Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ICBA calls for immediate clarity: Will government be bound by BC’s new Prompt Payment law?


The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA), Canada’s largest construction association, is urging the NDP Government to confirm that all public owners – including ministries, Crown corporations, government agencies, municipal halls, school boards, and regional districts – must comply with Bill 20, the Construction Prompt Payment Act.

While Bill 20 generally applies to construction contracts, it also allows government to exclude “prescribed” improvements or owners by regulation and to differentiate based on “public or private ownership.” ICBA is seeking an unequivocal commitment that public owners will not be carved out or phased in later than the private sector.

“Prompt payment has to mean prompt payment for everyone – including the Province and municipalities,” said Chris Gardner, ICBA President. “If government exempts itself or delays its own compliance, the law’s credibility will be undermined on day one. Public owners must lead by example, pay on time, and follow the same rules as every private owner.”

The Act comes into force only by regulation and can be rolled out gradually by sector, creating uncertainty unless government states its intent now.

“Our members want a fair system that starts with government confirming it is fully subject to the Act, without loopholes, carve-outs, or slow-walked implementation,” said Gardner.

ICBA is calling on the Attorney General to immediately confirm:

  • that all public owners (ministries, Crown corporations, BCIB, health authorities, educational and municipal bodies) are in scope;
  • that no public-owner exemptions will be introduced by regulation; and
  • that implementation timelines will apply equally to public and private sectors


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nurses Take Job Action After Years of NDP Neglect

Image Credit:  BC Nurses Union BC nurses have reached a breaking point after years of unsafe conditions, rising violence in the workplace and a government that wouldn’t listen. Now they are on the picket line fighting to be heard. Last week, nurses began job action with a 72-hour strike notice, refusing non-essential overtime and stepping back from non-nursing duties. As of Tuesday, they have escalated to picket lines for the first time in decades. This moment was avoidable. It is the result of years of unanswered concerns from the frontline workers who keep our hospitals running. Nurses have been raising the same concerns for years: unsafe staffing levels, rising violence on the job, and a workload no single person should have to carry. None of it is new, and none of it should have taken a strike vote to get the government's attention. "Nurses are exercising their legal right to job action, but it shouldn’t have had to come to this," said Kiel Giddens, MLA for...
Post a Comment
Read more

British Columbians Still Don’t Know Who’s Paying for NDP’s BC Hydro Deal

The NDP is making billion-dollar promises with BC Hydro, but British Columbians still don’t know who will pay the bill. Last week’s memorandum of understanding isn’t what the federal government and the NDP are making it out to be. It’s an admission that the NDP failed to make the long-term investments needed to keep B.C. powered. Now British Columbians have serious questions about the cost and whether BC Hydro ratepayers will end up paying the price. David L. Williams, MLA for Salmon Arm-Shuswap and Shadow Minister for BC Hydro and Electrical Energy Development , said British Columbians deserve clear answers about the full implications of the Canada–British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement. “British Columbians deserve the full truth,” said Mr. Williams. “This multi-billion-dollar announcement does not answer who pays for cost overruns, who pays for new generation, who carries the risk if industrial customers do not materialize, or whether ratepayers will be forced ...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Government Blames Everyone but Themselves

The federal government has announced new measures to support British Columbia's forestry sector, including $65 million in funding for projects across the province. While any support is welcome, it falls far short of the level of assistance other provinces have secured for key industries. Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer says the NDP government needs to take responsibility for its mismanagement of B.C.’s forest industry instead of trying to pass on the blame. Despite promising to create more jobs in the forest sector, the NDP government has overseen the loss of thousands of forestry jobs and 21 mill closures which have devastated communities. “If Premier Eby spent more time addressing the regulatory issues impacting the forestry sector than he did complaining about the federal government, we would not be in the position we are now,” said Stamer. “And instead of trying to place the blame for mill closures on Donald Trump, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar should t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more