APAS UPDATE (APRIL 18, 2024)
1. Video of the Canada Grain Act Summit is now available: APAS and Sask Wheat hosted the Canada Grain Act Summit on March 26 to discuss various topics related to the Canada Grain Act and the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). Some topics on the agenda were the significance of the CGC’s mandate, strengthening the CGC’s producer protections, grain contract transparency, and the CGC’s funding model. Click here to watch a video of sessions from the Canada Grain Act Summit.
2. CFA disappointed with the 2024 federal budget: The 2024 federal budget was released on April 16, and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) was disappointed to see a lack of investment in Canadian agriculture. With high interest rates, a carbon tax on essential farming activities, and an increased risk of extreme weather events that are testing the limits of Canada’s business risk management programs, CFA thought that the 2024 budget fell short for Canadian farmers. Click here to read CFA’s media release in response to the federal budget.
3. APAS letter to Minister Guilbeault about carbon tax increase: On April 17, APAS sent a letter to the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, to express our ongoing concern with the April 1 carbon tax increase and its negative impact on Saskatchewan agriculture. Click here to read our letter to Minister Guilbeault, and click here to read an updated version of the APAS carbon tax backgrounder that calculates the financial impact of the carbon tax on Saskatchewan producers.
4. Private Health Services Plan for APAS members: A Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) is a CRA-approved tax savings program that allows any business owner to reimburse plan participants tax-free for eligible medical expenses and then deduct the reimbursement as a business expense. The eligible expense requirements for the PHSP are generally more flexible than under insurance programs and can include items not covered (or only partially covered) by insurance, so the plan can be used along with any group or individual health and dental plan, or completely by itself. Click here to watch two videos explaining the PHSP if you’d like more information.
2. CFA disappointed with the 2024 federal budget: The 2024 federal budget was released on April 16, and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) was disappointed to see a lack of investment in Canadian agriculture. With high interest rates, a carbon tax on essential farming activities, and an increased risk of extreme weather events that are testing the limits of Canada’s business risk management programs, CFA thought that the 2024 budget fell short for Canadian farmers. Click here to read CFA’s media release in response to the federal budget.
3. APAS letter to Minister Guilbeault about carbon tax increase: On April 17, APAS sent a letter to the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, to express our ongoing concern with the April 1 carbon tax increase and its negative impact on Saskatchewan agriculture. Click here to read our letter to Minister Guilbeault, and click here to read an updated version of the APAS carbon tax backgrounder that calculates the financial impact of the carbon tax on Saskatchewan producers.
4. Private Health Services Plan for APAS members: A Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) is a CRA-approved tax savings program that allows any business owner to reimburse plan participants tax-free for eligible medical expenses and then deduct the reimbursement as a business expense. The eligible expense requirements for the PHSP are generally more flexible than under insurance programs and can include items not covered (or only partially covered) by insurance, so the plan can be used along with any group or individual health and dental plan, or completely by itself. Click here to watch two videos explaining the PHSP if you’d like more information.