PAGE OCR 2 – March 2011 – The Ontario Construction Report Preparing for the upcoming provincial election: Industry leaders have different perspectives


ANJA KARADEGLIJA – Special to The OCR Construction Report


Ontario’s provincial election is still half a year away, but thoughts are already turn- ing to how it could affect the construction industry.


Of course, it’s early days yet – the par-


ties haven’t released their platforms and the bulk of the campaigning is still to come – but many construction associations in the ICI sector have determined the issues that are important to them.


There are several reasons this could be a significant election, said David Zurawel, vice-president of policy and government re- lations at the Council of Ontario Construc- tion Associations. “There hasn’t been a back to back to back Liberal victory since the 19th century, so it’s been a long time,” he said, adding that it’s also significant “because we’re looking at both opposition parties having a new leader.” “It’s important also because we’re


emerging out of a recession that has really forced Ontario to redefine its economy. The manufacturing economy is no longer driven by auto sector,” he said. “When auto fell off as the largest single employer, construction came to the fore, probably, so what is this going to mean for construction? These are


the issues that come to mind.”


Zurawel explained that economic is- sues, like the deficit, overall debt, unem- ployment rate and inflation rate will affect how the government deals with infrastruc- ture.


“All of those issues will determine how money is spent, so a big ticket issue like core infrastructure might be [affected],” he said.


Another issue COCA is watching is the


HST, which Zurawel described as a “dou- ble-edged sword.”


While construction benefited from the


HST and some small businesses saw their taxes fall significantly, the cost of things like electricity and fuel has risen, and the effects of that still have to work their way through the system. “The HST will be a hot-button issue,” he said. Clive Thurston, president of the Ontario General Contractors’ Association, also said that infrastructure would be a key issue for his association. The money spent so far has been a drop in a bucket compared to the province’s infrastructure deficit, he noted. “There has to be plan in place. We have been working with (Construction and De- sign Alliance of Ontario) members to …. stop this roller coaster of spending and no spending. We will continue to push the message that infrastructure is not a cost, it’s


“We want Ontarians to recognize that the existing Liberal provincial government has forged an alliance with the building trades that has not been healthy for con- struction in general,” he said. Additionally, Merit would also like to see the government change apprentice to journeyman ratios to one to one. “What we have now is all over the map,” he said. “One of the things we complain about… is that not enough people are going into the trades,” Emmanuel noted. “Well, here’s one way to fix that.”


He added that the organization likes some of the promises Tim Hudak, the Pro- gressive Conservative party leader, has made.


an investment,” he said. The second major concern for the


OGCA is the future of the WSIB, Thurston said. He added that issues which might not seem to directly affect the industry, like the green movement and accessibility legisla- tion, do have an effect.


The Ontario Construction Secretariat


doesn’t have any issues on the radar at this time, said Katherine Jacobs, director of re- search and analysis at the OCS. “We are non-partisan . . .we work equally well with all parties to ensure they’re aware of the needs of the unionized sector,” she said.


Jacobs added that the organization would like to see the government continue current initiatives on safety and apprentice- ships.


However, Merit Ontario, which advo- cates for open-shop contractors, would like to see legislation removing card-based union certification in favour of a secret bal- lot, said development manager Tristan Em- manuel.


Hudak has said that he’s prepared to re- peal card-based certification and change apprentice ratios, as well as investigate and possibly do something about increased WSIB premiums, Emmanuel said. “That’s forcing company owners to pur- chase their own WSIB coverage, which hasn’t happened in the past….for big com- panies, it’s no big deal, but for smaller shops – three to five man shops – it’s a big deal,” Emmanuel explained.


While the industry might know which


issues it’s concerned about, candidates’ exact stances are still somewhat murky. Al- though overtures to the industry have been made, Zurawel said that the parties hadn’t yet put out anything substantive. “What’s becoming more of an issue is the reluctance for any parties to come for- ward and put out a platform for discussion. It’s not a surprise, but it has the potential to become more than a mild annoyance in near the future,” he said.


The parties need to set out a detailed plan for Ontario’s future– the sooner the better, he said.


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