Liberals Elected to Second Minority Government – Construction Remains a Top Priority

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau won enough seats on September 21 in the 44^th general election to form another minority government.

The OGCA has been hard at work with its partners in Ontario and across the country to advocate for our industry's critical issues. During the election, the CCA (Canadian Construction Association) and GCAC (General Contractors Alliance of Canada) were strong advocates for fair procurement practices, infrastructure investment and solutions to the skills deficit. These issues remain top of mind after the election.

The skills deficit is one of the most significant problems facing our industry. Different strategies could address this issue, such as favourable immigration policies or temporary foreign worker programs.

The OGCA is also keenly looking forward to hearing about the Liberal's plans to "recruit and retain the next generation of construction workers and learn about the proposals to ensure labour market needs to dictate immigration policies." The incoming Liberal government has already promised some actions to address the skills gap in the short term, such as establishing a Trusted Employer System to streamline the application process for Canadian companies hiring temporary foreign workers to fill labour shortages.

Interestingly, both Liberals and Conservatives addressed the issue of a Labour Mobility Tax Credit in this election. Such a credit would allow construction workers to write off the travel distance to a project as an expense. This has been a lobbying priority for many construction stakeholders.

In this election, the Liberals pledged to invest in $10 a day child care for all Canadian families. Any national child care program would benefit the construction industry as it will remove significant burdens facing women entering the workplace.

Infrastructure investment will be another key priority for the incoming government. The OGCA is still keen to continue with their #BuildforRecovery campaign focused on the need for infrastructure investment in Canada's economic recovery.