Transport committee  No. What I'm saying is as a taxpayer here in the city of Ottawa, I would be very upset with the local city government if they restricted bidding to city of Ottawa contractors only in the same way. Whether they are union or non-union doesn't matter. You're restricting competition

Transport committee  I don't have an example, but I want to clarify and make the point that our position is that we would oppose any kind of restriction. Whether that's going to impact competition is going to be very dependent upon the marketplace. For example, we would also be here telling you we're

Transport committee  It's likely to impact the competition. Similarly, we've opposed and been in front of federal committees before saying that federal funds should not be supporting local or regional preference policies where the out-of-province or out-of-county bidder has to be your 10 or 15—

Transport committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. We'd like to thank the committee for providing the Canadian Construction Association, or CCA, as it's known by its acronym, with the opportunity to appear before you today. My name is Michael Atkinson, and l am the president of the association.

Government Operations committee  There is no question it's very important. I think, despite some of the political problems with respect to that, it can be achieved by working with the private sector and other stakeholders.

Government Operations committee  For example, in the traditional crown construct situation, basically the design is done, it's finished, it's specified, and you ask for lowest price. Don't you dare vary from that designer spec. Don't even come in with an unqualified or unsolicited alternative, because you'll be

Government Operations committee  Well, very often it's because of the additional risks or incentives that are in the contract. You may have a situation.... For example, if you have 18 high schools bundled, you must deliver those all at the same time and at the same opening date, and you take on the risk of any d

Government Operations committee  I'd like to weigh in here. The P3 option in those circumstances gives you the opportunity, as the public sector, to insist upon a certain quality standard of that asset all during its 35 years, and upon the standard of quality at its turn-back. Mr. Wallace has said that one of

Government Operations committee  Yes.

Government Operations committee  Our organization welcomes that kind of scrutiny. To some extent, on the second round of P3 projects that we've seen over the last 10 years or so, it's too early in the game to do an objective assessment of that, because you're talking about the total life-cycle management cost. Y

Government Operations committee  Yes, and there is a role for SMEs in P3 partnerships. If you look at a typical construction contract, with a general or prime contractor and a number of subcontractors and a number of sub-subs below them, and suppliers, etc., and you look at it as a pyramid, the group most affect

Government Operations committee  In many cases they would still be engaged, particularly if they're trade contractors—mechanical, electrical, etc. It would just be that they may be working for somebody other than they would normally be working for, or there would be another layer of contracts between them, which

Government Operations committee  The consideration shouldn't only be, when you're looking at a complex project, whether or not it's a viable option for private financing. I think you should be looking at the domestic market, your supply chain. You should be making other considerations in coming to that decision.

Government Operations committee  On the percentage, or what the appropriate percentage is, I think it's very difficult to provide that. It depends on the need and the type of project and its complexity, it depends upon the kind of infrastructure. That really is a function of the identified priorities, but it doe

Government Operations committee  I would agree that it doesn't make much sense to force parties to make that decision right up front, without having a further evaluation done. It would be kind of foolish to burn bridges during that process. To have a more integrated approach makes a lot of sense. Mr. Carlton wo