EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends section 85 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 to restrict the purposes for which the Minister may pay money out of the separate account in the Consolidated Revenue Fund that consists of money that the Crown receives under the Act. Specifically it removes payments that are to be used for a matter related to the activities of people as they interact with or affect wildlife or fish populations.

It also requires the Minister to establish an advisory committee to advise on the operation of the separate account and a procedure for receiving complaints from members of the public about decisions that the Minister makes regarding payments made out of the separate account.

Bill 204 2018

An Act to amend the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997

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

1 (1)  Subsection 85 (3) of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 is amended by adding "or" at the end of clause (a) and by striking out clause (b).

(2)  Section 85 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Advisory committee

(3.1)  The Minister shall establish an advisory committee to advise on the operation of the separate account and which shall be composed of members who are holders of licences or authorizations, experts in ecology or representatives of the business sector relating to fish or wildlife.

(3)  Subsection 85 (4) of the Act is amended by striking out "any advisory committee established by the Minister relating to the operation of the separate account" at the end and substituting "the advisory committee".

(4)  Section 85 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Complaints procedure

(6)  The Minister shall establish a procedure for receiving complaints from members of the public about decisions that the Minister makes regarding payments made under subsection (3).

Commencement

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

Short title

3 The short title of this Act is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Special Purpose Account Transparency Act, 2018.