.  The short title of the Act set out in this Schedule is the Burden Reduction Reporting Act, 2014.

 

schedule 2
Partnerships for jobs and growth act, 2014

Preamble

Ontario is committed to maintaining its competitive edge in the increasingly competitive global economy.

Clusters, which are geographically concentrated groups of interconnected businesses and related entities, can perform an important function in regional economic development by increasing productivity, innovation and competitiveness.

Ontario can act as a catalyst to spur the development of clusters. By working with businesses and other entities to develop plans with respect to the development of clusters, Ontario can promote the growth of jobs and the economy.

Definitions

   1.  In this Act,

"cluster" means a geographically concentrated group of interconnected businesses and related entities; ("pôle de compétitivité", "pôle")

"Minister" means the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment or any other member of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this Act is assigned or transferred under the Executive Council Act. ("ministre")

Plans

   2.  The Minister may prepare plans with respect to the development of clusters.

Contents of plan

   3.  A plan with respect to the development of a cluster shall include the following:

    1.  A description of the cluster.

    2.  An assessment of challenges and opportunities with respect to the development of the cluster.

    3.  The objectives and intended outcomes of the plan.

    4.  Performance measures to evaluate whether the objectives and intended outcomes of the plan are being achieved.

    5.  A description of actions that could be taken by the Minister, or the businesses or other entities that form the cluster, to assist in the achievement of the objectives and intended outcomes of the plan.

    6.  Such additional items as may be prescribed by the regulations.

Preparation of plan

   4.  If the Minister prepares a plan with respect to the development of a cluster, the Minister shall,

  (a)  make public a draft plan and consult on that draft with persons or entities who have an interest in the development of the cluster, as the Minister considers advisable; and

  (b)  make public the final version of the plan.

Amendments to plan

   5.  (1)  The Minister may at any time make amendments to a plan with respect to the development of a cluster by making public the amended plan along with an explanation of the purpose of the amendments.

Same

   (2)  For greater certainty, the making of an amendment to a plan does not have the effect of altering the time by which a review must be conducted under section 7.

Plan preparation ceased, plan revoked

   6.  The Minister may decide to cease the preparation of a plan with respect to the development of a cluster or revoke the plan at any time by making the decision public, and the Minister's obligations under this Act with respect to the plan cease immediately.

Review of plan

   7.  (1)  The Minister shall, on or before the fifth anniversary of the day that the final version of a plan with respect to the development of a cluster is made public under clause 4 (b), conduct a review of the plan for the purpose of evaluating whether the objectives and intended outcomes of the plan have been achieved by,

  (a)  consulting with persons or entities who have an interest in the development of the cluster, as the Minister considers advisable; and

  (b)  making public a report with respect to the review, summarizing the results of the consultation and,

           (i)  stating whether the plan is being continued or revoked, and

          (ii)  if the plan is being continued, stating whether the plan is being amended and explaining the purpose of any amendments to the plan.

Subsequent reviews of plan

   (2)  If a plan is continued, the Minister shall, on or before the fifth anniversary of the day that the report stating that the plan is being continued is made public, conduct a review of the plan for the purpose of evaluating whether the objectives and intended outcomes of the plan have been achieved by,

  (a)  consulting with persons or entities who have an interest in the development of the cluster, as the Minister considers advisable; and

  (b)  making public a report with respect to the review, summarizing the results of the consultation and,

           (i)  stating whether the plan is being continued or revoked, and

          (ii)  if the plan is being continued, stating whether the plan is being amended and explaining the purpose of any amendments to the plan.

Minister's duty to make public

   8.  If this Act requires anything to be made public, the Minister shall make it public in writing in such manner as he or she considers advisable, subject to any regulations.

Regulations

   9.  The Minister may make regulations,

  (a)  prescribing requirements with respect to consultation;

  (b)  prescribing additional items to be included in a draft plan or a final version of a plan;

   (c)  prescribing requirements with respect to the review of a plan;

  (d)  prescribing requirements with respect to ceasing the preparation of a plan or amending, revoking or continuing a plan;

  (e)  prescribing requirements with respect to making anything public, including timing requirements.

Commencement

   10.  The Act set out in this Schedule comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.

Short title

   11.  The short title of the Act set out in this Schedule is the Partnerships for Jobs and Growth Act, 2014.

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill enacts the Burden Reduction Reporting Act, 2014 and the Partnerships for Jobs and Growth Act, 2014.

schedule 1
burden reduction reporting act, 2014

Schedule 1 enacts the Burden Reduction Reporting Act, 2014, which requires the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment to publish an annual report with respect to actions taken by the Government of Ontario to reduce burdens.

schedule 2
Partnerships for jobs and growth act, 2014

Schedule 2 enacts the Partnerships for Jobs and Growth Act, 2014, which states that the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment may prepare plans with respect to the development of clusters.  As part of the preparation of a plan, the Minister must consult, as he or she considers advisable, with persons or entities that have an interest in the development of the cluster.  The plan must contain specified items, including the objectives and intended outcomes of the plan and performance measures.  The Minister is required to review the plan and make public a report with respect to the results of the review.  The Minister is given various regulation-making powers with respect to the plans.