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FederalPassed40th Parliament, 3rd Session

Bill C-14 explained in plain English

An Act to amend the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act and the Weights and Measures Act

Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

Short answer

The bill amends the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act to rename it as the Fairness at the Pumps Act, expand definitions of meters, clarify inspector powers, introduce administrative penalties, and set fines for violations.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament
Legislature / Parliament
Parliament of Canada
Session
40th Parliament, 3rd Session
Bill number
Bill C-14
Full title
An Act to amend the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act and the Weights and Measures Act
Current status
Passed
Latest event
Royal assent received
Last updated
Mar 23, 2011

Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.

Chamber
Parliament of Canada
Current Stage
Royal assent received
Latest Activity
Mar 23, 2011
Plain-language explanation

AI-generated from official bill text; automatically checked and spot-reviewed.

AI-assisted
Short Version

The bill amends the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act to rename it as the Fairness at the Pumps Act, expand definitions of meters, clarify inspector powers, introduce administrative penalties, and set fines for violations.

What It Means

The bill amends the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act (now renamed the Fairness at the Pumps Act) to clarify definitions, expand inspector powers, and introduce administrative penalties. Key changes include: 1. Renaming the Act: The long title is updated to focus on electricity and gas meters and supplies. 2. Definition of 'meter': Expanded to include any apparatus used for measurement. 3. Inspector Authority: Clarifies that inspectors designated by the Minister cannot use powers from subsection 29.12(1). Adds new sections about administrative monetary penalties and the Governor-in-Council's power to set penalties. 4. Penalties: Introduces fines up to $20,000 for violations (summary conviction) and up to $25,000 plus 2 years imprisonment for offenses. Prohibits using devices unless they meet standards. 5. Procedural Changes: Replaces terms like 'inspected' with 'examined' in multiple sections. Clarifies that a single proceeding (administrative or criminal) is the only option for violations. 6. Entry Authority: Allows inspectors to enter premises for verification, with specific conditions. The Act comes into force on a day fixed by the Governor-in-Council.

What This Bill Does
  • Renames the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act to the Fairness at the Pumps Act.
  • Defines 'meter' to include any apparatus used for measurement.
  • Adds administrative monetary penalties and grants the Governor-in-Council power to set penalties.
  • Sets fines up to $20,000 for violations and up to $25,000 plus 2 years imprisonment for offenses.
  • Clarifies that inspectors designated by the Minister cannot use certain powers from subsection 29.12(1).
  • Replaces terms like 'inspected' with 'examined' in multiple sections.
  • Prohibits using devices unless they meet specified standards.
  • Allows inspectors to enter premises for verification under specific conditions.
Who Is Affected
  • Inspectors designated by the Minister
  • Traders using devices for measurement
  • Owners or possessors of meters or measurement devices
  • Courts handling violations or offenses under the Act
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • Some amendments (e.g., subsection 16(1), section 26(3)) are incomplete in the provided text.
  • The exact content of replaced sections (e.g., section 32, 34) is not fully detailed.
  • The commencement date is set by the Governor-in-Council, which is not specified in the text.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Electricity and Gas Inspection Act
Renamed to 'Fairness at the Pumps Act'.

The Act is now titled to focus on electricity and gas meters and supplies.

Weights and Measures Act
Replaces the definition of 'inspector'.

An 'inspector' is now defined as someone designated under subsection 16 of the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act.

Fairness at the Pumps Act
Adds administrative monetary penalties and Governor-in-Council powers.

New sections allow the government to set fines and penalties for violations.

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. Coverage is limited to the official text extracted for this bill version.

Official text

Parliamentary Process

Step 1
First reading
Oct 26, 2010
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

First reading, Oct 26, 2010
End of stage activity, Oct 26, 2010
Chamber sittings
First reading - Oct 26, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
Feb 3, 2011
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Second reading, Feb 3, 2011
Referral to committee, Feb 3, 2011
End of stage activity, Feb 3, 2011
Chamber sittings
Debate at second reading - Nov 3, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Sponsor’s speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - Nov 17, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Response speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - Feb 2, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Second reading - Feb 3, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Feb 17, 2011
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Committee report presented, Feb 17, 2011
End of stage activity, Feb 17, 2011
Chamber sittings
Committee report presented - Feb 17, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Committee report presented yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 4
Third reading
Mar 3, 2011
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Third reading, Mar 3, 2011
End of stage activity, Mar 3, 2011
Chamber sittings
Debate at third reading - Mar 1, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at third reading - Mar 2, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at third reading - Mar 3, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 1
First reading
Apr 15, 2010
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Introduction and first reading, Apr 15, 2010
End of stage activity, Apr 15, 2010
Chamber sittings
Introduction and first reading - Apr 15, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Introduction and first reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
May 13, 2010
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Second reading and referral to committee, May 13, 2010
End of stage activity, May 13, 2010
Chamber sittings
Debate at second reading - May 10, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - May 12, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - May 13, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Oct 20, 2010
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Committee report presented, Oct 20, 2010
End of stage activity, Oct 20, 2010
Chamber sittings
Committee report presented - Oct 20, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Committee report presented yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 4
Report stage
Oct 25, 2010
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Concurrence at report stage, Oct 25, 2010
End of stage activity, Oct 25, 2010
Chamber sittings
Debate at report stage - Oct 25, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 5
Third reading
Oct 26, 2010
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Third reading, Oct 26, 2010
End of stage activity, Oct 26, 2010
Chamber sittings
Debate at third reading - Oct 25, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at third reading - Oct 26, 2010

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 1
Royal assent
Mar 23, 2011
Royal assent, Mar 23, 2011
End of stage activity, Mar 23, 2011
Chamber sittings
Royal assent - Mar 23, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debates of the Senate yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill does not have a published recorded division in the current official sources, so representative-by-representative vote counts are not shown.

Sponsor
Tony Clement
Sponsor party or district not listed
Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament

No published representative vote breakdown

The current official sources do not publish a recorded division breakdown for this bill, so there is no representative-by-representative table to show.

Official sources

This plain-English summary is based on official legislative sources and public records. It is intended for civic education and is not legal advice.

How this data is sourced