Canada: What is the CAMOGCDCA?

CAMOGCDCA is the acronym for the Corporate Accountability of Mining, Oil and Gas Corporations in Developing Countries Act, otherwise known at Bill C-300.  It is said to “represents the best chance we have as Canadians to assure that…

Read more

Canada: Privacy Commissioner Creates a Buzz

Last week, Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, along with nine other privacy commissioners, released a public letter to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, expressing concern that the Internet giant was forgetting its privacy responsibilities arising, primarily, in relation to…

Read more

Canada – Foreign Control of Communications Sector

Today during parliamentary hearings, Konrad von Finckenstein, chairman of the CRTC, said “The control of the communications sector should stay in Canadian hands. No foreign entity should own more than 49 per cent”. Relying on committee discussion of…

Read more

Canada – UK Tax Treaty – Rates of Withholding Tax

Set out at the bottom of the first page of the linked document, “Countries with Double Taxation Agreements with the UK – rates of withholding tax for the year ended 5 April 2010”, are the operative withholding tax…

Read more

Canada – Amendments to the Competition Act

On March 12, 2009, the Budget Implementation Act received Royal Assent. The Act contains amendments that modernizes the Competition Act to better protect Canadians from the harm caused by anti-competitive conduct. Two amended provisions of the Competition Act…

Read more

British Columbia – Environmental Protection and Landowner Rights

On March 29, 2010, the Government of British Columbia announced that it intended to introduce into the British Columbia legislature, a bill to amend the Oil and Gas Activities Act and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act. Amendments…

Read more

Canada – EU Free Trade

Although the EU is Canada’s second most important goods trading partner, and Canada’s second most important investment partner, there has been little interest in discussions relating to the proposed Canada – EU Free Trade Agreement (“FTA”). Going the…

Read more

Chile: Full OECD Membership

As a follow up to our December 27th, 2009 posting regarding proposed admission of Chile into the OECD, Chile’s admission to the OECD is now complete. Chile’s economic future has brightened considerably merely by being admitted to OCED.…

Read more

Vietnam: Legislative Potpourri

Vietnam Net has produced a very good survey of legislation introduced in Vietnam over the past year.   As they note: “Some of this legislation proved beneficial to investors and some of it, well, less so. Regardless of the…

Read more

Australia: Taxation on Subsequent Transfer of Art

The Resale Royalty for Visual Artists Act 2009, which was passed by the Australian Senate into law last week (November 26th) will mean Australia’s visual artists will receive a portion of the proceeds from the resale of their…

Read more