44. (1) Every person who

(a) knowingly makes a false or misleading statement in any application or statement required or permitted by this Act or makes any such application or statement that by reason of any non-disclosure of facts is false or misleading or obtains any benefit payment by false pretences, or

(b) being the payee thereof, negotiates or attempts to negotiate any cheque to which that person is not entitled,

(c) [Repealed, 1998, c. 21, s. 118]

is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

(2) No information or complaint for an offence under this Act is open to objection on the ground that the information or complaint is for more than one matter of complaint or that it relates to more than one offence.

(3) Any proceedings under this Act in respect of an offence may be commenced at any time within, but not later than, five years after the Minister becomes aware of the subject-matter of the proceedings.

R.S., 1985, c. O-9, s. 44; 1997, c. 40, s. 106; 1998, c. 21, s. 118.

44.1 [Not in force]

44.2 (1) The definitions in this subsection apply in this section.

“document” includes moneys, securities, books, records, letters, accounts, statements (financial or otherwise), correspondence, memoranda, film, microform, videotape, photographs, machine-readable records and other documentary material, regardless of form or characteristics, and any copy or printout of any of them.

“dwelling-house” means the whole or a part of a building or structure that is kept or occupied as a permanent or temporary residence and includes

(a) a building within the yard of a dwelling-house that is connected to it by a doorway or by a covered and enclosed passageway; and

(b) a unit that is designed to be mobile and to be used as a permanent or temporary residence and that is being used as such a residence.

“judge” means a judge of a superior court having jurisdiction in the province where the matter arises or a judge of the Federal Court.

(2) The Minister may, at any reasonable time, for any purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act, examine any document that relates or may relate to the entitlement of a person to a benefit or the amount of a benefit and, for that purpose, the Minister may

(a) subject to subsection (3), enter any premises or place where the Minister believes a document relating to the entitlement of a person to a benefit or the amount of that benefit is or should be kept; and

(b) require the owner, occupant or person in charge of the premises or place to give the Minister all reasonable assistance and to answer all proper questions relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act and, for that purpose, require the owner, occupant or person in charge of the premises or place to attend at those premises or that place with the Minister.

(3) If the premises or place referred to in subsection (2) is a dwelling-house, the Minister may not enter that dwelling-house without the consent of the occupant except under the authority of a warrant issued under subsection (4).

(4) On ex parte application by the Minister, a judge may issue a warrant authorizing the Minister to enter a dwelling-house subject to the conditions that may be specified in the warrant, if the judge is satisfied by information on oath that

(a) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the dwelling-house is a premises or place referred to in subsection (2);

(b) entry into the dwelling-house is necessary for a purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act; and

(c) entry into the dwelling-house has been refused or that there are reasonable grounds to believe that entry will be refused.

(5) If the judge is not satisfied that entry into that dwelling-house is necessary for a purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act but is satisfied that access to a document that is or should be kept in the dwelling-house has been or may be expected to be refused, the judge may

(a) order the occupant of the dwelling-house to provide the Minister with reasonable access to the document; and

(b) make any other order that is appropriate in the circumstances to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(6) Despite any other provision of this Act, the Minister may, subject to subsection (7), for any purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act, by notice served personally or by confirmed delivery service, require that any person provide, within the reasonable time that is stipulated in the notice, any information or additional information or any document.

(7) The Minister shall not impose on a person, in this section referred to as a “third party”, a requirement under subsection (6) to provide information or a document relating to one or more unnamed persons unless the Minister first obtains the authorization of a judge under subsection (8).

(8) On ex parte application by the Minister, a judge may, subject to the conditions that the judge considers appropriate, authorize the Minister to impose on a third party a requirement under subsection (6) relating to one or more unnamed persons, in this section referred to as the “group”, where the judge is satisfied by information on oath that

(a) the person or group is ascertainable; and

(b) the requirement is made to verify compliance by the person or persons in the group with a duty or obligation under this Act.

(9) If an authorization is granted under subsection (8), the authorization shall be served together with the notice referred to in subsection (6).

(10) If an authorization is granted under subsection (8), a third party on whom a notice is served under subsection (6) may, not later than 15 days after the service of the notice, apply to the judge who granted the authorization or, if that judge is unable to act, to another judge of the same court, for a review of the authorization.

(11) On hearing an application under subsection (10), a judge may cancel the authorization previously granted if the judge is not then satisfied that the conditions in paragraphs (8)(a) to (d) have been met, and the judge may confirm or vary the authorization if the judge is satisfied that those conditions have been met.

(12) When a document is inspected, examined or provided in accordance with this section, the person by whom it is inspected or examined or to whom it is provided may make, or cause to be made, one or more certified copies of it and any such copy is evidence of the nature and content of the original document and has the same probative force as the original document would have if it were proven in the ordinary way.

(13) No person shall interfere with any person doing anything that the person is authorized under this section to do or prevent or attempt to prevent any person from doing any such thing.

1997, c. 40, s. 107.

45. All benefits payable under this Act shall be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

R.S., c. O-6, s. 25; 1970-71-72, c. 63, s. 3; 1974-75-76, c. 58, s. 9.

46. This Act shall be administered by the Minister of Human Resources Development.

R.S., 1985, c. O-9, s. 46; 1996, c. 11, s. 95.

47. The Minister shall submit to Parliament annually, as soon as possible after the termination of each fiscal year, if Parliament is then in session or, if not, as soon as possible after the commencement of the next session of Parliament, a report covering the administration of this Act and including an account of receipts and disbursements during the previous fiscal year.

R.S., c. O-6, s. 26.