Parliamentary commission on Bill 73

On November 10, the minister of labour tabled Bill 73 in the National Assembly. This bill sets out certain measures to combat criminality in the construction industry.

The bill is one of the measures announced on October 22 to clean up practices in the construction industry and to fight organized crime in the sector.

In the process that should lead to adoption of the bill involving the construction industry, Bill 73 will go into second reading at the Commission de l’économie et du travail. The commission’s members are MNAs from the three political parties and the chair is François Ouimet, MNA for Marquette and parliamentary assistant to the minister of justice. In the presence of the minister of labour on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 24 and 25, the commission will hear viewpoints expressed by the industry’s employer and union associations.

The CCQ’s president and CEO, Mr. André Ménard, will attend the hearings of the parliamentary commission during these two days.

What legislative measures are being proposed?

The bill sets out higher fines for certain infractions listed in Act R-20. A new criminal provision is being added to sanction acts of intimidation likely to cause a slowdown or stoppage of activity on a construction site.

Other measures are also set out – for example:

• The imposition of stricter conditions for the issuance or maintenance of a contractor or owner-builder licence
• The power for the RBQ to verify the legal history of contractors and shareholders, and to withdraw a licence if it discovers a conviction within the five preceding years
• The broadening of the scope of the Regulation Respecting Restrictions to Contractor Licences to municipalities and Crown corporations.

Once this step is completed and the modifications are incorporated, the bill will be submitted to third reading in the National Assembly.

For more information: http://www.assnat.qc.ca/eng/39legislature1/commissions/cet/index.shtml