March 31st, 2003
Roy Cullen, M.P. (Etobicoke North)

News Release

User fee legislation referred to Standing Committee on Finance.

ETOBICOKE – Roy Cullen, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, received an encouraging show of support from the House of Commons on March 27th when Bill C-212, An Act Respecting User Fees, received all party approval at second reading, and was referred to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance for further debate and consideration.

"This show of support from all parties in the House of Commons shows that there is a keen interest in re-tooling the user fee process, and I look forward to working with the Standing Committee on Finance to take a closer look at how the procedure can be improved," said Cullen.

The Bill, while recognizing the legitimacy of user fees for proprietary goods and services, highlights the following -

The need for more parliamentary oversight when user fees are introduced or changed;
The need for greater stakeholder participation in the fee-setting process;
Improved linkages between user fees, and federal department and agency performance specifications and standards;
The requirement for more comprehensive stakeholder impact and competitiveness analysis when new user fees, or fee increases, are contemplated;
The goal of increased transparency addressing why fees are applicable, what fees are charged, what costs are identified as recoverable, and whether performance standards are being met;
An independent dispute resolution process to address the complaints or grievances of the payers of user fees; and,
The need for an annual report outlining all user fees in effect that would be tabled in the House of Commons, and referred to the appropriate Committee of the House (Finance).
For more information, please contact:

Ryan Hordy,
Executive Assistant
Room 317, West Block
613-995-4702