Ontario construction firms applaud Ontario government for new process to address prompt payment

TORONTO, March 28, 2014 /CNW/ - An industry coalition of Ontario's construction companies applauded the Ontario government's action to support a strong construction industry by responding to constituents' concerns and committing to review the Construction Lien Act.

"We welcome the broader consultation process that has been announced today to review the issue of prompt payment in the construction industry.  This more formal process should allow everyone who would be affected by Bill 69, the Prompt Payment Act, to find practical, well-thought out and workable solutions," said Chris Gower, Executive Vice President, PCL Construction. "With this announcement, we trust the government and opposition parties will remove Bill 69 from the current committee process and allow the more appropriate process announced today to proceed instead."

The construction industry raised many concerns about Bill 69, including that simple protections for citizens, such as homeowners or contractors tying payment to proper performance and holding back a portion of pay until work is satisfactorily completed, would be prohibited, resulting in higher construction costs for consumers and government.

The Fair Payment Reform Ontario (F-PRO) coalition is comprised of construction companies including Eastern Construction, ACS Infrastructure Canada, Carillion Canada, Dragados Canada, EllisDon, PCL Construction, Aecon and Bird Construction.

SOURCE: Fair Payment Reform Ontario

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