Trade contractors lobby candidates for prompt payment legislation

The National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada is encouraging its members to support political parties that will champion federal prompt payment legislation for the construction industry.

NTCCC and Mechanical Contractors Association of British Columbia (MCABC) have called on all parties to commit to introducing prompt payment legislation that will require all federal contracts for construction projects to include prompt payment clauses. This would require federal government owners and all contractors to make payments on time for work that has been completed and that is not in dispute. Other countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand have eliminated the delay payments bottleneck in their construction industries. Canada remains an outlier.

The trade associations conducted a survey of candidates in British Columbia and reviewed national party platforms leading up to the Canadian federal election. What they found was an overwhelming support for prompt payment legislation from the Liberal, New Democratic and Green parties. There was significantly less support from Conservative party representatives.

“When trade contractors, their families and employees go to the polls, cast a vote for a candidate (who will) support legislation to help them get paid in a timely fashion,” MCABC Executive Vice President Dana Taylor said in a release.

Canada’s federal election vote is October 19.