Premier John Horgan has announced his new Cabinet, which enables ECABC to continue advancing the advocacy we’re doing on behalf of our members.

In the Ministerial portfolios that matter most to our members, there is a mixture of stability and renewal.

Perhaps most notably, David Eby remains the Attorney General. This office has taken the lead on the prompt payment legislation file, and I was able to meet with the Deputy Minister and other senior staff during the election period to provide government with the most recent prompt payment news from around the country.

Minister Eby is familiar with the prompt payment file, which I believe is a net positive. We will not have to re-educate a new Minister. Our task is now to convince the government that BC is falling behind in providing the same protections that contractors in many other provinces enjoy.

On the apprenticeship side, there is a new Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training – Anne Kang.

Also, the Premier has appointed Andrew Mercier as the Parliamentary Secretary for Skills Training. Andrew is a lawyer by trade, but recently worked as Executive Director of the BC Building Trades Council, so he understands the challenges facing apprenticeship and training in British Columbia.

I will be reaching out to both the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary to continue our work to resolve issues with the apprenticeship system, including the pre-existing challenges that have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With new Ministers and staff in place, we can fully re-start our government relations activities, and I’m looking forward to delivering results for our members.

Thank you,

Deborah Cahill
President, Electrical Contractors Association of British Columbia