Mr. Speaker, trade contractors, who perform over 80% of all construction work in Canada, are disproportionately affected by payment delays because of their position in the construction pyramid that often leaves them waiting on payments from general contractors while still having to pay their staff, suppliers, and taxes. In my own riding of Windsor—Tecumseh, suppliers of materials and trades are an important driver of our local economy. When these companies do not get paid in a timely fashion, there are immediate effects on the livelihoods of my constituents. With public-private partnerships on the rise due to the government's Canada infrastructure investment bank, it is all the more important to protect our smaller contractors. In fact, prompt payment legislation has been passed in Ontario and it already exists at the national level in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. It should exist here as well.
In the House of Commons on November 8th, 2017. See this statement in context.