Remzi Cej
Assistant Director, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)·1 communications in the past year
Lobbied by
ACTRA Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
1Detail title: Bill S-206 - National Framework for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income Aspects that are the object of the lobbying: Supporting Bill S-206, An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income, with respect to ensuring that the framework considers the economic circumstances of professional performers and other self-employed, contract and intermittent workers in Canada's cultural sector. Title: International Mobility Program and Business Visitor Provisions for Performers in Commercial and Audiovisual Production Description: ACTRA is seeking to better understand how the International Mobility Program - including the C-14 significant benefit work permit exemption (IRPR R205(a)) for film and television production workers - and the business visitor exemption (IRPR R186(a)) are applied, consulted on, and monitored as they relate to international performers working in Canada's audiovisual sector, with particular focus on commercial and advertising production. ACTRA is exploring whether existing consultation practices and regulatory thresholds appropriately balance Canada's interest in facilitating international productions and skilled talent mobility with protecting work opportunities for Canadian performers. Title: Labour protections for performers in digital and AI-mediated productions Description: Federal labour policy and labour standards as they apply to performers working in digital, online, and artificial intelligence-mediated productions, including collective bargaining protections, enforceability of performer rights, and measures addressing precarious work and non-traditional production models in the screen-based industries. Title: International trade negotiations affecting Canada's audiovisual and cultural sector Description: Government of Canada positions in international trade negotiations and reviews, including Canada-United States discussions and the CUSMA review process, as they relate to cultural policy measures, broadcasting regulation, online streaming obligations, and the economic impact on employment and production in Canada's audiovisual sector. Title: Federal procurement standards for advertising and communications production Description: Federal government procurement policies and contracting practices for advertising and communications services, including the application of performer labour standards, requirements for union-covered productions, and ethical procurement expectations for the use of performers and creative services in government-funded advertising and public communications. Title: Use of copyrighted performances in artificial intelligence training and generative AI systems Description: Amendments to Canada's Copyright Act and related policy measures regarding the use of copyrighted performances and audiovisual works in the training and operation of artificial intelligence systems, including requirements for consent, compensation, and recognition of performers' moral rights, as well as protections against unauthorized reproduction, voice cloning, and synthetic performances. Title: Federal artificial intelligence governance framework and performer rights protections Description: Development of the Government of Canada's artificial intelligence policy and regulatory framework, including the forthcoming national AI strategy, with respect to consent requirements for the use of performers' name, image and likeness, digital identity protections, reputational harm, takedown and enforcement mechanisms, and accountability obligations for AI systems that generate or replicate performances. Copyright legislation – Updating Canada's Copyright Act to implement the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright and Audio Visual Treaties and deal with threats from unchecked generative artificial intelligence to performers' livelihoods. Bill C-27 with respect to artificial intelligence and future regulations to protect the rights of Canadian performers from its misuse
Business Council of Alberta
1Enhancing global market access for Alberta exports by expanding pipeline access to tidewater, including through the removal of the Tanker Ban, investing in trade-related transportation infrastructure, and addressing internal trade barriers. Supporting the federal government's defence and economic security priorities by exploring opportunities for Alberta to strengthen Canada's defence industrial base, attract investment, and contribute to resilient supply chains and strategic infrastructure. Exploring opportunities to support the federal government's One Canadian Economy agenda through greater economic integration, reduced interprovincial trade barriers, and strengthened collaboration on nation-building projects. Supporting a strong Alberta within a united Canada by exploring policies that address fairness in the federation, strengthen Albertas economic contribution, and improve federal-provincial collaboration on shared priorities. Exploring strategies to support economic growth in Alberta and Canada while ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability and broad-based prosperity. Providing an update on the Business Council of Albertas priorities, including productivity, competitiveness, labour shortages, infrastructure, and housing, and identifying opportunities to collaborate with the federal government on advancing shared policy goals. Attracting investment to Alberta and Canada by exploring ways to address regulatory barriers to business investment and create a competitive business landscape. Proposing amendments to the new greenwashing provisions which, as written, will undermine Canadian businesses ability to raise capital, take risks, innovate, and make good-faith environmental progress in uncertain conditions. The federal government should respect the CRTCs Fibre to the Premise decision, which supports a more competitive telecommunications sector and reinforces regulatory autonomy, a principle that is key to investor confidence and a dynamic business environment across all sectors of the Canadian economy. Federal natural resources and environment policy. Unlocking investment and growth in Canada's natural resource industries, and how they can contribute to Canada's productivity, prosperity, and environmental goals. Discriminatory and/or counterproductive impacts on Alberta and Alberta-concentrated industries. Maintaining access to US markets in the face of tariff threats and CUSMA renewal. Discussing how issues related to defence spending, border crossings and illegal drug/gun trafficking impact trade and trade policy. Preserving and enhancing Canadas access to trade opportunities in global markets; addressing trade disputes, including the differing impact of those disputes across Canada. Exploring opportunities to increase economic activity and value-added processing in agriculture; and discussing the removal of barriers to achieving that goal. Expressing our opposition to the proposed emissions cap as being bad for the environment, the economy, the federation, and Canadas international standing. Improving Canada's system of major project approvals and permitting to allow projects to get built faster, generate economic growth and advance Indigenous Economic Diversification. Issues range from speeding up environmental impact assessments, to removing fed/prov duplication, to better coordinating permitting processes across the federal government. Removing barriers to interprovincial trade. Providing information via our "Alberta Update" to senior government officials on economic developments in the province. Exploring ways to improve co-operation and collaboration between the federal and provincial governments. The merits and drawbacks of the federal government's proposed oil and gas sector emissions cap; and the most efficient, cost-effective ways to promote a competitive energy sector in Alberta while working towards deep emissions cuts. Proposing amendments to the Clean Electricity Regulations that reflect the concerns
Canadian Home Builders' Association
1To ask federal government to continue to apply pressure to provinces and municipalities to reduce development taxes and work with provinces and municipalities to mandate that alternatives to development taxes be found and used instead. The role of Build Canada Homes and the impact upon housing needs in Canada and to ensure that market-rate housing policies are still pursued by the government in addition to the mandate of Build Canada Homes. Implement CMHC Construction Financing, including low-interest financing for market-rate housing for ownership from the government, plus a new construction loan insurance program. Discuss implications for the Canadian home construction sector surrounding proposed 25% tariffs from the United States. Work with provinces to have the EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) label on all houses at the time of resale and expand ERS (and its software tools updated) and be promoted so that ERS becomes the backbone of all renovation incentives. Working with the home construction industry to support innovation and capital investment to increase industry productivity both for in-site built approaches and factory-built solutions. Update the federal immigration system to proactively attract much-needed skilled workers in residential construction. Update and index the thresholds for the GST New Housing Rebate. Support voluntary programming initiatives like ENERGY STAR, R?2000 and CHBAs Net Zero Home Labelling Program enable homeowners to choose higher levels of performance on a voluntary basis, moving the market forward without damaging affordability in entry?level homes. Support Transit-Oriented Development, Complete Communities and the Missing Middle of Housing - To ensure that Canadians get maximum benefit from federal infrastructure investments, the Government needs to support increased supply in the missing middle – whether gentle intensification via secondary suites, conversion of larger units or medium-density low-rise mixed-income housing, in walkable communities with ready access to public transit. Support local and provincial submissions to the Red Tape Reduction Commission to address issues associated with the Contract Payment Reporting System operated by the Canada Revenue Agency Support for housing research, analysis and demonstration projects on topics of priority interest to the residential construction industry, e.g., on housing market trends Seek Federal research on improved environmental guidelines for residential communities to determine more specifically their cost and technological implications for practitioners in the residential cosntruction and development industries Rigorously enforce provisions of the Income Tax Act and Excise Tax Act in relation to combating the underground "cash economy". Revise the tax regime to avoid GST being applied to new purposebuilt rental developments. This increases rents for tenants and renders the business model for investing in purpose-built rentals less attractive, hence discouraging the construction of affordable rental properties. Revise tax rules for accessory suites, such as granny flats and laneway housing, as the current tax system, which incorporates land value rather than just construction costs, and is discouraging this important form of infill housing that is favoured by more and more municipalities. These innovative infill projects increase the number of affordable homes in established neighbourhoods. Replacement of the Contract Payment Reporting System with an alternative that requires all participants in the construction industry to register for a Business Number with the CRA, and that pursues those engaging in cash-only transactions much more aggressively Reintroduce 30-year amortization periods for insured residential mortgages for new construction. Promote a federal YIMBY (yes in my backyard) campaign. New developments (especially densification and mixed income housing) are often met with local public opposition even when aligned with