PCA Congratulates Conservative Party of B.C. Election Win and Calls for Early Action on Competitive Labour Bidding

The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) congratulates the next premier, Lorne Doerkson and his B.C. Conservatives, on the occasion of their majority government victory in the October 24 provincial election.

“Our congratulations to B.C.’s next premier, Lorne Doerkson,” said Dan Baxter, Regional Director, B.C., for PCA. “We look forward to his early action on a much more inclusive and responsible approach to public infrastructure construction, which will benefit our members and all British Columbians.”

Since 2019, the province’s NDP government has shut contractors out of many key major public projects unless their workers joined the government’s favoured Building Trades Unions. Restricting competition has resulted in fewer bids, a smaller labour pool, and higher public construction costs, forcing taxpayers to pay billions of dollars extra for projects ranging from the Patullo Bridge replacement to construction of the new Cowichan District Hospital.

During the campaign, the B.C. Conservatives pledged to restore broad competitive bidding for provincial infrastructure which is a clear reversal from the B.C. NDP’s regressive labour policy. This is good news for all qualified contractors and workers as well as for taxpayers.

“We look forward to working with the new Doerkson government to make that promise a reality,” added Baxter. “Encouraging competition will reduce public construction costs and allow the province to build more for less. Our members welcome the opportunity to help build a better B.C.”

Currently, B.C. is a leading province when it comes to labour policies that ban contractors and workers from public projects that their tax dollars help fund.