VICTORIA — Prompt payment advocates in B.C. are applauding the government for establishing an industry working group to speed up work on potential legislation.
The Electrical Contractors Association of BC (ECABC), the Mechanical Contractors Association of BC (MCABC) and the BC Construction Association (BCCA) announced they commend the provincial government for its action on the issue. The working group is tasked with providing industry expertise and guidance to shape development of legislation specifically for B.C., informed by work being done in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
The industry groups believe their recent town halls that they co-ordinated likely helped nudge the province to take more action.
The town halls focused on the success of legislation in Ontario and highlighted the strong support for action from B.C.’s construction industry.
“We are pleased to see this important piece of legislation continue to move forward, and we will be dedicated in our role as part of this working group to ensure our members’ voices are heard and that the process moves swiftly and efficiently towards the implementation of this piece of common-sense legislation,” said Deborah Cahill, president of the ECABC, in a press release.
Kim Barbero, CEO of MCABC, added their group’s members deserve to be paid in a timely manner for work, regardless of market dynamics.
“This has been the basis of our advocacy from the outset, and we will continue to advocate for it as members of this newly-established working group.,” said Barbero. “We look forward to working with the Ministry of the Attorney General to advance this work, including how best to ensure it is implemented to help all businesses relying on it throughout B.C.”
Chris Atchison, president and CEO of the BCCA, thanked the group’s many members that helped push the issue forward.
“The formation of this working group is a key towards getting prompt payment introduced in BC, and there is no time to waste. We hope to see this legislation tabled in the fall 2022 session,” he said.
The working group will be managed by the Ministry of the Attorney General and include industry organizations representing all major stakeholders, as well as the BCCA, ECABC and MCABC. Additional participants will be confirmed and announced shortly. ECABC, MCABC, and BCCA will be providing regular updates to their members throughout the process.
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