Everything from Indian Act to Canada Labour Code altered in latest omnibus bill

OTTAWA – The latest omnibus budget bill from the Harper government makes changes to everything from the Indian Act and the Canadian Labour Code to the Canada Shipping Act.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is insisting, however, there are no surprises in the massive bill — the second of two based on last spring’s federal budget — and says the opposition was too lazy to do its research.

Critics, however, say the devil is always in the details — and at 446 pages, the omnibus legislation includes a lot of details.

The bill kills off tribunals that examined things such as hazardous materials in the workplace and set rates for employment insurance premiums, while making workers pay taxes on their employers’ contributions to group health and accident insurance plans.

It also sharply reduces project approvals required under the Navigable Waters Act, sets time limits on worker complaints under the Canada Labour Code and makes more changes to a dramatically different Environmental Assessment Act.

A number of other measures in the omnibus bill are entirely new, including the end of the EI premiums board and changes to the definition of an aboriginal fishery.