File photo of MLA Grant Hunter (Government of Alberta)

By Justin Goulet

New bill introduced to cut red tape in Alberta

Jun 11, 2020 | 3:20 PM

EDMONTON, AB – A new bill to reduce red tap has been introduced in the Alberta legislature.

Associate Minister of Red Tape Reduction Grant Hunter has presented Bill 22 – the Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act 2020.

Its goal is to clear the way for businesses to operate more freely and efficiently as the province slowly reopens the economy in the wake of COVID-19.

This new bill proposes 14 legislative changes across six different ministries.

“Especially now, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to think about ways to make government work better for Albertans,” Hunter stated.

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“Bill 22 addresses a number of red tape issues, frees up our economy, and will help get Albertans back to work.”

Some highlights of the bill include:

· Making it easier and more affordable for non-profits to operate in Alberta.

· Improving the efficiency of changes to surface rights agreements.

· Reducing trade barriers for grazing leases.

· Eliminating unnecessary delays in the oil sands approval process.

· Providing more effective and timely online access to statistical government information and reports.

A breakdown of changes suggested by Bill 22 is as follows:

· Remove legislative requirement for oil sands scheme approvals to receive Cabinet approval.

o Legislation being amended: Oil Sands Conservation Act (Ministry of Energy)

· Remove the requirement that the Minister must receive authorization from the Lieutenant Governor in Council prior to entering into a contract or agreement in connection with matters outline in the Act and its Regulations.

o Legislation being amended: Mines and Minerals Act (Ministry of Energy)

· Amendments to transfer authority for making Plan regulations and plebiscites from the Lieutenant Governor in Council to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, establish authority for agriculture Marketing Boards and Commissions to develop bylaws, and for Marketing Councils to issue directives.

o Legislation being amended: Marketing of Agricultural Products Act (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)

· Amendments to non-profit board of directors’ residency requirements that lower the current requirement to have 50 per cent directors with Alberta residency to zero per cent, aligning with other provinces. Align non-profit reporting requirements with for-profit. Eliminate requirement for non-profits to file and publish some information with the Registrar of Companies.

o Legislation being amended: Companies Act (Service Alberta)

· Amendments on partnership liability, which would remove the requirement to notify the Registrar of every change to the list of partners, in part to reduce a risk of liability for partners. This aligns with other provinces. Change regulation making authority from the Lieutenant Governor in Council to the Minister.

o Legislation being amended: Partnership Act (Service Alberta)

· Repeal requirement for yearly vital statistics event reports to be tabled in the legislature. Instead, Service Alberta will release this information online.

o Legislation being amended: Vital Statistics Act (Service Alberta)

· Eliminate Canadian residency requirements for boards of directors.

o Legislation being amended: Business Corporations Act and Companies Act (Service Alberta)

· Repeal Act as it is no longer being used.

o Legislation being amended: Recreation Development Act (Ministry of Environment and Parks)

· Enable additional authorities of the Surface Rights Board to reduce burden on courts and remove administrative burdens to expedite compensation to landowners unpaid for oil and gas development on their property.

o Legislation being amended: Surface Rights Act (Ministry of Environment and Parks)

· Allow Canadian residents, not just Albertans, to participate in sales of public land, obtain grazing leases in provincial parks, and obtain grazing permits in forest reserves.

o Legislation being amended: Public Lands Act (Ministry of Environment and Parks)

· Repeal the Act and dissolve Energy Efficiency Alberta as an agency.

o Legislation being amended: Energy Efficiency Alberta Act (Ministry of Environment and Parks)

· Amendments to allow a representative of a mentally incapacitated plan/policy owner to preserve the same beneficiary when their policy/plan changes.

o Legislation being amended: Wills and Succession Act (Justice and Solicitor General)

· Amendments will make it easier to establish and administer regional services commissions; eliminate the requirement for quasi-judicial boards to create digital recordings or transcripts of non-assessment hearings, aligning with the requirements for assessment hearings and reducing administrative burden; and aligning councillor expense allowances with recently amended federal income tax rules.

o Legislation being amended: Municipal Government Act (Municipal Affairs)

· Correct a drafting error and streamline compliance processes.

o Legislation being amended: Safety Codes Act (Municipal Affairs)

More details on the provincial government’s efforts to cut red tape can be found here.