Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning.
This is Bill C-266. When I received the opportunity to introduce a private member's bill, my first one in the House, I knew immediately that I wanted to champion something that could make a real difference for skilled trades workers across Canada.
As a former aircraft maintenance engineer, I have seen first-hand the dedication, expertise and hard work that tradespeople bring to their professions every single day. I've also witnessed the frustrations they face when workplace circumstances change unexpectedly, when economic opportunities arise in another province or when bureaucratic barriers make it difficult to take their skills where they are needed most.
My own experience, combined with countless conversations with trades workers, apprentices, young professionals, employers and industry leaders, many of whom are family, friends and colleagues, inspired me to introduce Bill C-266, an act to establish a national framework respecting skilled trades and labour mobility.
At the core of this bill, it's about solving a problem that has existed for far too long. Since tabling this legislation, I've met with trade associations, unions, employers, industry organizations and educational institutions from every region of our country. Despite representing different sectors and perspectives, they consistently identify the same challenge: Canada needs a more streamlined, coordinated and harmonized approach to recognizing skilled trades credentials across provinces and territories.
Today, too many workers encounter unnecessary hurdles when pursuing opportunities outside their home jurisdiction. These barriers limit career growth, create inefficiencies for employers and contribute to labour shortages that impact communities and industries from coast to coast to coast.
At a time when Canada urgently needs skilled trades workers to build homes, modernize infrastructure, strengthen supply chains and drive economic growth, we cannot afford a system that prevents qualified Canadians from putting their skills to work where they are needed most. That's why support for Bill C-266 has continued to grow.
Polytechnics Canada has endorsed this effort, recognizing that improving harmonization and credential recognition will help workers move more freely to meet labour demands across the country. Their support reflects a broader understanding that labour mobility is not simply a workforce issue. It's an economic imperative.
As someone who spent years working in aerospace, I'm also encouraged by the support of the executive director of the B.C. Aviation Council, who has described Bill C-266 as a positive step toward improving labour mobility in Canada. The council is now engaging with counterpart organizations across the country, further demonstrating that the need for action extends across multiple sectors of our economy.
Importantly, this bill recognizes that even where national standards already exist, opportunities remain to improve consistency and portability. The British Columbia Institute of Technology, BCIT, in my hometown of Richmond, has highlighted that while trades such as instrumentation and control technicians are nationally harmonized through the Red Seal program, elements of apprenticeship governance and implementation still vary across jurisdictions. This bill presents an opportunity by encouraging greater collaboration among governments, educational institutions, apprenticeship authorities, employers and labour organizations. We can develop a framework that respects provincial and territorial responsibilities, while making it easier for Canadians to build careers wherever opportunity calls.
The goal is not uniformity for its own sake. The goal is to create a system that maintains excellence, responds to regional economic needs and gives workers confidence that their qualifications will be recognized across Canada. The unions I spoke with, including CUPE and Unifor, have been broadly supportive because they see the potential benefits for workers. They have also raised an important concern, one that I share wholeheartedly. Enhanced mobility must never come at the expense of wages, safety, training quality or worker protections.
Let me be absolutely clear: Bill C-266 is not about lowering standards. It's about strengthening and harmonizing standards while removing unnecessary barriers. It's about ensuring that workers can pursue opportunities with confidence and employers can access the skilled talent they need without compromising quality and safety.
Canada's future depends on our ability to build. We need skilled workers to construct homes, maintain critical infrastructure, power our economy, support major projects and strengthen our country's competitiveness. We cannot fully unlock our economic potential if qualified tradespeople face obstacles when moving from one province or territory to another.
That's why the Government of Canada's team Canada strong skilled trades strategy is such an important step forward. Through investments of up to $6 billion over five years, including support for apprenticeship training, recruitment and retention, Canada is making significant investments in the next generation of skilled workers, and Bill C-266 complements these efforts.
Thank you.
