Latest news with #CivilCode
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Diet Panel Starts Deliberations on Dual Surname Bills
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Diet Building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo Tokyo (Jiji Press) — A committee of the House of Representatives on Friday began deliberations on three bills submitted by opposition parties related to a selective dual surname system for married couples. At the day's meeting of the lower house's Judicial Affairs Committee, the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japan Innovation Party and the Democratic Party for the People respectively gave summaries of their bills. This was the first deliberation in 28 years at the committee on legislation for a selective dual surname system for married couples. The bills submitted respectively by the CDP and the DPP are designed to revise the Civil Code to allow married couples in the country to choose the same or different surnames. As ways to decide children's surnames, the CDP bill calls on married couples to decide these at the time of their marriage. The DPP bill proposes that children have the same surnames as the first registrants on the family register, which parents would select at the time of their marriage. JIP's bill is aimed at revising the family register law to introduce a system in which maiden names are recorded in the family register as commonly used names. None of the three bills are expected to be passed during the current Diet session, as they are unlikely to gain majority support at parliamentary votes. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party skipped submission of its own bill in the current Diet session, as the party contains supporters and opponents of a selective dual surname system and did not reach a conclusion on whether to introduce it.
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Diet begins debate on dual surname bill for 1st time in 28 years
The Diet on Friday began its first deliberations in 28 years on legislation that would give married couples the option of keeping different surnames. The passage of any of the three bills submitted separately by three opposition parties, however, looks unlikely during the current Diet session through late June, despite growing public acceptance of their push to change the longstanding rule requiring married couples to share a single family name. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who heads a minority government, remains reluctant to allow the change, with some within the party concerned that it would hurt family cohesion and traditional values. A revision to the Civil Code is required to enable couples to keep different family names after marriage. Up to now, it is mostly women who abandon their maiden names. Among the vocal supporters of introducing a dual family-name system, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan seeks to allow people to choose whether to retain their family name or change it to their partner's. The couples would be required to decide, upon marriage, which of their family names their children will use. The Democratic Party for the People also wants to allow separate family names, but, according to its bill, children should automatically use the family name of the head of the household couples designated in their family register. The Japan Innovation Party, meanwhile, is sticking to the principle of one family name for each household. But it aims to give legal status when a person uses their premarriage name even after wedlock by allowing it to be specified in the family register. In 1996, the Justice Ministry's legal counsel recommended that couples should be able to choose to keep different family names upon marriage and decide in advance which family name will identify their children, although the same name should be used by all offspring. The following year, parliament deliberated on an opposition-submitted bill to revise the Civil Code that would have opened the way for the dual surname system. Since then, Japan has made little headway in making the change. In recent years, business leaders have been stepping up calls for introducing the system of different surnames, and the public has warmed to the idea. In a Kyodo News poll, 71 percent of respondents supported the dual family-name system, while 27 percent were opposed. Ishiba has stressed the need for the LDP to deepen internal debate on the issue, but the ruling party has yet to reach a consensus ahead of the House of Councillors election. © KYODO
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Quebec says it 'is open to interprovincial trade' after tabling new bill
OTTAWA – Quebec is joining the Canadian internal trade party. One of the most regulated provinces in the country has introduced 'the most ambitious bill in Canada' aimed at removing its trade barriers. 'We are sending a signal that Quebec is open to interprovincial trade,' said Christopher Skeete, Quebec's minister delegate for the economy. 'We must accept to open our market.' Quebec is yet another Canadian province to remove such barriers, along with Nova Scotia, Ontario and New Brunswick. Nova Scotia was the first province to pass a new law encouraging reciprocity between provinces and territories earlier this year. 'For me, reciprocity is not the answer. Our solution has been to open for everybody regardless, and we believe if everybody does that, we each achieve the same goal,' Skeete said in an interview with National Post. With Prime Minister Mark Carney scheduled to meet with his provincial counterparts in the coming days, Quebec announced it wants to open its market to other provinces by allowing any of their products to be marketed, used or consumed without any other requirement. The idea is to facilitate trade in goods by adopting the principle of automatic recognition applicable to all Canadian products. Exceptions will be announced later, but alcohol is not among them. Though, it will be treated 'separately' due to its specific characteristics. 'If it's good for somebody in Ontario, it should be good for Quebecers, unless we have a reason to say otherwise,' Skeete said. The reasons may be related to the protection of human safety, health, or the environment, for example. The construction sector is not included because the Quebec Building Code and the sector are different from those in the rest of the country. According to the government, 60 per cent of Quebec businesses have no activity in the Canadian market. However, since 2018, domestic trade has increased by 34 per cent to reach nearly $200 billion. Quebec businesses currently export goods and services worth $108 billion and import $96 billion. 'In Quebec, we have our Civil Code… so it creates a little bit of a difference in the way that we write laws here, said Skeete. We had to do more work to make sure that we harmonize a little bit more with the rest of Canada.' Skeete denied that Quebec is the most protectionist province in the country, nor the most regulated, even though it has the most trade exceptions. He admits that his province is 'unique' and 'different' from others. The legal traditions are different, there is a minority language to protect, and supply management in the dairy, egg, and poultry sectors is a top priority. A 2023 study by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) concluded that Quebec was the most isolated province and, more recently, that it could add up to $70 billion to Canada's GDP if it abolished its trade barriers. Skeete said the new law could add $10 billion to $25 billion to the province's GDP. 'These are the preliminary figures we have. I'm comfortable with them,' he said. The MEI, a free market think tank often critical of the Quebec government, welcomed the bill, calling it 'a major step in the right direction to liberalize interprovincial trade.' '(An) area of concern is the mention of a list of exemptions that will be coming later. While this is not unusual for such bills, it's important to recognize that the longer that list becomes, the smaller the gains will be,' said Gabriel Giguère, senior policy analyst at the MEI. In Ottawa, Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland praised the 'great leadership from Quebec' and Minister Skeete. 'As our economy is battered by U.S. tariffs, we can work together to make Canada stronger and more resilient by building one Canadian economy, instead of 13,' she wrote on social media. However, the National Assembly unanimously rejected the notion of 'one Canadian economy, instead of 13'. In a motion, Quebec's MNAs reaffirmed Quebec's right 'to protect its own interests, particularly economic, cultural, and linguistic, based on its distinct priorities and social values, while working to reduce barriers to interprovincial trade.' Skeete said that he agrees with the federal government' 'objective' which is to facilitate trade between the provinces. Though, he disagrees with the 'one entity'. 'We're not the same. And we are federated states, a group of federated states, each with our own concerns and particularities, and that must continue going forward,' Skeete said. National Post atrepanier@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here.
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Quebec says it 'is open to interprovincial trade' after tabling new bill
OTTAWA – Quebec is joining the Canadian internal trade party. One of the most regulated provinces in the country has introduced 'the most ambitious bill in Canada' aimed at removing its trade barriers. 'We are sending a signal that Quebec is open to interprovincial trade,' said Christopher Skeete, Quebec's minister delegate for the economy. 'We must accept to open our market.' Quebec is yet another Canadian province to remove such barriers, along with Nova Scotia, Ontario and New Brunswick. Nova Scotia was the first province to pass a new law encouraging reciprocity between provinces and territories earlier this year. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'For me, reciprocity is not the answer. Our solution has been to open for everybody regardless, and we believe if everybody does that, we each achieve the same goal,' Skeete said in an interview with National Post. With Prime Minister Mark Carney scheduled to meet with his provincial counterparts in the coming days, Quebec announced it wants to open its market to other provinces by allowing any of their products to be marketed, used or consumed without any other requirement. The idea is to facilitate trade in goods by adopting the principle of automatic recognition applicable to all Canadian products. Exceptions will be announced later, but alcohol is not among them. Though, it will be treated 'separately' due to its specific characteristics. 'If it's good for somebody in Ontario, it should be good for Quebecers, unless we have a reason to say otherwise,' Skeete said. The reasons may be related to the protection of human safety, health, or the environment, for example. The construction sector is not included because the Quebec Building Code and the sector are different from those in the rest of the country. According to the government, 60 per cent of Quebec businesses have no activity in the Canadian market. However, since 2018, domestic trade has increased by 34 per cent to reach nearly $200 billion. Quebec businesses currently export goods and services worth $108 billion and import $96 billion. 'In Quebec, we have our Civil Code… so it creates a little bit of a difference in the way that we write laws here, said Skeete. We had to do more work to make sure that we harmonize a little bit more with the rest of Canada.' Skeete denied that Quebec is the most protectionist province in the country, nor the most regulated, even though it has the most trade exceptions. He admits that his province is 'unique' and 'different' from others. The legal traditions are different, there is a minority language to protect, and supply management in the dairy, egg, and poultry sectors is a top priority. A 2023 study by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) concluded that Quebec was the most isolated province and, more recently, that it could add up to $70 billion to Canada's GDP if it abolished its trade barriers. Skeete said the new law could add $10 billion to $25 billion to the province's GDP. 'These are the preliminary figures we have. I'm comfortable with them,' he said. The MEI, a free market think tank often critical of the Quebec government, welcomed the bill, calling it 'a major step in the right direction to liberalize interprovincial trade.' '(An) area of concern is the mention of a list of exemptions that will be coming later. While this is not unusual for such bills, it's important to recognize that the longer that list becomes, the smaller the gains will be,' said Gabriel Giguère, senior policy analyst at the MEI. In Ottawa, Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland praised the 'great leadership from Quebec' and Minister Skeete. 'As our economy is battered by U.S. tariffs, we can work together to make Canada stronger and more resilient by building one Canadian economy, instead of 13,' she wrote on social media . However, the National Assembly unanimously rejected the notion of 'one Canadian economy, instead of 13'. In a motion, Quebec's MNAs reaffirmed Quebec's right 'to protect its own interests, particularly economic, cultural, and linguistic, based on its distinct priorities and social values, while working to reduce barriers to interprovincial trade.' Skeete said that he agrees with the federal government' 'objective' which is to facilitate trade between the provinces. Though, he disagrees with the 'one entity'. 'We're not the same. And we are federated states, a group of federated states, each with our own concerns and particularities, and that must continue going forward,' Skeete said. National Post atrepanier@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Quebec says it 'is open to interprovincial trade' after tabling new bill
OTTAWA – Quebec is joining the Canadian internal trade party. One of the most regulated provinces in the country has introduced 'the most ambitious bill in Canada' aimed at removing its trade barriers. Article content Article content 'We are sending a signal that Quebec is open to interprovincial trade,' said Christopher Skeete, Quebec's minister delegate for the economy. 'We must accept to open our market.' Article content Article content Quebec is yet another Canadian province to remove such barriers, along with Nova Scotia, Ontario and New Brunswick. Nova Scotia was the first province to pass a new law encouraging reciprocity between provinces and territories earlier this year. Article content Article content 'For me, reciprocity is not the answer. Our solution has been to open for everybody regardless, and we believe if everybody does that, we each achieve the same goal,' Skeete said in an interview with National Post. Article content With Prime Minister Mark Carney scheduled to meet with his provincial counterparts in the coming days, Quebec announced it wants to open its market to other provinces by allowing any of their products to be marketed, used or consumed without any other requirement. The idea is to facilitate trade in goods by adopting the principle of automatic recognition applicable to all Canadian products. Exceptions will be announced later, but alcohol is not among them. Though, it will be treated 'separately' due to its specific characteristics. Article content Article content 'If it's good for somebody in Ontario, it should be good for Quebecers, unless we have a reason to say otherwise,' Skeete said. The reasons may be related to the protection of human safety, health, or the environment, for example. The construction sector is not included because the Quebec Building Code and the sector are different from those in the rest of the country. Article content According to the government, 60 per cent of Quebec businesses have no activity in the Canadian market. However, since 2018, domestic trade has increased by 34 per cent to reach nearly $200 billion. Quebec businesses currently export goods and services worth $108 billion and import $96 billion. Article content 'In Quebec, we have our Civil Code… so it creates a little bit of a difference in the way that we write laws here, said Skeete. We had to do more work to make sure that we harmonize a little bit more with the rest of Canada.'
