Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends from Vancouver Granville and South Shore—St. Margarets and my colleagues across the way for their passionate support for the skilled trades and workers.
It is a great honour to rise in the House after a productive recess spent working closely with constituents and stakeholders. I am particularly pleased that my bill is being debated on the first day of this new session. During the recess, I took the time to visit educational institutions and trade associations to talk with them about Bill C-266, an act to establish a national framework respecting skilled trades and labour mobility.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University, in my hometown of Richmond, said this bill is a step toward national harmonization and would make it easier for qualified tradespeople to move fluidly between jurisdictions without administrative friction. By modernizing how qualifications are recognized across provincial borders, the legislation would support secondary institutions like KPU to deliver training that meets the dynamic needs of Canada's economy. Polytechnics Canada supports this bill as well, telling me, “At a time of ongoing labour shortages, improving the harmonization and recognition of skilled trades qualifications across provinces and territories will make it easier for workers to take their skills where they are most needed.”
However, it does not end with educational institutions. The Canadian Construction Association welcomes Bill C-266 and the development of a national framework to modernize, streamline and harmonize skilled trade certification processes. Canada's construction industry is held back by a fragmented internal market where labour mobility restrictions create costly barriers for workers and employers alike. These inefficiencies limit economies of scale, slow innovation and suppress productivity growth at a time when the country urgently needs to build more critical infrastructure. Unlocking internal trade requires harmonizing credentials and meaningful engagement with the construction industry to develop solutions that work on the ground.
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada also supports Bill C-266 and its vision for a national framework on mutual recognition and labour mobility. For plumbers and electricians working across provinces, inconsistent certification and training requirements continue to create inefficiencies, unnecessary administrative burdens, cost overruns and project delays. Improving alignment and mutual recognition across jurisdictions through a coordinated national framework would support a more efficient and productive construction environment. They are encouraged by the bill's focus on collaboration across industry, labour and provincial governments and look forward to the opportunity to contribute their expertise to this framework.
Abigail Fulton, executive director of the Construction Foundation, sees first-hand the value of reducing barriers to certification and creating clearer pathways for skilled workers. Canada needs a skilled trades workforce that can move where the work is, but mobility works best when workers are supported to successfully complete their apprenticeships and achieve certification. Bill C-266 would provide an important opportunity for a national conversation about how we strengthen skilled trades mobility while building the certified workforce Canada needs to deliver housing, infrastructure and major projects.
As a former aircraft maintenance engineer, I am grateful that the executive director of the British Columbia Aviation Council is fully supportive of Bill C-266, saying that it is a positive step toward labour mobility in Canada, and is reaching out to its two dozen counterpart associations across the country to solicit additional support.
The time has come to complete the work that started 30 years ago on the Agreement on Internal Trade, now the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. We can no longer afford to restrict skilled trade workers to guard regional interests. Governments and regulators must come together and respect the training and experience of Canadian workers. This is about unlocking the potential of the next generation of young Canadians, empowering them to pursue rewarding careers, strengthening our workforce, growing our economy and building a stronger Canada.
I look forward to seeing this bill at committee and hearing from experts on the need to harmonize credential recognition from coast to coast to coast.