BCBC welcomes Bill C-39 as federal government acts on key reform priorities

The Business Council of British Columbia (BCBC) welcomes Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, introduced by the federal government. If passed, the legislation would directly address several changes BCBC has been advocating for at the federal level.

In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that Canada must do everything it can to make itself a more attractive jurisdiction for private sector investment. That means reliable supply chains, predictable regulatory processes and a labour relations framework that supports the movement of Canadian exports to global markets. Several measures in Bill C-39 are positive steps in that direction.

Bill C-39 creates a pathway to geographic certification in collective bargaining at West Coast ports and introduces a new special mediator process. These were core recommendations in BCBC’s submissions to the federal government’s Canada Labour Code consultations in May and July.

The legislation also advances reforms to the federal impact assessment process, another key priority BCBC identified in our June submission on major project reforms. Several of these priorities were also included in the joint recommendations recently presented by the Western Business Coalition to all Members of Parliament and directly to the federal government during our engagement in Ottawa.

BCBC thanks the federal government for engaging seriously with the substance of these reforms. We look forward to continuing the conversation and offering our support as Canada works to create a stronger, more competitive and diversified economy for the benefit of all Canadians.