Registration - In-house Organization

Subject Matters

• Aboriginal Affairs
• Budget
• Climate
• Defence
• Economic Development
• Education
• Employment and Training
• Energy
• Environment
• Government Procurement
• Immigration
• Industry
• Infrastructure
• Internal Trade
• International Relations
• International Trade
• Labour
• Municipalities
• Pensions
• Regional Development
• Research and Development
• Science and Technology
• Small Business
• Taxation and Finance
• Transportation

Subject Matter Details

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution

• EI REFORM: The Canadian Construction Association has long advocated a change in the rate-setting mechanism for Employment Insurance rates. The recent introduction of an independent third party board and the adoption of strict actuarial system in determine the appropriate premium level is most welcome by the industry. However, CCA continues to argue for two additional amendments. These amendments are: the creation of a mechanism to refund back to employers any over contributions made within the fiscal year; as well as a restoration of employer-employee contribution ratio to 50/50 percent.
• IMMIGRATION REFORM: The Canadian Construction Association is very concerned about future labour shortages in the construction industry. Canada’s current federal policies are NOT construction worker friendly as they rely heavily on educational attainment and language skills for determining immigrant suitability. Arranged employment or domestic employment demand is secondary in this evaluation, which has contributed to the significant domestic skilled trade worker shortage. CCA has been an advocate for reform and participated in consultations with the Department of Citizenship and Immigration with regard to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and amendments to the Skilled Worker Program.
• Opposition to Private Members Bills seeking to ban replacement workers

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Regulation

• CEAA RAC MEMBER: The Canadian Construction Association is a sitting member of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency’s Regulatory Advisory Committee (RAC). The RAC is a formal consultative mechanism for proposed Agency changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act’s regulations and comprised of representatives from industry, academia and non-governmental organizations.
• CEAA: CCA is interested in the Parliamentary review of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and will be pushing for reforms that will simplify the paper burden on proponents, eliminate federal-provincial assessment duplication, centralization of decision making at the federal level, and the elimination of the requirement for regulators to carry out paper screening, thereby freeing officials to focus their attention on projects of larger scope such as those requiring a comprehensive study or full panel review.

Policies or Program

• ALTERNATIVE SERVICE DELIVERY: The Canadian Construction Association believes federal departments should be looking increasingly to the private sector for the delivery of operations and maintenance services. In many cases, Canadian firms are engaged abroad carrying out O&M operations on behalf of other governments, but are prevented from doing so in Canada because of federal policy. The CCA through a special sub-committee of the Association, the Facilities Operation and Maintenance Associations of Canada, has been pressing for changes in federal policy to open up operations and maintenance services to private sector operators. There services can include: engineering and construction; facilities and infrastructure operations and maintenance; electrical power generations, water and waste water treatment; environmental science and emergency response; bulk fuel management; food services, janitorial and laundry services at Canadian military bases; roads and grounds construction and maintenance; logistics, transport and vehicle maintenance; medical and dental services; and airport operations, including air traffic control and cross serving. maintenance
• CCA & PWGSC AGREEMENT: The Canadian Construction Association and Public Works and Government Services Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which the federal government recognized the benefits of using local construction association plans rooms. The MOU permits the federal government to release plans through local CCA construction association plans room when seeking tenders for government work.
• EDUCATIONAL FUNDING: The Canadian Construction Association remains concerned about the level of chronic underfunding at Canadian community colleges and the impact this is having on their ability to meet the demands of employers for skilled trade workers. In Budget 2009, the federal government provided for the first time direct funding to Canadian universities and community colleges funds to improve their deteriorating infrastructure. While CCA applauds the government for this important and necessary investment, we remain concerned with the 30/70 split in favour of universities, which have a greater capacity to access private funds as compared to community colleges. CCA believes the formula should be at least 50/50 and continues to lobby the Department of Finance and Industry for a change in the formula.
• FOMAC, which is a subcommittee of CCA, has been working with government officials to eliminate the practice of bundling maintenance services with capital equipment contracts.
• Lobby to see quick implementation of federal infrastructure programs
• PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS: As part of the federal government’s pre-budget consultation process, the Canadian Construction Association made several recommendations for changes in government policy. These changes included: accelerating the funding of new infrastructure projects eligible under the Building Canada Plan; an increase in the amount of money transferred to municipal governments under the Gas Tax Transfer Program; funding for Canadian community colleges to improve their infrastructure and expand their capacity to provide quality educational services; an increase in the capital cost allowance rate for new light-duty truck and heavy-duty mobile equipment purchases to 50 percent and that accelerated depreciation be permitted by allowing eligible purchases to be depreciated on a straight line basis, instead of the current declining balance method; increasing federal capital spending on federal buildings and infrastructure; enhancing the Apprenticeship Tax Credit program to make it more generous and thereby encourage greater participation of employers in apprenticeship training programs; and that the federal government consider the introduction of free-trade zone legislation to make Canada more competitive with other G8 competitors.
• SECURITY CLEARANCES: The Canadian Construction Association has been working with Treasury Board Secretariat and Public Works and Government Services to help simplify the process for contractors to the federal government to obtain security clearances. Currently, when a contractors wish to perform work for the federal government, they must obtain individual clearances from each department they work for. In most cases, the clearances of individual companies and employees are all conducted by the RCMP; however, obtaining a clearance to work for one department is NOT transferable for work done for another department of government. This place a tremendous burden on contractors as they must pay for each individual clearance, in some cases several clearances if they are working for multiple departments at the same time. CCA has been advocating a single government window for security clearances and that these clearances be accepted government wide.

Regulation

• Seeking exemption from new Hours of Service Regulations

Communication Techniques

• Written communication
• Oral communication

Government Institutions

• Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
• Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
• Bank of Canada
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
• Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
• Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA)
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• Defence Construction Canada (DCC)
• Environment Canada
• Export Development Canada (EDC)
• Finance Canada (FIN)
• Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAITC)
• House of Commons
• Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)
• Industry Canada
• Infrastructure Canada (INFC)
• National Defence (DND)
• Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying (OCL)
• Prime Minister's Office (PMO)
• Privy Council Office (PCO)
• Public Works and Government Services Canada
• Revenue Canada (RC)
• Senate of Canada
• Transport Canada (TC)
• Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)
• Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD)

Address:
400 - 75 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON  K1P 5E7
Canada

Telephone number: 613-236-9455
Fax number: 613-236-9526