On August 11, 2017, the Department of Finance Canada issued a
second consultation document requesting input on the Federal
financial sector. This is the second stage of a two-stage
consultation process, and comments on this stage are to be provided
by September 29, 2017.
Please refer to our Bulletin on the
Department of Finance First Consultation Paper
of August 26, 2016. Based on comments on the First
Consultation Paper from a wide range of stakeholders, it was clear
that greater access, choice, competition and innovation in
financial services are desired.
By way of background, one of the unique features of the primary
statutes governing Canada's federal financial institutions
(Bank Act, Trust and Loan Companies Act, Insurance Companies
Act and Cooperative Credit Associations Act) is that
they all contain a "sunset clause" – a provision
that permits these financial institutions to carry on business for
only five years at a time. The rationale for this time