Moving Forward on Policy Pillars with the Provincial Government
October 30, 2019
Two-thousand and nineteen has turned into the year of the election. It's a year of opportunity in Manitoba and Canada as Brian Pallister's Progressive Conservative Party has been re-elected into the Manitoba Legislature with a majority government and a federal election is on the horizon.
The elections have allowed the Winnipeg Construction Association and Canadian Construction Association (CCA) to refocus their advocacy efforts and strategize specific policy measures for the future of Manitoba and Canada. To read how CCA is leveraging the 2019 federal election to build a better Canada, turn to page 28.
Prior to the announcement of a provincial election, WCA formed the Government Relations Committee comprised of knowledgeable and experienced members to help guide WCA in advocacy efforts. This committee developed policy priorities for the WCA over the next four years and a strategy during the pre-election phase. For a complete look at WCA's policy priorities and how we communicated our concerns, flip to page 26.
Following the election, Premier Pallister released the 100-Day Action Plan, a strategy for an ambitious and progressive renewed mandate. We are encouraged to see that the document includes several points which are of interest to the Manitoba construction industry and some that directly relate to the WCA election campaign policy priorities.
Click here for a complete look at the 100-Day Action Plan
In response to WCA's call to improve the permitting and inspections process, the PC government is pledging to "Work towards implementing recommendations from the 2019 Review of Planning, Permitting and Zoning in Manitoba." Improving the permitting and inspections process is another way we can speed up construction timelines and create a more attractive business environment. Quicker permit approvals, faster and more consistent inspections will result in our province being an opportune place for companies to build, work and play.
We're also encouraged to see the provincial government committing to "working with other provinces to remove inter-provincial trade barriers." The pledge is #43 in the 100-Day Action Plan. Specifically, we are calling on the province to adopt the 2015 National Building Code and bring the Limitations of Action Act in line with the rest of the country. A much longer time period in Manitoba causes higher insurance costs in the industry, increased risk of stale and unfair claims and places Manitoba at a competitive disadvantage to other provinces.
In addition to mandates directly related to WCA's policy priorities, the provincial government's 100-Day Action Plan includes further items that will impact the construction industry, including the development of a dedicated fund for infrastructure projects that stimulates private sector investment and job creation for inclusion in Budget 2020 and partnership with the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region to begin development of a capital region growth plan that will deliver better infrastructure at lower cost and improve planning.
Peter Grose, Chairperson of the Winnipeg Construction Association
- Click here for a complete look at the 100-Day Action Plan.
- This letter was originally published in the Fall 2019 issue of Build Manitoba magazine. Click here to read the full magazine on the official website of the Winnipeg Construction Association.
