News Release

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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PM highlights important legislation becoming law

New bills will help protect Canadian families, communities and consumers

March 23, 2011
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today highlighted new pieces of legislation, which became law.

"Our Government is committed to supporting families and communities," said the Prime Minister. "Over the past five years, our Government has taken action to make our streets and communities safer and to protect Canadian consumers. We have taken the right action and we have delivered."

Today, our action is being recognized with 10 important bills receiving Royal Assent.

Some of these bills include:

• Fairness at the Pumps Act (C-14) – protects Canadian consumers from inaccurate measurements when purchasing gasoline or other measured goods, by making retailers more accountable for the accuracy of their pumps and other devices, beefing up fines, adding new penalties and introducing a new fine for repeat offences;
  
• Standing up for Victims of White Collar Crime Act (C-21) – will combat white-collar crime, toughening sentences and imposing mandatory minimum penalties;
  
• An Act Respecting the Mandatory Reporting of Internet Child Pornography by Persons who Provide an Internet Service (C-22)
  – toughens laws protecting children from adult sexual predators by making it mandatory for Internet service suppliers to report online child pornography;
  
• Protecting Canadians by Ending Sentence Discounts for Multiple Murders Act (C-48) – allows judges to impose consecutive parole ineligibility periods on individuals convicted of multiple murders;
  
• Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act (S-6) – puts a stop to early parole for murderers, which addresses the additional anguish suffered by victims' families as a result of attending repeated parole hearings;
  
• An Act to Amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (C-35) – cracks down on crooked immigration consultants who exploit prospective immigrants and undermine the integrity of Canada's immigration system, helping protect those wanting to immigrate to or stay in Canada;
  
• Freezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes Act (C-61) – allows Canada to act upon the request of a foreign state to freeze the assets that their former leaders and members of their entourage, including family members, senior officials and associates, may have placed in Canadian financial institutions.

"As evident from the Next Phase of Canada's Economic Action Plan, moving forward, our Government will continue to support hardworking Canadians, while keeping taxes low and securing our economic future," concluded Prime Minister Harper.

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The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
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