Bill106 gets its Second Reading
On September 15, 2015, Bill 106 was introduced in the House of Commons for its Second Reading. Second Reading debates contined through to October 7, 2015, when the bill passed Second Reading.
Click here for a copy of the official Hansard transcript of the first day's debates.
Click here for a copy of the official Hansard transcript of the second day's debates.
Click here for a copy of the official Hansard transcript of the third day's debates.
Click here for a copy of the official Hansard transcript of the fourth day's debates.
Click here for a copy of the official Hansard transcript of the fifth day's debates.
Click here for a copy of the official Hansard transcript of the sixth day's debates.
Click here for a copy of the official Hansard transcript of the seventh day's debates.
Much is made in the first day's debates of Rosario Marchese's previous attempts to revise the Condominium Act, 1998. We followed those attempts in past years and, frankly, found all of them lacking. At the very least, none were as comprehensive in scope as Bill 106, several provisions in earlier versions of his bills suggested flawed understanding of the current Act, and there was never as broad-based input or consultation regarding his bills as has been relied upon in crafting Bill 106.
Is Bill 106 perfect? No. We have already pointed out some of its apparent short-comings in this blog, and we expect more to become clear over time, including after it is enacted. But in our view, this bill is a significant step forward in improving condominium law in Ontario that is far more comprehensive and beneficial than any prior attempts at amending the legislation. We appreciate the efforts of the staff and many members of the public and other stakeholders in the condominium "industry" who have participated in its creation.
We also appreciate what appear to be very sincere efforts on the part of several members of parliament of the various parties to identify strengths, short-comings and issues of significant concern in the Bill. Despite the fact that a few of the participants in these debates are not as informed about condominiums as others, most comments are well worth reading for a better comprehension of the issues the proposed legislation seeks to address, and those that are of significant concern (whether or not the Bill actually deals with them).
Follow the status of Bill 106 independently on the Ontario Legislature website, here.